I believe the biggest themes of life are put into the best focus when held up against the very sharp light of mortality. — Mitch Albom
When it rains, it floods.
It is what it is nowadays, we are in the era where the extremes of human greed and corruption are tested by nature.
Though it is known that the economy is going down and the society we are in is on the brink of collapse, but to some extent, most are still naive about the looming world war.
Still, we do not have to worry because it will not be too bloody like conventional warfare because the fire will just turn everything into ashes in a split second.
But where's fun when all of the greed of men has its very ending?
When the majority dies, who will serve and provide the necessities of the new kings?
Who will praise them?
Do they repopulate earth with their laboratory-made humans?
There are a lot of questions, but it not for me to answer. It is that plain and boring, the majority suffers from the greed of the few. We'll just keep on going until the last of our breath—which for my situation is farming.
Sun-drying Rice Grains
In our region, there are various means for farmers to bring in capital to start their cropping season. One of which is to borrow cash and pay the interest on each harvest until they can pay it in full.
Older methods of measurement are still used today, such as the gantang and the baro. One gantang is about 2 1/4 kilograms of milled rice while each baro is equivalent to a third of a 40-kilogram sack of rice grains.
Usually, for each 100 USD the borrowers owe 5 baros of rice grains on each harvest season as interest until the principal is paid off. This has been one of my grandparents' means of passively earning income.
Recently, our neighbor delivered sacks of rice grains and I needed to sun-dry it, so it can be milled. This would be my warm up exercise for the upcoming rice harvest next week, since we will be expecting 120 baros from the farm on average
Most farmers use nets or mats when drying rice grains, some dry it on concrete slabs. The rice grains should be spread as thinly on the mat as possible. Then every 15-30 minutes for six hours, the rice needs to be shuffled using a rake, so that the top layer moves down and the moist rice grains move to the top, eventually drying fully.
Depending on the initial moisture of the rice grain, it may be sun-dried again on the next few days, until the grain is no longer crumbly and is hard to bite.
When stored for a day or two prior to milling, the opening must be left open to avoid sweating and discoloration. If stored longer, it should be elevated a few inches off the concrete floor to condensation and should be sun-dried again when needed. If you have mouse problems, you might just need a cat to take care of it.
There are a lot of other things to put in mind during rice post-harvest to lessen loss and most of the time, you can't read it in scientific manuals. Lastly, milled rice usually lasts up to six months when stored traditionally, but when vacuum-sealed in foil packs and stored in another closed container, it can be stored for a few more years.
Embracing the Extremes of Weather
October was sunny and should be sunny, but with the changing weather patterns, you would just hope that you are safe no matter what happens.
This coming end of the year, we will expect the remaining storms to hit our region. We are used to the almost daily rain because of our climate, but because of the consecutive super storms, being in it feels like the new normal even if it is still dangerous.
Just recently, a very heavy downpour came at midnight, then the next day, the signs of the flood were visible at the orchard. The tall weeds were tumbled down and the recently added mulch were carried away. Some debris was also brought inside the property.
It was so hot and humid that day, like nothing happened the night before. I checked for more damage, but luckily, not so much. The solutions I brought in the orchard were still immature for a stronger storm and flood, but better than nothing.
Only one raised bed was partially damaged, the others resisted well. Some of the wooden barriers in the food forest got broken from the strong undercurrent while some plants were bent down towards the flow of the water.
I had to redo all the mulching again and add more support on the fruit tree seedlings, it will be a big task, but there's more mulch to use as October ends. Also, I did have extra time to transplant an Indian Mango tree seedling before leaving.
Pruning the Fallen Trees
In 2013, the super Typhoon Yolanda 'Haiyan' toppled all of our mango trees around the orchard. Like the other mango trees, the two on the western side now use extra space horizontally instead of growing vertically.
My dad just accepted this as it is easier to harvest its fruits during the fruiting season, but the huge space under it is no longer productive.
Just today, I decided to do some pruning. I started fine with the first branch, but on the fourth one, I can already feel the pains in my palm, so I went back and forth with the left and right hand until I completed cutting down the branch.
I still have a few more branches and one more mango tree to prune tomorrow and the next few days. Once completed, I will have to collect the leaves and use them as additional mulching. For the wood, I might use it to fix the raised beds, but Mango wood is not hardy for anything.
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When it's all done, the ~20 square-meter space is enough to grow more fruit trees and other crops. Then after a few months, the mango trees should grow more upward branches to support the fruiting season next year!
How about you, what changes are you doing in your garden? Share in the comments section down below! ;)
PINNED POSTS
 | Clearing the Damage After the Storm Instead of falling into anxiety, I took time to make use of what the storm had given. |
 | Building Abundance with More Fruit Trees Amid the Economic Turmoil This year, I planned to initially plant 100 trees wherever possible until the year ends. |
 | Using Saltwater and Fire to Heal a Permaculture Garden Plant debris becomes natural mulch and organic matter. |
 | Harvesting Cucumbers After a Year of Labor As crops mature, harvest season began as well. |
 | Fermenting Fish Amino Acid for the Garden Crops It would be a sin to throw away such things, even the food scraps I turn it to compost now. |
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About Me
@oniemaniego is a software developer, but outside work, he experiments in the kitchen, writes poetry and fiction, paints his heart out, or toils under the hot sun.
 | Onie Maniego / Loy Bukid was born in rural Leyte. He often visits his family orchards during the summers and weekends, which greatly influenced his works. |
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