Farm Visits

[nellyp]

I am after a big favour off any western farmers around the huai thap than/surin /sisaket area. my wife has around 14 rai that we want to develope over the next couple of years (and maybe another 20 rai more). I am totaly inexperienced at this and though I can do research, it is so much better to talk to people about expeiences tips etc. I went to see Issanaussie the other day and gained a lot of info about compost etc off him (cheers again mate you are a star), and he has given me some info on irrigation,I want to see things in action, and also talk about possible crops, pitfalls etc. I know I will be taking up peoples time but am sure there are some who would not mind a visit from myself. i would like to talk to people as near to the farm (huay thap than) as possible butanywhere reasonable would do. Like I said I am a newbie here so I am like a sponge......come on boys give me a soaking. I sooooo wish i was a woman so that would be funny and appropriate.

Cheers

Neil

[jamescollister]

Hi Neil if you are interested in Rubber you are more than welcome to come and have a look. A bit of a drive, but there is plenty of floor space to throw a mat down and stay the night. jim

[ericthai]

We work with farmers to contract grow for us a plant called Kenaf. We have a factory to process in Surin area. This is easier than growing rice, just plant and let it go. You might have to do a fertilizer depending on the soil conditions. It takes about 4-5 months to mature. We can work with you on the proper planting. If done correctly yields average 8-9 tons per rai. We pay 700 baht per ton. We imported seeds that will give these yields. The local variety will provide lower yields, mostly what is in the market is not Kenaf but rosselle. if you have irrigation available you can grow all year round. We have a factory in ubon too and there we have farmers planing and harvesting each month.

[billd766]

We work with farmers to contract grow for us a plant called Kenaf. We have a factory to process in Surin area. This is easier than growing rice, just plant and let it go. You might have to do a fertilizer depending on the soil conditions. It takes about 4-5 months to mature. We can work with you on the proper planting. If done correctly yields average 8-9 tons per rai. We pay 700 baht per ton. We imported seeds that will give these yields. The local variety will provide lower yields, mostly what is in the market is not Kenaf but rosselle. if you have irrigation available you can grow all year round. We have a factory in ubon too and there we have farmers planing and harvesting each month.

Do you know of anybody growing Kenaf on the other side of Thailand to you?

I live in Khampaeng Phet province and have 10 to 20 rai of (my wife's) land which is not doing much at the moment.

[David006]

We work with farmers to contract grow for us a plant called Kenaf. We have a factory to process in Surin area. This is easier than growing rice, just plant and let it go. You might have to do a fertilizer depending on the soil conditions. It takes about 4-5 months to mature. We can work with you on the proper planting. If done correctly yields average 8-9 tons per rai. We pay 700 baht per ton. We imported seeds that will give these yields. The local variety will provide lower yields, mostly what is in the market is not Kenaf but rosselle. if you have irrigation available you can grow all year round. We have a factory in ubon too and there we have farmers planing and harvesting each month.

And Kenaf is????

[nellyp]

We work with farmers to contract grow for us a plant called Kenaf. We have a factory to process in Surin area. This is easier than growing rice, just plant and let it go. You might have to do a fertilizer depending on the soil conditions. It takes about 4-5 months to mature. We can work with you on the proper planting. If done correctly yields average 8-9 tons per rai. We pay 700 baht per ton. We imported seeds that will give these yields. The local variety will provide lower yields, mostly what is in the market is not Kenaf but rosselle. if you have irrigation available you can grow all year round. We have a factory in ubon too and there we have farmers planing and harvesting each month.

And Kenaf is????

Apparently it is basically a weed. I think these people use it for animal bedding. I read that on here the other day as I am looking for alternative crops. I am going to PM him with some questions so I will let you now more if you also want the info. I am trying to keep the thread to see if i can get some visits to see things in operation.

Cheers

Neil

[nellyp]

OOppss not a weed, just grows like one. It's like Rosselle. It can also be used in lots of other applications too, like paper production as the bases for manufacture wood products etc

Edited October 27, 2010 by nellyp

[afarang]

Are you upland or lowland?What crops are grown around your land?Lowland will be Paddy. Nothing else can be grown . Upland, you can grow field crops. The most profitable are rubber and cassava.Rubber will take 7 years approx, before tapping. But you can grow cassava in between the rubber trees for about the first 4 years, so you are getting some cash return, until the canopy forms and not enough sunlight will get through.Cassava is now quite good money, as it is the prime feed stock for biofuel.

[billd766]

Are you upland or lowland?What crops are grown around your land?Lowland will be Paddy. Nothing else can be grown . Upland, you can grow field crops. The most profitable are rubber and cassava.Rubber will take 7 years approx, before tapping. But you can grow cassava in between the rubber trees for about the first 4 years, so you are getting some cash return, until the canopy forms and not enough sunlight will get through.Cassava is now quite good money, as it is the prime feed stock for biofuel.

We are on upland but one section of the land is rented out for cassava but this is the second renter and the crop has been poor both times compared to other land near it.

[nellyp]

Are you upland or lowland?What crops are grown around your land?Lowland will be Paddy. Nothing else can be grown . Upland, you can grow field crops. The most profitable are rubber and cassava.Rubber will take 7 years approx, before tapping. But you can grow cassava in between the rubber trees for about the first 4 years, so you are getting some cash return, until the canopy forms and not enough sunlight will get through.Cassava is now quite good money, as it is the prime feed stock for biofuel.

We are on upland but one section of the land is rented out for cassava but this is the second renter and the crop has been poor both times compared to other land near it.

can I suggest that if you 2 want to have a conversation you PM each other. It is confusing for me if you start to have a conversation and don't put names

Cheers

Neil

[dansat]

Westerns farming in Thailand . Are you guys listening to yourselfs ?? I think on a jobs list for most people from western countries. Farming in Thailand would come somewhere below being a police chief in Mogadishu.Whats the point ?

[jamescollister]

Westerns farming in Thailand . Are you guys listening to yourselfs ?? I think on a jobs list for most people from western countries. Farming in Thailand would come somewhere below being a police chief in Mogadishu.Whats the point ?

For some it maybe a hobby, for others a way to add a few tax free dollars to there income, but for me it's how I make my living here. No pension or outside income. Though I might say rubber is not really farming. Jim

[nellyp]

Farming....who said anything about farming????????I'm a researcher/driver/sex slave for the wife. And long may that last :D seriously though, a farmer get his hands dirty. I am trying to give that up. I'm 46 now and don't want to start labouring again

Cheers

neil

[IsaanAussie]

Farming....who said anything about farming????????I'm a researcher/driver/sex slave for the wife. And long may that last :D seriously though, a farmer get his hands dirty. I am trying to give that up. I'm 46 now and don't want to start labouring again

Cheers

neil

Well Neil,

I suppose that means terms like moisture content take on different meanings as a non farmer now bonded slave. Does that mean relative humidity is now defined as perspiration of the brow during an extremely friendly visit with the sister in law?

[grimleybob]

Westerns farming in Thailand . Are you guys listening to yourselfs ?? I think on a jobs list for most people from western countries. Farming in Thailand would come somewhere below being a police chief in Mogadishu.Whats the point ?

I suppose you think your meat and veg comes from Tesco end of story.

I'll enlighten you. I know its hard to believe but all those little packets of food you buy

started life on a farm grown or raised by farmers.

Is farming a profession that you think is only worthy of locals?

Don't forget it's the farmers that provide you with the food, to give you all that energy

to sit around in bars all day drinking

By the way, where do you think the ingredients for Beer, Wine & Spirits come from.

I'll leave you to work that one out for yourself

Angry wannabe western farmer

[IsaanAussie]

Westerns farming in Thailand . Are you guys listening to yourselfs ?? I think on a jobs list for most people from western countries. Farming in Thailand would come somewhere below being a police chief in Mogadishu.Whats the point ?

Uninformed but reasonable question. Forget about generalities, I am talking about me and why I am now a pig farmer who spends most of his day shovelling sh1t. I have held the big corporate jobs, formed companies and sold them, run factories, designed motor cars and aeroplanes and even been a diplomat here in Thailand, so why change?

Because I wanted to, that simple. I wanted to do things that I enjoyed not just things I had to do. I like to create things, to make things happen, and a long repressed passion for growing things. I am here doing what I am not as a job but as a passion. Luckily sharing every day with my life partner, the woman of my dreams to whom I am totally committed. By the way she is a farmers daughter and as they say, "you can take the girl out of the country, but you cannot take the country out of the girl". A match made in heaven.

If you cannot understand that there are those of us out here who just, want to be here, well, maybe the chief of police will give you a job directing traffic in Mogadishu. Lucky you!

IA

Edited October 30, 2010 by IsaanAussie

[IsaanAussie]

Hey Grimley,

What is it you Atomic Bombs call small fish? Oh,oh, never mind I just remembered, pratts!

[bina]

its wierd, but although most people talk about formative years as the childhood years? for me my m ost formative years were the about ten yrs i spent working with animals and running the petting zoo. i remember every single birht of every goat sheep donkey horse , every hair swirls on the goats' backsides; scars on the sides of the donkeys,; smell of horse....

i have to get a fix of buck goat in heat so i go to visit our local dairies near my kibbutz for a whiff or three; and to play with the goat kids; its much much easier for me to pick up goat turds or horse shit with my hands than it is for me to take the used plates with half eaten food and dirty coffee cups off the tables in the hotel coffee house .. i would trade my long polished nails right now for short nails and a labouring goat, in any country.

but as most real farmers can tell u, either u have it or u dont. my husband is more of a cook then a farmer. when we were in korat, i was out there planting peppers (the stick, and bare foot in the mud method) and he was in sis's house making roti....

bina

israel

[grimleybob]

Some people are happy to have sh*t on there hands & feet others just have sh*t on there heads

[bina]

Some people are happy to have sh*t on there hands & feet others just have sh*t on there heads

[nellyp]

Farming....who said anything about farming????????I'm a researcher/driver/sex slave for the wife. And long may that last :D seriously though, a farmer get his hands dirty. I am trying to give that up. I'm 46 now and don't want to start labouring again

Cheers

neil

Well Neil,

I suppose that means terms like moisture content take on different meanings as a non farmer now bonded slave. Does that mean relative humidity is now defined as perspiration of the brow during an extremely friendly visit with the sister in law?

Nahh the sister inlaw looks like way too much hard work.....took a while for the relative humidity joke to sink in. It's more like the sweat of panic on my nippers brow when he sees his nan's bright red, toothless smile. I think hes started having nightmares