Having been with my girlfriend now 10 years I can tell you about these hard working people on there rice paddy's, we go into a supermarket and buy a packet of rice which is there ready for us to take home and cook but have you ever stopped to think about how that packet of rice ends up in a supermarket to your table, it's through a lot of sweaty back breaking work from these rice farmers who only get paid a small portion for there exhausting efforts and they cultivate many tons of rice and are by no means rich from this back breaking job, yes they do make a living from it but it also shortens there lifespan working in those intolerable heat conditions in them rice fields.
It is quite a lengthy process before that packet of rice reaches a supermarket my girlfriend's parents have quite a substantial farm about 30 Rai of land approximately 14 acres that's a lot of rice planting so you can imagine they need to hire people and machinery to help them out which in turn cost money meaning it shaves there profit margin down but after all there hard work they can live fairly comfortable.
I have myself given this a go planting those little rice shoots, it's not for the faint hearted people been bent at 90 degrees angle for hours in that muddy water with the sun burning down on your back I would not give up my day job to be doing this that's for sure but for them, it comes natural done by many generations before them. The first process of starting a rice field plantations is the most easiest part by just throw the seeds down into a couple of patches of the farm and watch them sprout when they have sprouted to about a height of approx 24 inches the rice shoots then need to be pulled out trim down to about 8-10 inches bundled up and carried over to the next rice field patches to be planted.
I was born on a farm and grew up on my parents farm in my home country of Italy before migrating to Australia so hard work never bothered me really I was actually enjoying myself helping my girlfriend's parents and working with these Thai people was fun the planting of the rice went on for 3 days before it was all completed and boy did I need a massage after that I used muscles that I didn't know I had but it was worth it to be amongst these such happy, fun going people.
Once all the rice planting was done it was just a matter of keeping it well irrigated for about 3 months watching them little rice shoots growing taller right up till they reached full maturity from been very green plants turning into a more light green color like dried out grass.
Once that whole rice paddy had reached full maturity, it was time to call the crew back in for the cutting down of the rice plants they were put through a sorting out machine the rice grains would go one way and the leafy dry rice plant disposed in another direction then the rice grain would be taken into storage containers for the grain to dry out a similar process as to wheat farming.
The workers would get paid 300 baht per/day ($9 US) and meals provided for this back breaking job so next time you are eating those grains of rice appreciate the work that goes into getting those grains of rice to your table, it certainly made me appreciate that grain of rice more after working it myself and seeing how it's done.
It is quite a lengthy process before that packet of rice reaches a supermarket my girlfriend's parents have quite a substantial farm about 30 Rai of land approximately 14 acres that's a lot of rice planting so you can imagine they need to hire people and machinery to help them out which in turn cost money meaning it shaves there profit margin down but after all there hard work they can live fairly comfortable.
I have myself given this a go planting those little rice shoots, it's not for the faint hearted people been bent at 90 degrees angle for hours in that muddy water with the sun burning down on your back I would not give up my day job to be doing this that's for sure but for them, it comes natural done by many generations before them. The first process of starting a rice field plantations is the most easiest part by just throw the seeds down into a couple of patches of the farm and watch them sprout when they have sprouted to about a height of approx 24 inches the rice shoots then need to be pulled out trim down to about 8-10 inches bundled up and carried over to the next rice field patches to be planted.
I was born on a farm and grew up on my parents farm in my home country of Italy before migrating to Australia so hard work never bothered me really I was actually enjoying myself helping my girlfriend's parents and working with these Thai people was fun the planting of the rice went on for 3 days before it was all completed and boy did I need a massage after that I used muscles that I didn't know I had but it was worth it to be amongst these such happy, fun going people.
Once all the rice planting was done it was just a matter of keeping it well irrigated for about 3 months watching them little rice shoots growing taller right up till they reached full maturity from been very green plants turning into a more light green color like dried out grass.
Once that whole rice paddy had reached full maturity, it was time to call the crew back in for the cutting down of the rice plants they were put through a sorting out machine the rice grains would go one way and the leafy dry rice plant disposed in another direction then the rice grain would be taken into storage containers for the grain to dry out a similar process as to wheat farming.
The workers would get paid 300 baht per/day ($9 US) and meals provided for this back breaking job so next time you are eating those grains of rice appreciate the work that goes into getting those grains of rice to your table, it certainly made me appreciate that grain of rice more after working it myself and seeing how it's done.
Cute pics, had fun scrolling. I'll remember that next time I eat rice, so I don't waste anymore. We've been eating a lot more quinoa lately instead of rice, but jasmine is my favourite kind.
Thank you @medikatie it does make you appreciate it more and I do love jasmine rice also :)
Thank you SO much for sharing these wonderful story and for the info/education. It definitely gives me a deeper appreciation of rice.
I do this as a practice of gratitude sometimes actually with a random object (esp when not feeling like have so much). I'll look around and choose an object, say a pair of shoes then feel gratitude from all angles.
For the work that went into making the shoes
For the fact that I am able to own these shoes (and all the people that can't afford shoes)
For the fact I am even able to walk and do other activities
Think its hard to go into the first aspect sometimes without experiencing the work yourself or a good detailed story like yours.
Thank you @wanderlust7 for your kind words behind every thing we see there is someone creating that masterpiece as they say :)
great post I can't upvote as trying to get back to 100 percent first lol but this was really eye opening. I don't actually eat rice only really fruits and vegetables and nuts but I think often over here we just buy stuff with not much thought what goes into it.
Thank you @ultravioletmag yeah if we did stop and think a little there are some great stories behind all these creators of whatever it maybe.
Really good blog as always. I definitely will appreciate my rice a lot more after seeimg how much hard work goes into it.
Thank you @petrapurple yep it certainly gave me a different view after seeing how it all goes down.
Yeah, I have land that was a paddy field before - without secure source of water, some years it can also be a precarious job... and still hard work!
There is always so much work behind owning large amounts of land, if it's for your income ok but just owning it to look at, no it's to much maintenance that's why I am happy just living in a nice beachfront apartment...hehe.. and spend my weekends on the beach instead of a garden and mowing lawns.
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Thank @blurttribe for your support :)