Graduating from the Academy of Journalism and Communication, Nguyen Le Ngoc Linh, born in 1990, from Hoa Quy Commune, Nhu Xuan District, in Thanh Hoa Province had a stable, well-paid job in the city. 

Born into a farming family surrounded by people tied to the land, she understood the hardships of rural life. This drove the Tho woman to find ways to leverage local potential for economic development while fostering a sustainable environment in her hometown.

This prompted Linh to leave Hanoi and launch the “Vuon Rung Ban Tho” (Tho Forest Garden) model. “I was determined to change the forest planting for sustainable prosperity. I was full of enthusiasm when I started,” Linh said.

In 2019, while her peers pursued urban careers, Linh returned home, borrowing 3 hectares of her family’s degraded forest land to rehabilitate for farming. She wanted to revive forests, ensure sustainable livelihoods, and empower ethnic minority women in her homeland. 

Linh also sought to create a food ecosystem, offering customers products infused with the vitality and healing energy of green forests.

The Ban Tho Forest Garden aims to restore forests and native plant genes while providing sustainable livelihoods, especially for ethnic minorities and disadvantaged groups like women, the poor, and near-poor households. 

“By harvesting medicinal herbs under forest canopies and applying processing technology, we create a circular value chain, enhancing product value. Ban Tho also aims to connect communities and pioneer a new tourism model blending tourism, culture, and agriculture,” Linh explained.

To date, the petite Tho woman has greened 3 hectares with over 100 plant species. She restores and preserves native trees and grows medicinal herbs. She farms organically, using self-made compost and plant-based pest control to avoid harming people or the ecosystem.

In 2020, Linh founded Ban Tho Cooperative with seven members, mostly ethnic minorities and near-poor households. The cooperative partnered with locals to raise bees at forest edges and built a workshop to process fermented herbs with honey.

It also collaborates with seven households to grow organic medicinal herbs, expanding the area to 7 hectares, and links with beekeeping cooperatives in Nhu Xuan, Cam Thuy, and Thach Thanh districts.

“Our main revenue, and flagship products are fermented honey and herb-honey blends, creating unique offerings. These products have earned a 3-star OCOP rating,” Linh said.

The Ban Tho Forest Garden and Cooperative have inspired other youth to protect natural ecosystems and boost local economies. The cooperative employs about 20 local workers (full-time and seasonal), with incomes of VND6-8 million per month, stabilizing community livelihoods.