Farmers in the quake zone have not only lost their homes, but also their farms. In Shifang, soldiers are helping local residents keep their losses to a minimum.

The earthquake caused great losses to wood ear mushroom farmers in Hulin village.

Days before, farmer Gao Fang had no idea how to save her crop in the field.

Then, soldiers stationed nearby came to help. In just two days, they cleaned and transferred 60,000 bags of mushroom spores.

Gao Fang, farmer of Hulin Village, Shifang, said, "I'm so grateful for the soldiers' help. Otherwise, these mushrooms would have rotted in the field, and I would suffer more losses. I really want to thank these soldiers."

Armed forces are helping out with other farming chores in Shifang, such as harvesting wheat and cleaning irrigation ditches.

The disaster relief headquarter has ordered soldiers to help in post-quake reconstruction. Their support can also encourage the farmer's courage to rebuild their lives.

(CCTV.com June 18, 2008)