Down On The "farm" Today

[IsaanAussie]

Well not wishing to suffer the time out issues or whatever of Foreverford and Lickey. I wrote mine contribution offline. Please find and get a laugh from the attachment.

Isaanaussie

Bloody marvelous mate goodonya...can just picture it.....'stop little bit for me", "Go straight"...love it..same same here mate..made my day ..keep it up

Thanks Dave,

Arh a Milligan fan! Man after my own heart... ' "Great little woman your mother" said Milligans father as the two of them stood watching her dig the air-raid shelter. Milligan responded, "Yes and getting smaller all the time" ' Cracks me up. Even the poetry, "Thought I saw Jesus on a tram, I asked "Are you Jesus?" He said "Yes I am."

OK. A few days ago I made a statement about living in Thailand gave the same sort of freedom that I had as a child. Of course I was promptly reminded that was only possible because of my hardworking parents. Well in order to explain what I really meant, I attach something that a friend sent me some time ago.

KIDS of the 50's.doc

Isaanaussie

[Foreverford]

Well not wishing to suffer the time out issues or whatever of Foreverford and Lickey. I wrote mine contribution offline. Please find and get a laugh from the attachment.

Isaanaussie

Bloody marvelous mate goodonya...can just picture it.....'stop little bit for me", "Go straight"...love it..same same here mate..made my day ..keep it up

Thanks Dave,

Arh a Milligan fan! Man after my own heart... ' "Great little woman your mother" said Milligans father as the two of them stood watching her dig the air-raid shelter. Milligan responded, "Yes and getting smaller all the time" ' Cracks me up. Even the poetry, "Thought I saw Jesus on a tram, I asked "Are you Jesus?" He said "Yes I am."

OK. A few days ago I made a statement about living in Thailand gave the same sort of freedom that I had as a child. Of course I was promptly reminded that was only possible because of my hardworking parents. Well in order to explain what I really meant, I attach something that a friend sent me some time ago.

KIDS of the 50's.doc

Isaanaussie

too too good with the "kids" you are starting to be the heart and soul of this forum. Maybe time for you to take over as moderater and just let the hogs take care of themselves. a yuk a yuk. You're a whirling dervish in many ways. You know we all love you as much as you love your hogs. You know on that subject if you can't understand how easy it is to fall in love with your hogs then you have never really been a farmer and lived the life. It is truly an amazing thing how fine a beast those things are. Yeah I know many are thinking of rude jokes etc but I am serious and I know you and fruity understan what i mean (now what have i DONE TO make this wild font, oh well onward). Others who have raised hogs I'm sure understand it. There just isn't any other type of beast that is so enjoyable to have around. keep on trucking with a 65 Ford pick up.

[IsaanAussie]

Well I am not sure what to say. See reality is I have been able to generate a bit of time lately as I am doing the cutting and layout work at home and the BIL is doing the welding. After a year with little internet activity, the sudden surge is merely pent up urge to type.

So apart for 4 or 5 strolls a day over to check those "naughty children", the pigs are doing quite nicely of their own. Heart and soul, nar...don't think so. Just another aussie battler still attending the International School of Hard Knocks.

Thankfully mellowing a bit with age. My Dad once told me when he was 17 years old he realised just how stupid his father was. I doubt I was much older at that time. He also told me by the time he reached 25, he was amazed at how much his father had learnt. As the management career chapter of my life is now well behind me, I have realised that having everybody "On the same page" is a nonsense.

Honestly, I have found this forum an excellent source of first hand experience, and people such as yourself Ford, who are willing to share it. (Blow a little smoke up your fundamental orifice as well) Age teaches me that there are well-read, armchair "farmers" everywhere, God Bless their "witty" remarks, as a decent link or reference often emerges as a result.

Just another day on the farm.

Isaanaussie

Edit required to add, actually 2004 Ford Ranger XLT 4x4.

Edited June 10, 2010 by IsaanAussie

[Foreverford]

s

Hi.

I miss some posts here .

Did it die or something?

I really enjoy the guys posting here. Please keep up the good work

Great well I tried, I spent close to an hour typing up my final report for the year, pressed the reply button and got a thing saying they were shutting down the site at 6pm to make the mess they have made of it yesterday. It was 5:30 pm and there was no way to retrieve my script so it was all for nought and I hate to type and doubt I'll do it all over again so you probably won't hear from me for a few months here. It was shear stupidity that they did it that way but what else is new in this land of ineptitude, you bet your horse's a..s that I am p'd off big time. May all your fresh manure smell like the fools that did this without warning or recourse for the people on site without a sensible warning, what a complete joke.

FEF,

How completely a-typical of you, sounds more like my reaction to wasted effort. Jai Yen Yen my friend. I too was surprised by the earlier than announced closure, but hey, Mai pen Rai TIT after all. There are no doubtedly more species of Pla in the pond and co-ordination isnt a Thai strength. When I looked this morning the old PMs were missing and I was pleasantly surprised by the almost immediate reaction by the support staff. Most things take a little longer here than where we all come from.

Give it another crack please, we all appreciate your input.

IA

Just take a deep breathe, and realise that just occessionaly we dont get our vinegar strokes aligned, after all isn't your motto FORD Fix or Repair Daily

too too good with the "kids" you are starting to be the heart and soul of this forum. Maybe time for you to take over as moderater and just let the hogs take care of themselves. You're a whirling dervish in many ways. You know we all love as much as you love your hogs too too good with the "kids" you are starting to be the heart and soul of this forum. Maybe time for you to take over as moderater and just let the hogs take care of themselves. You're a whirling dervish in many ways. You know we all love as much as you love your hogs too too good with the "kids" you are starting to be the heart and soul of this forum. Maybe time for you to take over as moderater and just let the hogs take care of themselves. You're a whirling dervish in many ways. You know we all love as much as you love your hogs Oh my oh my oh my oh my you won't believe this one but somehow I am here again with this response that i sent into another post of yours IA. I just had spent almost 45 minutes (after taking your deep breath advice) and typed up my final report on the farm again to add to the posts and my entire posting disappeared and the other response above "oh my oh....", that i had already posted, showed up. Well that is twice and I can't seem to recover what i typed and it was rather lengthy and so it is. I can't seem to motivate myself to do it again and I do have a plane to catch. Man that was a tough one to lose it again but never fear somewhere and sometime again I will attempt it but I can't say when as it seems that some force is keeping me away from doing it. Sorry Soidog i even had a quote from the Dead's "New Speedway Boogie" on it. Like you might say on this one "what a long strange trip it's been" Sort of like a "Box of Rain" believe it if you need it or delete if you dare.... and yes it appears as if something or one dared. Such it is, I have my health (well at least my physical part, the mental part has always been a bit dodgy but most folks standards). so anywho who would ever think an old dirt farmer could write and type on the computer anyway. I guess I'll sit back have a Campari and soda and watch my fingernails grow. peace and love to all

[soidog2]

Mr. Ford, I salute your " with abandon " writing style.

For me, this forum is a source of knowledge and entertainment.

Totally agree with the Kids of the 50s concept, freedom comes with risks but the opportunities are endless !

To stay on topic, a short Date tree report.

It looks like this year, because of the drought and high temperatures they will ripen a month early.

Now, they are a deep red color turning brown, when dark brown, ready to pick.

Dates being Middle Eastern ; the older people have no concept of what they are.

They stare at the spectacular trees, only when we tell them; in fancy stores, Medjool dates sell for 900 to 1000 baht per kilo, than it becomes interesting.

For those fortunate enough to taste them, it is a different story.

My wife's mother goes around the village telling the other grandmas they should not die before tasting my dates! ( and it's true )

Best regards !

Edited June 10, 2010 by soidog2

[Lickey]

Streetlights,hosepipes? you were lucky, we lived in cardboard box in middle of road ,,,,,,,,

Honestly though, we didnt have tap water or electricity untill 1965, and thats East Anglia UK, it was a well, and the water was so sweet, [pre fertilizer/chemical days] light was by pixee parrafin lamps, and tilly lamps while eating or playing cards or some game, entertainment was a valve/catswhisker radio, which the batteries would be taken away and charged once a week, [another set left for use] ,,

From age 6 and 8 [older brother] dad gave us a bit of garden on the 1 acre home land, about 40sq yds each i would reckon, he used to say, dont do as i do boy, but do as i tell you, the ses pit would be ladled onto the whole plot, then a trailer load of hot pig/cowshit from the local farm spread allover, then dad would plough it in with his BMB plowmate, leave for 2 weeks and then get planting, We never did question dad why he done this next step, because he always done it like that, he planted a row of onions then carrots, then more onions,marigolds,spuds,gooseberrys,turnips,more flowers,radishes, chrysanthemums,spuds, and so on, as we got into our early teens, of course, cycle tracks,gang huts,tree climbing,motorbikes, slug guns, and girls, and still we helped dad & mum with the garden and still had a teaspoon of cod liver oil and a tsb of malt before bed, i still maintain the cod oil, wish i could find the malt!!

It wasnt untill i moved to Thai that i started my gardening and farming thingy again, just over 2 years ago, we got the mealy bugs in the papaya ect, i was asking for help on here, Ozzydom sent me a site called companion planting, after reading this, i only then realized what dad was up to 45years previous, the plants produce different chemicals to keep bugs away from each other, it could be a bit labourious to put a garlic bulb in between every plant in a 9 rai field, but if it will save your crop, what the hel_l,, garlic or oinion bulbs are cheaper than sprays!

IA, how long have you been here mate? fancy taking the family when you have deadlines to meet!! what you describe is a daily occurence hear, and thats why i dont have a pick-up, i like to keep my sanity, well, i try hard,

Keep plugging along together all, Cheers, Lickey,,

[IsaanAussie]

Lickey,

I have been in Thailand for 11 years. Started planning for the farm about 7 or 8 years ago. Started land development about 7 years ago. Started building works and purchased first pigs August 2009 and moved full time here last November.

You were late to bed weren't you?

Isaanaussie

[IsaanAussie]

Todays topic is about silent helpers. They do things to help without your knowledge, do it their way "Fix it or <deleted>> it", and always at your cost. Why don't we farangs understand that they didn't do it on purpose, it was either an accident or whatever is broken was old anyway? They helped us and we get angry. They will never understand we Jai Ron farangs!

Helpful Family June 11 2010.pdf

Enjoy

Isaanaussie

[Foreverford]

Streetlights,hosepipes? you were lucky, we lived in cardboard box in middle of road ,,,,,,,,

Honestly though, we didnt have tap water or electricity untill 1965, and thats East Anglia UK, it was a well, and the water was so sweet, [pre fertilizer/chemical days] light was by pixee parrafin lamps, and tilly lamps while eating or playing cards or some game, entertainment was a valve/catswhisker radio, which the batteries would be taken away and charged once a week, [another set left for use] ,,

From age 6 and 8 [older brother] dad gave us a bit of garden on the 1 acre home land, about 40sq yds each i would reckon, he used to say, dont do as i do boy, but do as i tell you, the ses pit would be ladled onto the whole plot, then a trailer load of hot pig/cowshit from the local farm spread allover, then dad would plough it in with his BMB plowmate, leave for 2 weeks and then get planting, We never did question dad why he done this next step, because he always done it like that, he planted a row of onions then carrots, then more onions,marigolds,spuds,gooseberrys,turnips,more flowers,radishes, chrysanthemums,spuds, and so on, as we got into our early teens, of course, cycle tracks,gang huts,tree climbing,motorbikes, slug guns, and girls, and still we helped dad & mum with the garden and still had a teaspoon of cod liver oil and a tsb of malt before bed, i still maintain the cod oil, wish i could find the malt!!

It wasnt untill i moved to Thai that i started my gardening and farming thingy again, just over 2 years ago, we got the mealy bugs in the papaya ect, i was asking for help on here, Ozzydom sent me a site called companion planting, after reading this, i only then realized what dad was up to 45years previous, the plants produce different chemicals to keep bugs away from each other, it could be a bit labourious to put a garlic bulb in between every plant in a 9 rai field, but if it will save your crop, what the hel_l,, garlic or oinion bulbs are cheaper than sprays!

IA, how long have you been here mate? fancy taking the family when you have deadlines to meet!! what you describe is a daily occurence hear, and thats why i dont have a pick-up, i like to keep my sanity, well, i try hard,

Keep plugging along together all, Cheers, Lickey,,

Hey you old Issan Aussies and Lickeys (or not Lickeys, me I likey) and Soidoggerdoo in America at home with mom, her folks have been farmers on cliffs for the last 1500 years as far as i can figure. My sister said she was up on a ledge a few days ago with a cousin duing religious rituals on one of our cousins, the mediterranean a long way in the distance (yeah i see they just stopped murdering some of the last of the bluefin tuna, why let them be there aren't no more). My father's family has been doing it for longer than there were even rocks and at this moment they have been so good at it for the last few millenia that all the small rocks that they have been planting have gotten even bigger. I couldn't believe how successful they were as i have never seen a farm like that. yeah lickey no juice at that house either it was about 1/4 kilometer walk from the nearest rock road. It's great country for building rock roads though. Now where did we start here it was something about onion or garlic or Pigpen (the dead one) or feeding pigs or was it how good marigolds are for companion planting. Oh I forget, wait maybe it was IA that invisible help. I know of a bit of a different one than Issan was talking about and fortunately not so "helpful". It is really tough dealing with the family as most Thais have told me they are all very very hardheaded. I used the poitically correct term independent. we all know what i AM TALKING ABOUT And others will get it in time or misery if they don't or aren't mai pen rai enough. Anywho....... I'm talking of the "spirit" that all farmers have to have, you're out at 3 in the morning trying to rap it up the lighting firing everywhere but on top of you and still the dust comes up when you gather the mother of us the earth and yet you move on you can't go b ack there is no yesgterday it is the living theater in its essenc e (dang it's world cup soon ansd these fingers don't dance like i wish they wou8ld). So we keep on keeping on, it's Truckin and we got ALL the chips c ashed in but the spirit is there the spirit that being one with the land has given everyone that has it. You don't poison that spirit with greed and salt and poison and monsanto and exxon and that is why we have chosen the path wee atre following. the site has been dead for a while because there was just too dang much stuff to be done for some and others the soirit maybe was laying low but its always there and more and more folks will find the old ways the ways of the spirit of the youth of the 50's and the ancient forms of man living in harmony with the land will blossom again. IfNOT? well we'll have a lot of "friends" on the doorstep asking for a bowl of soup and you what that means............. all are welcvome come peace and love and the high flying top of the tranny iof a ford 6610 in 8th gear flyig east towards the cambodia border at a sun firing at the sky because it'll be a little too late to be seeing that lucky old sun coming up over the Filmore distric of SF after getting out of a late late night at Winterland.

PS I have a great Arfrican American golf buddy here who says when he was young the only toys that he got to play with were dirt and rocks. You know definitely it was most a joke but so true at times. Yeah he's got 3 Cat 12 and 14 motorgraders, a couple water trucks paddle wheels excavators and a dozer and other tractors for his business. All public schools he attended and the sucker is even with me on our match we have been [laying ffor the last couple years so this time it is the final. He'll be off to the Ryder Cup in Wales to participate in a preliminary amateur competition in Oct. Oh yeah he was in his teens when he crashed his motorcycle and the doctors decided to take off his leg. Of course his dad then oproceeded to inform the physician that he would do a headectomy on him if they even thought of not being able to save the leg. He walks with a limp but can wiggle dem toos fine when he hears " The Golden road to Unlimited devotion". Goalllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll

[IsaanAussie]

Well, FEF,

You win, I cant instill the mental energy to keep up. But, I do give you a jealous byline in the attached

The Jimmy's June 13 2010.pdf

Regards to all, keep your tinder dry and your powder high

Isaanaussie

[Foreverford]

Well, FEF,

You win, I cant instill the mental energy to keep up. But, I do give you a jealous byline in the attached

The Jimmy's June 13 2010.pdf

Regards to all, keep your tinder dry and your powder high

Isaanaussie

I left some info out of my last "farm" report a few posts back so I thought I'd add them here before watching the Aussie's put a wump on the germans. So I found that bio-char from sugar cane meets USDA standards for organic soil amendments and will be looking to try to secure a dozen loads or more after the rain season. My experiments in creating bio-char out of the straw was a compplete and total failure and I am abandoning it. The reason as I found it was due to the fact that all the straw holds air inside so it is impossible to slow the burn process to allow the proper carbonization of the matter. I tried a bunch of ways to try to contain the burn but just got 4th of July fireworks everytime. I used water tons of dirt and you name it too much air inherent in the structure of the straw. my method was based on a design that Jahndta had posted from tthe Phillipines theat used the rice husks. It is easy to see how that works as the husks will "stack" and occlude all the air and allow for a slow "charcoaling" burn of the matter as more of the husks work to occlude the circulation of too much air that would allow a hotter fire and free burning combustion that destroys the carbonization process that creates the bio-char. Other than composting it appears that the only use I know for it now will be to build walls I guess. Good rains on and around the farms so the rice is nearly knee high and screaming green and dat's too keen to been seen. peace

[IsaanAussie]

Even out here in the middle of "the back of beyond", in a quiet little village, the long arm of the law can still reach out.

Now involved with farming fulltime, the occassional bumping into arms of the law shows us that even the smallest village is part of modern society. Like it or not.

I choose to act or react as the case may be, quickly to fix problematic issues. Unlike most Thai villagers that shy away from resolution in favour of hours of conversation on the issues at hand. These conversations involve anyone who wants in, and result in a tangle of dreams, ghosts and hearsay that amplify the original issue beyond resolution. Therefore since it cannot be fixed, do nothing......

Such an occassion happened to the wife and I earlier this year. We had a visit from the Tax man. Not just any old Mr."T", the excise tax guy. For those of you who have run businesses here, you will know that this is the one taxman you do not want to mess with.

Anyway, for your amusement here is my latest offering.

Taxing experience June 2010.pdf

Isaanaussie

[David006]

Well not wishing to suffer the time out issues or whatever of Foreverford and Lickey. I wrote mine contribution offline. Please find and get a laugh from the attachment.

Isaanaussie

Bloody marvelous mate goodonya...can just picture it.....'stop little bit for me", "Go straight"...love it..same same here mate..made my day ..keep it up

Thanks Dave,

Arh a Milligan fan! Man after my own heart... ' "Great little woman your mother" said Milligans father as the two of them stood watching her dig the air-raid shelter. Milligan responded, "Yes and getting smaller all the time" ' Cracks me up. Even the poetry, "Thought I saw Jesus on a tram, I asked "Are you Jesus?" He said "Yes I am."

OK. A few days ago I made a statement about living in Thailand gave the same sort of freedom that I had as a child. Of course I was promptly reminded that was only possible because of my hardworking parents. Well in order to explain what I really meant, I attach something that a friend sent me some time ago.

KIDS of the 50's.doc

Isaanaussie

Ok still ff topic but a great thread....

....Excellent mate ..so true..mind if I send it around to the rellies and friends? Good insight on life in Thailand! I was thinking I never see the kids build trollies although they do swim in any bit of dirty slough they can find lol..

re Milligan...my late father (Alf) was a gunner/driver in the battery with Spike and played in the same band ( played guitar). His war story books used my dads diaries..I have them all signed by Spike ...hilarious ...Mum thought he was a bit nuts but I guess that's true of all the great comedians...

david

[David006]

Even out here in the middle of "the back of beyond", in a quiet little village, the long arm of the law can still reach out.

Now involved with farming fulltime, the occassional bumping into arms of the law shows us that even the smallest village is part of modern society. Like it or not.

I choose to act or react as the case may be, quickly to fix problematic issues. Unlike most Thai villagers that shy away from resolution in favour of hours of conversation on the issues at hand. These conversations involve anyone who wants in, and result in a tangle of dreams, ghosts and hearsay that amplify the original issue beyond resolution. Therefore since it cannot be fixed, do nothing......

Such an occassion happened to the wife and I earlier this year. We had a visit from the Tax man. Not just any old Mr."T", the excise tax guy. For those of you who have run businesses here, you will know that this is the one taxman you do not want to mess with.

Anyway, for your amusement here is my latest offering.

Taxing experience June 2010.pdf

Isaanaussie

Mate you gotta write a book! this stuff is priceless and reflects rural life to a Tee...excellent!!

[IsaanAussie]

David,

Thanks for the kind words. You never known I might just write that book one day. Maybe publish a collection of this sort of stuff. Who knows? For now its fun.

Please feel free to send copies of whatever you like, if someone gets a smile out of it, I'm well pleased.

Isaanaussie

[IsaanAussie]

Here is another offering. This time a little more seriously looking at a problem many of us face. We are considered rich and the old adage of "what's yours is mine, and what's mine is my own" which is very much alive in Thai family thinking.

I would be interested in hearing from everyone who has found themselves in this frustrating spiral.

Ripped Again.pdf

Isaanaussie

[c64]

Hi there Isaan Aussie.

I had some help from MF to clear my thoughts about the issues I had once regarding the thai part of the family.

Fortunately we live away from the extended family and thus they can't provide too much pressure on my missus.

I think I have to give them an 8 for the efforts though.

I'm not in any kind of business nor working in LOS (only living here) but found it very helpful to think ahead and keep it very detailed

(and of course double checking when needed with other people that don't have an interest in the case).

I had my rose tinted glasses on me but fortunately they faded away.

Play the game against them but be fair and square. Outsmart them every time when they try their pranks - Seems like you got the knack for it

Some months ago my GF's family tried again and thus putting pressure on her over time. This time with the age old land scam.

70k baht for a small parcel of 400 sqm in a remote village. Everything was wrong and the whole amount had to be paid at once -

I got the whole package. Thankfully to TV and the experienced members here, I knew what questions to ask and ended up

with all the info.

I finally agreed to borrow them the money to pay down what they owed on the land but on my conditions, wich was something

they hadn't expected: The loan to be entered on the back side of the title deed with the amount, interest, the downpayments and who was the lender. Suddenly they

weren't interested in borrowing anymore and the reason was that they had secured financing on it another place (in a remote village, in the evening and

20 clicks from the nearest bank).

Regards

[IsaanAussie]

C64,

They do all this to family. What would they be capable of with a friend? Or a stranger? Makes you wonder.....

IA

[somo]

As an absentee farmer with nearly 40 rai of cassava under cultivation I am probably even more susceptable to rip offs but suprisingly have suffered very little and in fact have developed a lot of trust in one person.

Some I experienced are listed below.

1 Being ripped of on the price of setts when I first started. The guy who did it or his team of workers

has never worked for me again and i made sure the whole village knows the reason why.

2. Stealing left over paraquat after spraying weeds. Nothing much but annoying. I now have a wonderful lady who

takes care of all spraying for a set price and know how much chemi is needed/rai. Any weeds that haven't died

within a week of spraying have to be resprayed for free. That is the deal and she honours it.

3. Stealing fertilizer for use on their own land. This is small scale as the same lady now does it all but the wife's younger brother goes along just to make sure.

4. when harvesting last year some tubors were left in the ground (deliberately we think) and collected for personal sale by the workers early the following morning. this represented about 3% of the total harvest and nothing I could do about it at the time but next harvest will have my own team following the tractor ofr the first ploughing when these forgotten tubors turn up.

5. One tuk tuk load (about 3 tons) were sold to the mill at a lower price in return for a bottle of whiskey.

Apparently this is quite a common scam when the mill knows the drivers are not harvesting their own cassava. The mill saves 500 Baht and the drivers get drunk.

I only found out because the drunken driver and his helper couldn't keep their mouths shut about it

In the overall scheme of things the above doesn't amount to much but we with our western ideas naturally get annoyed by it but the most annoying thing is to be thought of as a fool.

I have made it a point to tell everyone I know what has been going on and that I consider I am owed by the people concerned.

A few of the culprits have actually worked a few days for free to make up for it and the others know they will never work for me again.

At first they tried to stop anyone in the village working for me thinking I would have to give in but I just hired workers from the next village which is how I came to know the lady who now takes care of everything for me.

I have always paid her promptly and fairly which is a novelty for her! She in turn is straight with me (never met such a straight talking Thai!)

I also advance her money against future work when money is tight. She has repaid me tenfold by recently selling cassava stems from 30 rai of the land for a total of over 80,000 Baht.

Without her this is money I would never have realized not being on the spot. 40,000 was paid directly to us by the buyer the second lot she organised the cutting and sold them herself at the local market.

When we arrived at the weekend she handed over all the cash with a full set of accounts for wages paid, number of setts cut and prices sold for. If I was cynical I would assume she had fiddled some money and I am sure many readers here will think I am being naive but I couldn't find andy holes and at the end of the day I was more than happy with the extra cash. The workers were paid 10satang/stem cut and I knew the price they were selling for so not much room for cheating anyway.

I of course gave her a decent commission which she wasn't expecting! I believe honesty is worth rewarding and am hoping to slowly develope a larger business that she will take care of and earn more from.

I felt a little sorry for her in one respect. The workers she had cutting the setts were constantly pestering her to bullshit me and lend them 10,000 baht of my money (which would never be repaid). They even followed her each day to the market after work to harass her when they knew she would have a pocketful of cash from selling the stems. Fortunately she is a strong personality but I know the jealousy of the others would make life difficult for her for a while.

I explained that's partly why she deserved the commission.

An interesting aside is that it seems some of the villagers are not as broke as they make out.

I recently learnt that the most persistent of the would be borrowers decided the idea of selling stems was just great. He has bought 40,000 Bahts worth of stems to resell but is struggling to do so. Apparently he took the money out of his bank!! Will serve him right if he loses money on the venture.

I guess from my personal experience that not everyone is a ripp off merchant but you need a bit of luck and perservance to find the straight ones who think of the future a bit.

This has turned out to be a bit of a ramble but what the heck. Sharing our experiences is I guess quite useful.

[c64]

Hi there IA

I have wondered on that myself many times. It wears me out keeping

my guard up without developing prejudices at the same time.

---

Hi there Somo

Nice story. It has worked well for you in the end.

I believe you regarding the lady you found.

Regards

[IsaanAussie]

Somo,

Glad to see an "absentee" so pleased with his success. You seem to have a well balanced view of life here. Continued good luck.

IA

[somo]

It,s not been all plain sailing.

I've only been at it for 2 years and the first year made a loss. I have however learnt many lessons from that first year and and have been lucky. The rise in price of cassava plus the unusual opportunity to sell cassava stems (unwanted stems used to be given away free or sold at a nominal price) plus having Ah Jeng (the lady I mentioned above) have turned things around. Having said that the mealy bug infestation that hit cassava last year has reduced the potential harvest but should still make a healthy profit when I harvest at the end of the year.

It does seem farming can be a bit of a lottery. On another thread someone likened it with investing in the stock market. You invest in planting weeding etc and hope you can sell the harvest for more than you put in.

It does seem that employing people from your own village or extended family only leads to problems. There are so many petty jealousies and arguments it becomes almost imossible to deal sensibly with anyone without upsetting someone else.

Using workers from neighbouring villages seems to get around much of them as they just want a days wages for a days work and there are no politics involved. I get a bit of flak for that but slowly gained a bit of respect for not being a pushover.

A wealthy Thai businessman based in Bangkok has a fruit farm near to my village once told me that the villagers are very much like children. He didn't mean it in a condescending way just that they can be delightful one minute and squabling with each other the next.

I think he got it spot on. It is not because I am a farang that I have a few arguements. They are exactly the same with each other. One week X is not talking to Y the next week they are fine but are not talking to Z because they are jealous of something Z has got which he is not sharing with them.

It's how village life is and we can't change it.

[IsaanAussie]

Somo,

Yeap, village life sure is a minefield. But life is a do it to yourself commodity, we have no-one to blame but ourselves. Equally the man who never makes a mistake, never does anything. We all live and learn.

I have been using one guy in the village Khun Mot lately to do all the spraying and organise ploughing etc... He is as honest as the day is long. It all started some month ago, he wanted to get a pond dug and needed access to his land for the excavator and dump trucks to cart the dirt away. He asked me if that was OK, and I said sure if he would make sure any damage was fixed afterwards. The family went crazy, "Why didn't you charge him to cross "our" land?"

Go figure. They wanted a quick earn, I wanted to establish an ally. This guy is always the first to be seen going off to do something every day, a real "doer". Seems my bet has paid off. Now the family are dirty on Mot because he tells me how much I "need" for seed and the like, instead of following the family's how much "they want." The leftover sales seem to be diminishing. Funny old world.

IA

[JurgenG]

I think he got it spot on. It is not because I am a farang that I have a few arguements. They are exactly the same with each other. One week X is not talking to Y the next week they are fine but are not talking to Z because they are jealous of something Z has got which he is not sharing with them.

It's how village life is and we can't change it.

So true ! My family comes from a village with only 800 people. Life is exactly like that. Most people blame Thailand because they can't fit in, but the truth is they just don't understand village life. In Europe too, a lot of people want to move to the country side but soon go back to the city because they can't adapt to life in the village.

Edited June 24, 2010 by JurgenG

[IsaanAussie]

I think he got it spot on. It is not because I am a farang that I have a few arguements. They are exactly the same with each other. One week X is not talking to Y the next week they are fine but are not talking to Z because they are jealous of something Z has got which he is not sharing with them.

It's how village life is and we can't change it.

So true ! My family comes from a village with only 800 people. Life is exactly like that. Most people blame Thailand because they can't fit in, but the truth is they just don't understand village life. In Europe too, a lot of people want to move to the country side but soon go back to the city because they can't adapt to life in the village.

The population in me village is less than half yours JG, but the situation is exactly the same. We occasionally get a farang visitor who falls in love with the lifestyle and walks around being smiled at planning his future. Take a look in the mirror my friend I say to them, I'd hate to see you get your designer clothes all dirty while you are "fitting in."

Edited June 25, 2010 by IsaanAussie

[Foreverford]

Well just got down from chasing little brook and golden trout at nearly 4 kilometers high in the mountains of the eastern Sierra Nevadas of California and headed for the North Pole and managed to fill the freezer here at mom's house in California with halibut and salmon. A big fish fry tonight yum yum (no not Tom Yam just straight up fry). What does this have to do with farming in Thailand?? Well when the Cook Inlet in Alaska has these little seas of 8 or so feet, it's not much, but when they hit you from three different directions due to the bottom, the current and the winds and rain you start to wonder if this is why you spend 12-15 hour days on the tractor for weeks on end. Alaska and sunny days and halibut just jumping into the boat is what dreams are made of, especially when you start the day at about 4am and the old lady forgets about your breakfast and roams on by at 11am and asks what you want for lunch and you say breakfast and take the 3 litres of rain collected water she brings with a glaze in your eyes you knock down one with two drags from the somewhat Fanta Orange tasting litre bottle as you know you couldn't really drink the radiator water (its too hot and you just can't stop and go back, don't go back don't go back). Yes the glacier fed Kenai River and the Alaskan oceans sure seemed sweet then. They did when I was there but the halibut weren't cooperating and it was making for long days at seas in corkscrew conditions. And you ask the same question? what? what does this have to do with farming in Thailand? Bio-char!! Of course. Hey don't go back and don't stop thinking of ways to make it all better. so here's the plan. I've got the big lake (4 meters below grade 2 above) in now and a klong (a canal around three sides of the farm) connected with pipes from the lake and the electricity is in with 660. So simple, electricity,lake, klong, water and bio-char and instant fertilizer. tah dahhh. Huh? well let's dam_n the klong and create a 2x2x40 meter reservoir below the outflow of the gated pipes in the pond. We draft from this to pump water to the large bore sprinklers and we mix the bio-char (by shovel or dozer) into the water at the point of the draft pipe for the irrigation pump. Irrigation well supplies the lake, lake the klong, klong the irrigation pump, irrigation pump puts the water and the bio-char throughout the 14 rai evenly and irrigates a second green manure crop. the alternative is to mix it with manure earth and other amendments and spread it manually a bit more difficult task and one i havven't created the machinery to do effectively or evenly. I'll be going for the "sop" tonight. That's the juice and olive oil from the platter of the halibut filetes that I'll be serving my family and cousins. Good old San Francisco sour dough french bread and butter and halibut sop and keep the meat I'm in heaven. Bring on the rains of Alaska to the fields of Issan. Forever and ever in Fords

[soidog2]

Well just got down from chasing little brook and golden trout at nearly 4 kilometers high in the mountains of the eastern Sierra Nevadas of California and headed for the North Pole and managed to fill the freezer here at mom's house in California with halibut and salmon. A big fish fry tonight yum yum (no not Tom Yam just straight up fry). What does this have to do with farming in Thailand?? Well when the Cook Inlet in Alaska has these little seas of 8 or so feet, it's not much, but when they hit you from three different directions due to the bottom, the current and the winds and rain you start to wonder if this is why you spend 12-15 hour days on the tractor for weeks on end. Alaska and sunny days and halibut just jumping into the boat is what dreams are made of, especially when you start the day at about 4am and the old lady forgets about your breakfast and roams on by at 11am and asks what you want for lunch and you say breakfast and take the 3 litres of rain collected water she brings with a glaze in your eyes you knock down one with two drags from the somewhat Fanta Orange tasting litre bottle as you know you couldn't really drink the radiator water (its too hot and you just can't stop and go back, don't go back don't go back). Yes the glacier fed Kenai River and the Alaskan oceans sure seemed sweet then. They did when I was there but the halibut weren't cooperating and it was making for long days at seas in corkscrew conditions. And you ask the same question? what? what does this have to do with farming in Thailand? Bio-char!! Of course. Hey don't go back and don't stop thinking of ways to make it all better. so here's the plan. I've got the big lake (4 meters below grade 2 above) in now and a klong (a canal around three sides of the farm) connected with pipes from the lake and the electricity is in with 660. So simple, electricity,lake, klong, water and bio-char and instant fertilizer. tah dahhh. Huh? well let's dam_n the klong and create a 2x2x40 meter reservoir below the outflow of the gated pipes in the pond. We draft from this to pump water to the large bore sprinklers and we mix the bio-char (by shovel or dozer) into the water at the point of the draft pipe for the irrigation pump. Irrigation well supplies the lake, lake the klong, klong the irrigation pump, irrigation pump puts the water and the bio-char throughout the 14 rai evenly and irrigates a second green manure crop. the alternative is to mix it with manure earth and other amendments and spread it manually a bit more difficult task and one i havven't created the machinery to do effectively or evenly. I'll be going for the "sop" tonight. That's the juice and olive oil from the platter of the halibut filetes that I'll be serving my family and cousins. Good old San Francisco sour dough french bread and butter and halibut sop and keep the meat I'm in heaven. Bring on the rains of Alaska to the fields of Issan. Forever and ever in Fords

Mr Ford , For some reason I have a sinking feeling I am the only one here that knows what you mean if not necessarily what you write.

Alaska in the summer is unforgettable, Cook Inlet & all.

Wondering at 2 AM with the sun shining kind of makes you wonder why you need to farm in Thailand.

I don't think there are too many glaciers in Australia.

Best

[c64]

Did this thread die?

I really enjoyed reading what the guys posted here

[IsaanAussie]

Did this thread die?

I really enjoyed reading what the guys posted here

Yeah, and I enjoyed writing them. OK give me a day or two and see what I can come up with. Come on guys, join in!

[c64]

Thanks IA :jap: