My neighbor from Venezuela came over he wanted to show me a 2" diameter plastic cup with 6 onions growing in it. I ask what kind of onions. He struggled for the correct words then demonstrated and said, tall straight with no bulb. He wanted to borrow a machine to plant his 6 onions. I told him he can borrow my shovel. He looked at me very confused. I assume he has not learned the English word, shovel yet. I showed him my shovel, he had no clue what to do with it, he has never seen a shovel. I demonstrated how to push shovel into the soil with your foot then chop soil into small pieces for planting. He went right to work making a place the width of the shove about 15" long in the soil then he planted his 6 onions. He told me his brother is a farmer, with big tractor, and big machine. I ask if his brother has a shovel, he said no, then he demonstrated chopping motion like axe or pick or grubbing hoe.
I see a lot of YouTube videos of people from foreign countries using grubbing hoes, I don't think they have power tools. I think Americans are spoiled and don't know it.
Mechanization is reaching more places, but there are a few places that still use traditional farming methods. I saw a video where they were trying to teach rice farmers to intermittently flood the rice patty rather than flood it continuously to save water. They said it was hard for farmers to change methods that had been used for generations.
If his farmer had several hectares to farm. I could see him using a tractor to do that.
If his farmer had several hectares to farm. I could see him using a tractor to do that.
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Gary350
- Super Green Thumb
- Posts: 7428
- Joined: Mon Mar 23, 2009 1:59 pm
- Location: TN. 50 years of gardening experience.
I understand that. I do that. Old habits die hard. Growing up we had a family garden, the entire family of about 34 people worked the family garden and everyone got there share of the harvest. I still plant the way we did 65 years ago but some things don't work in TN soil and TN hot dry 100°f desert summer weather. We knew what worked to get a good crop but we did not know why. If I follow Illinois rules to plant a garden in TN, some things work and some don't. The trick is to learn what plants like and why. My neighbor took video of me using my garden tiller to show his brother they both have never seen a gas powdered garden tiller. I am very surprised they both have never seen a shovel.