Before Joshua could establish God’s kingdom in the Promised Land he had destroy the enemies strongholds. Battles easily won are shortly remembered. Perseverance can be hard to muster when you are constantly bombarded with the constant question: “When does the, ‘Good News’ arrive?” 2022 has been a year of challenge. First, no fertilizers, then, no pesticides and the diesel fuel doubles in price. Next, it rained during the end of the dry season and the rain stops in what should be the rainy season. Finally, the rivers run dry during the crucial reproductive stage of the rice plant, and we have to stop irrigation, then rivers come back up, and diesel is still $1000/day… What do we do? We turn the pumps back on for the 60% that is salvageable. Come September, we fully expect to have the usual floods. The cycle must be broken, but it will not come easily!

It pains my heart to discuss the agony of seeing hard work and great investment lost year after year due to FCOP’s inability to manage the water on our rice farm. Our great dream is that one day we would have control over both flood and drought through irrigation, drainage, dike construction and a large reservoir.

Joshua began with a mission from the Lord which seemed impossible; the conquest of the Promised Land. I feel the same about our rice farm, but like Joshua, every year we see progress. Yes, it comes with temporary setbacks but, we press toward the dream. 

Hey! It’s only a few million dollars! The below sketch will show you what we are dreaming for:

It shows a 100 acre lake 20 feet deep, three 330 acre irrigated fields all drained with a 3″ tile line every 40 feet. We will do this with the following equipment:

Ditch fed lateral irrigation systems to apply water, fertilizer and chemicals.

We will install 200 miles of drainage tubing. Excess rains will drain back to the ditch and be returned to the reservoir at times of flood. When we want water to remain, we close the valves on the drainage system.

I can see it in my mind. It shall come to pass! It’s only a matter of time. Pray for us!