April 2003 is the beginning of a new project in our lives as we move forward with our life in Thailand.  We have purchased a relatively small piece of raw forest land that is 12 Rai in size.  For those uninitiated in just what a Rai consists of a Rai is 40 meters by 40 meters.

It may seem ecologically poor citizenship to make a farm of raw forest land but let me assure you that the forest involved here is very sparse of trees and any that were of any size at all have been left to be part of our rice fields.  By making a farm of this land we are very much in compliance with the Thai Government and their wishes that all available land be put into production rather than be allowed to lay dormant.  This forest area is devoid of any type of wildlife and will serve better as food land than as legacy property.

The clearing process involved hiring a tractor with a blade in front and regular type disc in rear.  The land has been cleared and plotted into rice paddies and we have created 22 new rice paddies on this property.  In addition we have an option on an additional 18 Rai that will increase our farm to include a nearby river.

As time goes on I will try to draw some semblance of a plot map and include it in this section.

During the time since we have made our land purchase and now, we have been busy clearing the brush and building a shelter for eating, sleeping and resting in general.  It will serve as a place that we can provide food to those that will come seasonally to help with the planting and harvesting phases of the crops.

The 2003 crop met expectations and provided enough rice to recover the crop costs and provide a rice house full of rice for family consumption during the upcoming year.

Rain was plentiful and on schedule so we were able to get our crop seeded ahead of most others in our area. 

The 2004 rice season is plagued in our area by a lack of rain and even though we started with good intentions are finding it a very challenging project this year.  We are having some luck with the Lao rice (sticky rice) but the Jasmine rice is not doing well for any of our area farmers.  There is still hope as we are at the end of the potential planting season but rain is essential if we are to get a crop at all this year.

Farm Photos 2003

Farm Photos 2004

Buildings 2006

We decided in 2005 that we would let Papa raise rice on our farm and for the first time in the last 30 years he was able to grow rice on land that he did not have to borrow.  The usual arrangement for him has been to borrow land and grow rice.  In exchange for the land he would be required to turn over half the rice crop to the landowner.  This sounds reasonable until you know the costs involved in growing rice for paddy preparation with tractor, seeding, harvesting the seedlings, replanting them and then spending the next 100 days keeping the birds away and trying to get water to the paddies when needed.  Then the final cost was for harvesting and thrashing the rice.  All of these services were contracted on a barter system of you work and I will pay you in rice.  So when all of these bartered payments were made they were all made out of Papa's half of the crop.  The net really amounted to about 15 - 20% of the crop that he could take home.  So even if there was another bad year he was going to be much better off planting on our farm and that proved true as he harvested enough rice for the entire year for the family to use, and did not have to give rice to the landlord.

We are planning right now to plant rice again in 2006 and will use some new strains of rice that have been developed for this climate by the Universities in Thailand working in concert with Universities in the Philippines.  Of course there will be more to follow as this year unfolds and likely get some photos to add as well.

We completely changed course in January of 2008, plowing under about half of our rice paddies to be replaced by a rubber tree orchard of some 750 trees.  The trees won't mature for 5-7 years so there will be no harvest for awhile.  The trees once you start tapping them for rubber will produce for around 30 years and should provide a source of income for the family.

We still are using about half the farm for rice and have planted the new crop for this year.  Mama and Papa are living at the farm full time to care for the crop and do not seem put back at all by the lack of electricity.  We have set up a 12 volt battery that runs some fluorescent lights and keep that charged.

The rains have been quite adequate this year and in fact since the rainy season is not yet over and it is mid July we could say that there is a bit too much water and hope that the rice crop doesn't get drowned out.  The crop from half our land should provide enough rice for the family for next year and produce between 125 and 175 bags of rice weighing in at about 60 lbs each.  Seems like a lot of rice but it is for sure the staple food here and is eaten at every meal.  In addition to family use it is also used as a gift for weddings and funerals to help defray some of the costs for the sponsor.