Rice farming is one way we’re striving for self-sufficiency

All farmers are gamblers, maybe that is a vital component for “People of faith”? The ones who survive learn to cover their bets. Its kind of  like the guy who didn’t like losing, so, he became both a veterinarian and a taxidermist. No matter what happened, either way, you always  got your dog back.

We are working hard to make FCOP self sufficient through rice production. The problem is we are either facing drought or flood, with a few good months in the middle. The key is to always get our dog back. (In our case, rice crop). This year, the crop looks good so far, we’ve sprayed for bugs, fungus, and weeds, applied fertilizer and will do some more. We have a long ways to go before we’re as confident as our veterinarian friend of a sure win, because it takes dikes, canals, reservoirs, time, money, machinery, storage, drying, and talent.

We are on the way, but we need a lot of help before we arrive. The big need this month is for a drying platform. It looks like a runway, 30 feet wide and 1000 feet long, paved with concrete. The wet rice is spread out in a 4 inch layer under the hot sun and turned with a tractor powered rake about once per hour. When dry, or storms threaten, it is quickly picked up and put in wagons with a modified snow-blower. It’s a simple piece of a big puzzle which is waiting for the solution; we’re just $30,000US short of making it happen. Can you help us?  This investment will save rice crops for years to come!