Soil Samples and the Blue Sky Day

Some of my friends told me I should go and discuss the preparation of the soil at the Land Development department, which I did. Actually, a very kind old man I met there gave me some pretty good advice and a big bag of Thua Pra seeds. When I told him about my plan to grow Por Thueng, he told me that not only was it hard to find but also, he himself had given his own seeds to other farmers. (Plus, Thua Pra seeds are so resistant they can grow in wet soil too. So now I've decided to grow Thua Pra seeds) He also told me how to dig soil samples to check its quality. (:


When I got back to the field, I was caught up by the rain and had to duck under the roof for a while. Eventually it stopped raining, I took off my shoes, and went into the rice fields with a big bowl and a shovel in hands. I must admit it was not easy to walk in the mud, among frogs, golden apple snails, dragonflies and Co. The good thing is, it made me realize I should soon get some proper boots! However, I was somehow proud of myself for digging with a shovel on my own. It was my first time.

I took some soil samples as I was advised, and let them dry on a sheet of paper, then crushed and poured them in a glass bottle. The idea here is to bring them to the Land Development Department. The old man I was talking about told me I could write down what I'd like to know about these samples and then, they would examine the whole thing and send me the results. I'm actually very grateful for the services farmers get from the government.


As for the beans, I'm not quite sure when to plant them yet. I should say, so much rain makes it all harder. Indeed, I still haven't plowed the rice stubble because I was busy cutting the land in order to allow the water to flow. Plus, I'm still waiting for the tractor. I'm a little bit worried that I won't get the fresh manure in time because the bean will take more than two months to grow, then I'll be able to prepare the soil to plant strawberries.

Strawberry is such a lovely and romantic fruit but beautiful fruits of that kind are not that easy to grow. Let's wish for the best!

Where is Por Thueng?

I am searching for Por Tueng seeds (crotalaria juncea), from the family of fabaceae plants. Having my own land, I will sow them, let them grow naturally and plough the flowers. I'll thus be able to use them as a natural fertilizer. Mr.Angkrit, a noodle shop owner, told me he could give me some of his own Por Tueng seeds, which he himself uses on his land. I need 10 kg of Por Tueng seeds. I will go get them once I get back from Chiang Mai. 

My dad told me he would drain the land, in order for me to have the possibility to grow Por Tueng seed. I am so grateful for his precious help. I did try to do things by my self but it seems like I can't do it on my own. I have no experience about farming, neither do I have money or equipment. Hopefully, I can figure some things out through internet. By reading about other farms' mistakes, and getting some advice from a few farms, I am now fully aware of the theoretical farming, be it in Thailand or in other countries. The only thing is, reading is one thing, put it into practice is another. 

I should say that for the past few days, we've had a lovely weather. I love the wind and I just can't wait for the monsoon to start!

This is how it looks when the farmer harvests a rice farm with his own hands wholeheartedly. (: