Sunrise over misty paddy fields and sugar cane

Thai Farm Spectacular!

Usual story of overloading a truck and the wheels sank on one side the rest you know, took about an hour and a half to get it up right, lost a days work packing.... Some pics are hazy due to the dust from the cane fields.

Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect Thailand

Hanging out the washing rubber to dry.

Shaggy contacted me to see if I had any farming photos.... all I could think of at the time were some of coffee farming around Doi Chaang (Chiang Rai). Rather than post them in isolation, without much explanation, can I suggest you take a look at this link, where the photos have some background information, like the initiative to wean the people off poppy cultivation etc... You'll need to scroll down through this page if you don't want to read the other stuff!

Anyway, I hope it's of interest to you.

http://highland2thailand.blogspot.com/2013/09/sept-2-3the-golden-triangle.html

Rob

Thai Village Spectacular, becoming monk!

Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect Thailand

OK... I shouldn't have posted an external link, apparently, so apologies to one and all. Here are a few photos from a trip to Doi Chaang last September to look at life / farming in a Lisu hill-tribe village.

Doi Chaang is a Lisu / Akha village SW of Chiang Rai

Hillsides across the area have now been cleared for agriculture

Corn is commonly grown on horrendously steep slopes.

No chance of mechanisation here!

I wouldn't fancy living down there...The chances of a

landslip from soil erosion is too great.

The locals used to grow opium poppies here.

A Royal initiative helped them more to other forms of farming,

and now it is a Buddhist shrine.

This is part of an initiative researching coffee cultivation.

Even here, ground between bushes is cultivated with other foodstuffs

Although not a photo this is picture that I did this morning using oil pastels on canvas

We were taken to a friend's family's coffee farm. They had been one of the first Lisu to settle in the area, and had been able to get first choice of the land they wanted for their intended crops.... They had patches of land around the village, with varying height, slope and aspect. Looking at this farm, we wondered what the worst land looked like (especially since I grew up on a Lincolnshire farm!!)

I used to be a teacher, and taught about the huge, open coffee fazendas of Brazil.

Here, it was discovered that the coffee grew better if grown in partial shade.

The bushes were planted under macadamia trees, banana plants and a variety of

fruit trees such as persimmon, mango and I forget what else!

Coffee beans ripening. Hand picking is essential to only get ripened fruit.

Workers would be paid according to the proportion of ripe / unripe berries

The farm grows the fruits mentioned as well as gourds, melons, lemons,

passion fruit, dragon fruit and guava, some of which may be sold and

some will supplement the family's diet.

The hillsides are seriously steep, so everything comes down to

manual labour. Right at the top of the hill, just before the forest

is a field of corn. Harvest must be fun!

That's the top of the coffee area, then it's up to the corn and up again to the forest

There is a lot of bare, poor thin soil here.

Soil erosion in the rainy season must be a problem.

Doi Chaang coffee is sold to the local co-operative.

A lot is exported to Canada, since there was a large Canadian

investment in this project.

This is one of the ventures that has been quite successful in weaning the people off the poppy, which in turn has helped to stem the flow of drugs. On the downside, heroin production has relocated to Myanmar and Afghanistan

IMG_00000103.jpg

Although not a photo this is picture that I did this morning using oil pastels on canvas

Thanks for sharing your wonderful artwork grimelybob,unfortunately I have no more likes today,so please accept this one I made earlier

Shaggy contacted me to see if I had any farming photos.... all I could think of at the time were some of coffee farming around Doi Chaang (Chiang Rai). Rather than post them in isolation, without much explanation, can I suggest you take a look at this link, where the photos have some background information, like the initiative to wean the people off poppy cultivation etc... You'll need to scroll down through this page if you don't want to read the other stuff!

Anyway, I hope it's of interest to you.

http://highland2thailand.blogspot.com/2013/09/sept-2-3the-golden-triangle.html

Rob

Hi Rob and welcome

Many thanks for you taking the time and effort to share your amazing and informative photos with us today.

Regards

Shaggy

Newest arrival at Aunts farm in Mahasarakham.

I often wonder why these big old tree stumps are left in the middle of fields.....maybe just too much work to uproot them.Not that I am complaining,the make great sunset silhouettes.

I like your attraction to tree stumps, Shaggy.

De-shelled rice, fresh out of the field and ready for processing. I find it interesting to think about what is still mixed with it.

I like your attraction to tree stumps, Shaggy.

De-shelled rice, fresh out of the field and ready for processing. I find it interesting to think about what is still mixed with it.

Hi DAL

Great artistic last post you made mate.....but please,please....PLEASE tell me it was a photo you made of the local rice machines floor

Hi DAL

Great artistic last post you made mate.....but please,please....PLEASE tell me it was a photo you made of the local rice machines floor

Yes they were scraps( But still art) , indeed. Very keen, Shaggy.

I'll make it up to you with Mr. Etac.. backing off.

Ok. Own up. Who's the comedian with the spray paint?

Regards.

I forgot to mention....... probably lots of things, but one in particular on this photo..

In between each row of coffee bushes lies the next generation. If I remember correctly, the work on a five year cycle between generations.

Amazingly coffee beans are sweet and almost tasteless until someone work their magic on them in a roaster.

Gotta go to Coffee Time for a top-up now!!

Rob

This paddy is getting close to harvest time, some around here has already been harvested while most others are only in the half grown stage.

Another misty morning.

Ok. Own up. Who's the comedian with the spray paint?

P1000900.JPG

Regards.

What's with the colour ? Photoshop !?!!

Ok. Own up. Who's the comedian with the spray paint?

P1000900.JPG

Regards.

What's with the colour ? Photoshop !?!!

I've seen them coloured like this quite often at local markets and I think it's aimed at children.

Neighbours were a little restless when i lit up 75 rai today with just me and fil.

Good hot burn.

Ok. Own up. Who's the comedian with the spray paint?

What's with the colour ? Photoshop !?!!

You are a bunch of comedians,.. you know.

TEL: great shot. Thanks.

A fluffy bunch..

Ron, incredible shot. This is one of your best.

From the cabbage fields

Ron, incredible shot. This is one of your best.

And taken with a Nokia phone camera.

As you imagine this is not mine but is the sort of image I wish to capture for the ones I have posted here but as yet have not been able to produce.

Pineaples in Hua Hin

The pics were taken a few years back whilst me and my better half took a scenic ride on the back of Mr Chang