Planting Rice in the Paddies

This family has been farming for over half a century and you would think they had it down pat-that is, how to plant the fields. But every year, we go through trials and tribulations about when and how and how much and what day and who should do what or not. The rainy season began mid-June and the lotteries were drawn up as to which fields would be irrigated and planted during the following weeks. We drew the last week of the month. So on June 23, we flooded the fields; on June 25, we plowed the muddy fields; on June 27, we planted the rice.

The water comes from the Midori River through a system of irrigation canals but there is not enough flow to supply every field with enough water at the same time, so we have a schedule. It seems the north side of the area got water first but it worked out well for us. We've had fairly good weather for our chores and even though it is hot and humid, it did not pour down rain while we planted.

My mother-in-law has no faith in technology or in us. She does not trust that we can grow rice - even though we have done it for several consecutive years with great success. After planting the rice with the machine and filling in the obvious gaps, she rolls up her leggings and plods up and down the rows planting extra seedlings by hand, insisting that some clusters are too sparse.I think she cannot get over the fact that you don't have to plant the rows by hand any more but she still does it. She plants the rows right to the edge of the field, where it will be impossible to cut with the combine, forcing us to cut those rows by hand. We already have a surplus, so I don't know which famine she anticipates.