The first phase of the shared farm is being pushed forward in Caobu town, Rudong county, Nantong. [Photo/WeChat account: dream8086]

With the rapid development of the internet, intelligent agriculture has achieved integration of virtual games and actual experience in recent years, injecting new vitality into traditional agriculture development.

The Yiwu Farm, an agriculture project in Caobu town, Rudong county, takes advantage of the technology of the internet of things (IoT). It allows the customers to plant vegetables in a virtual world and collect real ones by the end of the year.

With investment of one billion yuan ($144 million), the farm covers 200 hectares and will be constructed in two or three phases. Intelligent green houses will be completed and put into use by the end of next year. At present, the first phase is being pushed forward steadily.

"This project is targeted at blue-collar and white-collar workers. After downloading an APP on their phones, they can experience the whole process from seeding to harvest," Shi Donghui, the person in charge of the Yiwu Farm project from Nantong Sanjian construction decoration Co Ltd, said.

"After harvest, the vegetables will be delivered to customer's home through logistics by 8 am the next day to ensure the freshness," Shi added.

The project provides a series of services including leasing land, ordering a vegetable garden, selecting varieties, sowing seedlings, fertilizing and watering, inspection and delivery. Users can complete each step on their phones.

Through the IoT technologies, the farm effectively solves the problems of profit maximization between farmers, merchants and customers, reduces cost and raises quality of living. It also allows participants to experience the fun of customized smart agricultural production.