Story: Galba Gobi vegetable grower who turned something she does best into a business

– There is land, seeds are available, if it grows, I will try growing any vegetables I like –

In modern times, people are rarely satisfied with their work and things they use and consume. It is therefore so exciting to see someone who is satisfied and happy with his or her work. We encountered one such person in Khanbogd soum of Umnugobi aimag. Her name is Togookhuu Amarsanaa. Mrs. A. Togookhuu grows 10 types of vegetables thanks to the “Goviin Shim” program, and is spending her days in the vegetable field to demonstrate the benefits of growing vegetables to her children. It is said that when she was herding animals in her youth, she loved experimenting with growing various vegetable seeds in the barnyard of her family’s winter and spring camp. We stopped to talk with Mrs. Togookhuu for a few moments, who likes growing vegetables and still does the work she loves. We thought that perhaps staying outdoors at her age makes her happy. When we visited her, her grandson stuck to her while she was digging ditches in the vegetable field. There is a vegetable field to the northeast of Khanbogd soum covering 15 ha where potatoes, onions, cucumbers, tomatoes, watermelons, and squash are grown. Here, Mrs.Togookhuu spends her time during the summer with her son doing what she really loves. Her daughter-in-law is from Jargalant soum of Tuv aimag (Central province). Her daughter-in-law advises her as she is from a land with a tradition of vegetable farming. She is experimenting with two ways of growing cucumbers: in a greenhouse and outdoors. She was very eager to show how she is growing kalanchoe (or money flower), tomatoes and cucumbers. She took a 7 million tugrug loan from the “Goviin Shim” program, and for the first time she is growing and taking care of vegetables she wanted to grow in her own land. Mrs.Togookhuu is a hard working woman, as she wipes sweat from her face, her hand is always moving and working on something. Birds eat the vegetables planted, so she erected a small scarecrow using plastic bags. Except for the small disturbance of livestock animals attempting to enter the vegetable field, the “Goviin Shim” program staff and Oyu Tolgoi employees provided all conditions for growing vegetables. Mrs. A. Togookhuu said that she does not need anything else now, since all her needs, except actually growing the vegetables, such as irrigation, vegetable seeds, greenhouse, wind protection; etc, are all provided for. She doesn’t hide her hope that her children will feel differently when they collect the harvests starting from next year. Her children live in the soum center and all have jobs. Therefore, they can’t help their mom very often. “My grandchildren rarely go to the vegetable field and spend more time with cell phones and computers like other modern people. Only this poor thing sticks with me,” she said referrring to her grandson. She lacked experience, as this was her first time growing various vegetables in such large area, and she almost got the vegetables too dry. Mrs. A. Togookhuu is a native of Khanbogd soum. She worked at the local veterinary hospital when she was young and also herded her own livestock. “There is land, seeds are available, if it grows, I will try growing vegetables I like. The ‘Goviin shim’ program is really beneficial for us. Once, I tried to make bricket fuel with help of this program. I could not do it. There are things one can do and also things one can’t do. I have nobody except “Goviin Shim” to help me,” said Mrs.Togookhuu. She is always saying things like, ”Come with me to our vegetable field. Let’s go to the greenhouse. Look at the cucumber and tomatoes we are growing.” Next year, Mrs. A. Togookhuu is planning to grow more vegetables. In the end, she said ”I really found the job I like. I think I started very nice and virtuous work. My friend sent me seeds of watermelon from Dornogobi. I planted some. Look at this. It is growing nicely. Ten people who grow vegetables here have formed a cooperative together. Currently, we have not yet named the cooperative. Each family planted 10 kinds of vegetables. Actually, there are many families here growing vegetables. There is no one here without work.” A woman with a job and good character is really special. While the two of us were touring the vegetable field, it was raining mildly and a gentle wind was blowing and it felt very nice. I felt that I don’t want to go away. It’s people like this who are called “brave people of Great Gobi.”