Feeding over half the planet, rice is the staple for over 3.5 billion of us and has been around for some 10,000 years. But what do the farmers go through to grow it? We find out first hand.
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Imagine Sydney Harbour, but instead of water lapping at its stony shores, picture it full of rice. Right up to the high tide mark. Over it in fact. That’s what 540 million tonnes of rice looks like. That’s how much rice we humans grow and consume every year.
But where does it come from? How is it grown?
While we were in Laos recently, Christina and I had a crash course in working a real life rice paddy. We went through each of the stages of the process, from seeding to consumption (yes, there were snacks at the end), and we were surprised at how complex and laborious rice farming is.
But it wasn’t just a lesson in agriculture.
We got a glimpse of the cultural connection that Laos has with rice — especially sticky rice — the role paddy fields play in Laos and in Asia more broadly.
Check out our other stories on Laos here, including where to stay in Luang Prabang.
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Rice Farming with Living Land Experience, Luang Prabang
Not far outside the ancient city of Luang Prabang, we find ourselves at Living Land Farm, an organic rice farm that still uses traditional and ancient agricultural methods to grow rice.
They offer visitors a hands-on experience that goes through the 13 stages of traditional, organic rice farming.
Our young guide, Mr Johnny, is a rice farmer of many generations, but who is also excellent at taking us through the various stages, his dry wit and affable manner making the experience even more enjoyable.
13 Stages of Rice Farming
I won’t go through each of the stages — I wouldn’t want to spoil the surprise.
The farm is split into the various stages of the rice harvest with paddies at all the significant steps of the crop.
The tour begins with planting the rice seeds saved from last year’s harvest. We learn how to separate the good grains from the empty ‘ghost’ grains using saline water.
Then we clamber into the mud of the paddy fields, sowing the grain, harvesting new seeds and tilling the earth.
These days, farmers use tractors (or as locals call them ‘Chinese buffalo’), but for our demonstration, we get to drive a hand plough behind a real water buffalo. It’s not an easy task; the sucking mud is thick and sticky, and the buffalo is determined and brutally strong.
We learn about the growth stages of rice, how long it takes for the crop to develop and the clever irrigation systems of the paddy fields. At its different growth stages, rice needs more or less water.
Once the plant has reached the panicle stage, when the grains have developed at the top of the stalk, the farmer drains all of the water out of the paddy by cutting into the surrounding bank. This allows the rice to mature ready for harvesting.
We have a go harvesting with a sickle that’s so sharp it cuts through the tough rice stalks like butter.
This experience was part of our trip to Laos with InsideAsia Tours, a travel company that does all the hard work for you and lets you enjoy the experiences that the destination offers.
We were really impressed with this company. They thought of everything, but at the same time weren’t intrusive on our own plans or time. And their itineraries find you things to do and places to go that you’d probably miss if you were doing it all yourself.
Highly recommended.
Back at The Homestead
After the harvest (and when we’ve washed the mud off our legs and feet), we move back to the homestead for the rest of the tour.
Here, we learn about how the farmers thresh the rice grains, remove all the chaff, polish the grains and cook the rice.
We also see what other things the community get up to after the growing season has finished.
There’s a forge and smithy for making tools, there’s a sugar cane ‘juicer’ — a massive timber cog and hand-wheel system — and also a cottage industry of weaving.
The older farmers who can no longer work the fields turn their hands to making hats, fish traps, tools, furniture and ornaments from bamboo and rice grass.
Finally, we sit down to enjoy the fruits of our labours. Kind of. An assortment of rice-based snacks — including Laos’ number one passion: sticky rice.
This cultural experience is a great thing to do while you’re in Luang Prabang — it makes you appreciate rice a lot more too!
