Report and figures
Report and figures
Every number below comes straight from the project's final report. Anything that is an estimate or a qualitative observation is labelled as such.
Soil remediation
Two zones were treated differently so there would be a real control, rather than measuring one spot and generalising from it.
Zone 1 — full protocol applied
2,5–3,06,0–6,5pH level
Zone 2 — control, partial protocol only
2,5–3,0≈ 4,5pH level
Improved markedly more slowly than Zone 1 — this control shows the real effect of the complete protocol.
Soil structure
The soil became looser and darker, the tillage layer thickened, and moisture retention improved markedly.
Ecosystem recovery
Earthworm counts rose markedly, beneficial insects became more common, and biodiversity increased stage by stage.
First harvest
The first commercial crop after remediation, completed in June 2026.
Total yield2,750kg
| First harvest | kg |
|---|---|
| Cucumber | 1,500 kg |
| Gourds, squash, luffa | 500 kg |
| Okra | 500 kg |
| Bitter melon | 200 kg |
| Winged bean | 50 kg |
Economics of the first crop
Revenue, costs and profit from the first crop are recorded in full, but shared with community members only.
Members-only content
Detailed financial figures — revenue, each cost line, infrastructure investment — are shared inside the Người Chăn Đất community only.
Two years of infrastructure investment
Members-only content
Detailed financial figures — revenue, each cost line, infrastructure investment — are shared inside the Người Chăn Đất community only.
Read this before comparing
This is the total infrastructure investment across the entire two-year pilot, not the cost of a single crop. Most of it (~472 million VND) is fixed assets with a multi-year life: earthworks machinery, the irrigation system and equipment. Actual operating spend across the two years was only around 177 million VND.
The unvarnished version
The unvarnished version
Three things that went wrong or were lost over two years. Recorded because they are more useful to anyone attempting this than a list of achievements.
01
Planting commercial crops too early means losing everything
Commercial vegetables should only go in once the soil ecosystem has stabilised. Planting early wiped out several plots of cucumber and lettuce entirely.
02
The flood took the crop, but not the soil
In October 2025 a flood larger than the 2024 one overtopped the dyke and took almost the entire crop awaiting harvest — only the first batch of green papaya was sold in time. But no bank collapsed and no bed eroded: once the water drained, planting could start again without rebuilding the infrastructure.
03
No dedicated labour meant inflated costs
Without dedicated staff, labour costs during the pilot ran higher than the real operating level will be from here on.