A fruitful attempt

A black horse in China's cut-throat variety show market, the show's Season 1 hoovered up a series of honors, including a nomination for Best Variety Show at the 28th Shanghai TV Festival Magnolia Awards. On Douban, China's answer to IMDb, its rating rose to a staggering 9.0 out of 10.

Many audience members, especially young urbanites who are too far away from their ancestral villages and their associated lifestyles, call it a sincere production that reveals the hardships of farming and offers a glimpse into the status quo of China's agricultural industry.

Many more viewers, especially those navigating uncertainties in life and battling anxiety and pressure at school and work, find the show or farming itself therapeutic.

"The land doesn't lie to you. That's what I feel strongly about farming," said He Haonan, one of the 10 youths.

The 24-year-old, who specializes in singing and dancing, said he used to be confused about the future because many efforts could end in vain. He also noted that many people work with the intangible, like data and words, which do not yield tangible results, and they can feel easily frustrated.

"Here on the farm, if we carefully tend to the seeds that we have planted, they will sprout, flower, and then bear fruit after a while. The feedback from the land, which is palpable, can bring you a sense of fulfillment. I guess that is why many people find that there is a healing power to our show," he told reporters during a group interview.

Aside from reaffirming the truth of the adage "As you sow, so shall you reap," the show has created a utopia in which the 10 young men work close to nature, support each other, and naturally develop genuine camaraderie. In the middle of Season 1, they established a boy's group, Shigeqintian (literally 10 hard-working days) and an agricultural company with the same name.

The utopia on the small screen echoes a longing for nature and friendship among its audiences, who commonly lack socializing in their busy urban lives. They call the participants "my dear digital friends" in real-time comments that appear on the screen.

Not only is Become a Farmer commended for its immense emotional value but it is also hailed for raising public awareness about the country's agriculture and farmers' livelihoods.

Ensuring food security has remained one of the country's top priorities because China, which produces about a quarter of the world's food and feeds more than one-fifth of our planet's population, has less than nine per cent of Earth's cultivatable land.

"I hope this show will let more people understand the value of farming and the hardships of farmers and hence grow willing to pay good prices for quality agricultural products," Zhu Yi, an associate professor at China Agricultural University, wrote in a Weibo post on Feb 23. "I hope farming can become a proud profession in the future, and youths with a love for the land can lead a decent life and realize their value without leaving their hometowns."