However, sales proved difficult in a market where goods are often labeled as "organic," even if they are not.

He Huili, a professor at the China Agricultural University and an early proponent of eco-farming in Nanmazhuang, said a lack of information made it difficult for consumers to build trust in genuine organic foods.

Realizing this, the village changed its strategy and invited consumers to participate in the production, so they could take an up-close look at the way the farm operated.

One of the village's ecological pig farms even created real-time online video feeds for customers to take a look at the pigs whenever they wish.

"The results were great," Zhang said. "The prices of our cereal-fed pigs were two times higher than that of ordinary pigs, but they still sold well and made a great profit."

Furthermore, the direct link between buyers and producers helps both sides get rid of intermediary surcharges, which have pushed up food prices while gobbling up the bulk of farmers' profits.

Bottlenecks

However, some have raised doubts over whether the customized organic food could go beyond the privilege of wealthy urbanites, as they are so far still too expensive for most consumers.

Underscoring the high price are the low output and other technical problems that curbed the fast expansion of eco-agriculture.

"My organic farm produces only 11 tonnes of sweet potatoes per hectare, while those that use chemical fertilizers and pesticides can harvest 30 tonnes," said Yu Baogen, a farmer from Shunping County in north Hebei Province.

Yu complained about his heavy workload, as a refusal to use herbicides means that Yu has to remove weeds by hand. Reliable labor is in short supply in Yu's village, as many young people have moved to seek better jobs in cities.

Farming villages are also starting to lose their agricultural traditions, as many of their youngest farmers don't remember a time before pesticides and growth hormones, said Gao Hongwei, owner of a Beijing eco-farm.

"Many shake their heads and say it's a joke when I ask them to grow vegetables without using chemicals," recalled Gao.

However, Gao believes that the biggest obstacle for the future of eco-farming will come from consumers' mistrust.

"Many people have questioned our commitment to not using chemicals and our ability to provide a diverse variety of vegetables during different seasons," Gao said.

For Gao and other eco-farmers, it is important to have consumer groups like "Safeguard Homeland" that can bridge the misinformation between producers and consumers.

Zhang Yanbin said that eco-farms in Nanmazhuang have to reach out to potential consumers on their own most of the time.

"Our customers are numerous, but separate," Zhang said. "We hope consumer groups can eventually bring them together, for it is much harder for us to find them otherwise."