fire, machetes and exploring our new land
Thursday, May 24, 2012 at 03:16AM 
When all our staff (the Aunts and Uncles) were talking about how there was work that needed to be done at the new property before we could plant corn and our other summer crops, I suggested that we bring the kids and everyone agreed that this would be a fun way to spend the morning.
During satsung we told the kids that the next day we’d all wake up early to go see the new land and do some farming. Everyone was so excited. While I was doing the rounds before bedtime, I made the mistake of telling the kids that whoever was the first to wake up should wake everyone else and ring the bell. Sure enough, the next morning Santosh, Sundar and a few others went running around into everyone’s room at 4:56 in the morning while it was still dark out and rang the bell to wake the entire compound.
We definitely got the early start we were hoping for. Just a few of the aunties stayed back with the little ones to prepare lunch and the rest of us packed up some tools and water bottles and headed over. When the kids got to the new site they oooohed and ahhhhhed and ran immediately for the trees like little monkeys. Before I even reached the property I could see them all up high in the branches filling their pockets with lemons and unripened mangos and foraging through the jungle scouting out their new territory. The aunties and uncles and some of the older children snapped right into work mode. Most of our staff were all born and raised as subsistence farmers and working with the earth is second nature to them. But when they said there was work to do I had no idea that the work load for the day involved fire and machetes.
Amrika Auntie
Since our previous owners had grown wheat paddies and there was just dry straw remaining we had to go through and cut what we could and burn each paddy down with fire. Daju explained that when you burn the old straw it releases carbon which fertilizes the soil and gets it prepped for the next crop. I looked at the little fires burning with the kids in close proximity and our team cruising through with sickles and machetes. I stood next to Nurse Emily suddenly relieved to have her on deck. She was clearly just as on edge as I was and went into a little bit of a panic. I was thrilled to have Nurse Emily on deck standing right next to me. “Do you think this is safe?” I asked. “This can’t be safe.” Emily shrugged her shoulders and kept careful watch on the kids while we contemplated the fact that we were a world away from any kind of fire department and I hadn’t brought a first aid kit. Tope was fast to remind us that the kids have all farmed for most of their lives and they knew what was up. Sure enough I looked over at Sanju and Hansuraj busy bundling the straw into piles and setting them on fire while Karma, Goma and the older girls kept cleared out rocks and stones and anything else that stood in the way. After a few minutes of watching the fire and listening to the snap crackles and pops of the wheat, Emily and I relaxed a little, jumped in with the others and got to work. In just an hour every single one of our paddies had burnt to the ground and nothing but singed soil and a little smoke remained.
We were left with lots of time chatting with neighbors, checking out the temple, and exploring the creak behind our property. We also hiked up a little mountain trail near our land that led us to a monarch butterfly nesting area and some old temple ruins.
We got back home for lunch and naps before the heat of the day set in. We look forward to getting back there for day 2 again soon! Here are some pictures from our day.
Kids exploring the backside of our property with Lexi
Krishna Auntie and Goma
Nurse Emily
Farm house on our property
Sagar and Bhakta
Volunteers Carrie and Maria (Fellow West Morris Mendham High Alum! wahoo)
Lighting the fields on fire
We found a little water hole with hundreds of monarch butterflies flying around us on our hike and felt like we were entering fairy land
happy goats :)
onions and garlic from our property hanging to dry in the storage room
village boy drinking water (he helped us when we got lost!)
Panka climbing around
Jeff and boys
Libby checking out the old ruinsI took soooo many pictures! I'll post more soon.
Reader Comments (21)
Wonderful! :)
Looks like hard work but a lot of fun too :)
Thank You for the pictures Maggie. It brings me back to my childhood memories with me and lots of my cousins, in surkhet. Where we used to climb trees like little monkeys. Before our uncle and aunts could see us, we were all up high in the branches filling our pockets with lemons and unripened mangos . Thank You for sharing pictures and thoughts.
Where is the land in relation to your current house and Surket airport? Would love to get my bearings!
On this site http://itouchmap.com/latlong.html Decimal Deg. Latitude: 28.614524 Decimal Deg. Longitude: 81.591704
Elevation 745 m
You have given me a moment of serendipity this morning. I have been to that house with Deepa, Nisha, Sanju and Karma one morning at 5 in the morning, looking for the Jungle Temple. The owners were up already and told us how to get to the temple. The caretakers of the temple were not awake yet and the illustrious Binod woke them up but they told us it was too early and to come back later.
Weeks later I came back alone, went to the temple, walked through the gully along the back of what is now your land, where you have taken pics of the kids. I didn't climb any trees but I spent a lot of time at the People's Tree at the temple.
On the way back to the radio Nepal tower, I ran into Krishna Auntie and she grabbed my hand and took me to the mill where her husband works, to meet him, and then we went to her hut and met her son and baby daughter and her mother who cares for the children while she is at work at Kopila.
I believe in you Maggie, in your ability to find your way in the world, always have, always will !!
Luv Ya
It looks marvelous! How wonderful -- it'll be a lot of work, for sure, but it'll be YOURS and the kids.
Oh my... This post made my day!
This property is beautiful, just looking at these pictures makes my heart so full.
I could feel the excitement thru your writing.
Glad to see the goats, the onions and garlic and all the progress and keep posting more photos
Next time bring the water filter and use it in that wonderful spring...
Congrats to all on a job well done, as the place looks great!
I am so impressed by your out-pour of energy, Maggie.
Oh, it is lovely. Trees, a Nepali homestead with history, a jungle, plenty of room for small animals and a lovely huge garden space. Happy smiles, fun times in the forest and some neede relief from the heat and irritations!
Congratulations, Maggie. What a wonderful treasure for all!
How beautiful to have some much cultivated farming land for your school location! It is our dream that every school in our community could have a big garden and every child has a chance to get their hands into soil & seeds. I am sure most of your kids already have that opportunity, but what a great way to keep everyone connected with their cultural traditions as they learn! What a beautiful site!
Is this burning method sustainable? This film about conservation agriculture in Malawi was interesting. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I6xdBaZF4MI
Not sure if something similar could be done. I think that burning the old crops depletes the soil over time.
google 'slash and burn farming in nepal'.
Maggie the place is wanderful, and the period forward very interesting and educative for so many reasons.
To see this fertile land give realty to a new school: nothing more creatve.
To celebrate the energy of all the big and little farmers in Kopila this floral poem written by the creator of one of the most visited gardens of England:
THE GARDEN
We owned a garden on a hill,
We planted rose and daffodil,
Flowers that English poets sing,
And hoped for glory in the Spring.
We planted yellow hollyhocks,
And humble sweetly-smelling stocks,
And columbine for carnival,
And dreamt of Summer's festival.
And Autumn not to be outdone
As heiress of the summer sun,
Should doubly wreathe her tawny head
With poppies and with creepers red.
We waited then for all to grow,
We planted wallflowers in a row.
And lavendar and borage blue,—
Alas! we waited, I and you,
But love was all that ever grew.
Long Barn
Summer, 1915
Vita Sackwille West
"But love is all that ever grew". Sara Mary I am ashamed to say that I have never seen this poem before, but it is certainly apt.
Maggie, this is not just a sound investment, but the children will have a real sense of belonging and self-worth. Marvellous.
p.s. love the butterfly pic.
"But love was all that ever grew".
Yes: a real sense of belonging, like roots. Well said.
Sylvia perhaps you'll know we, as italians, are a people of saints, sailors and ... poets. But there are more poems than days.
http://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/30842/pg30842.html
SO prodigal was I of youth,
Forgetting I was young;
I worshipped dead men for their strength,
Forgetting I was strong.
I cherished old, jejune advice;
I thought I groped for truth;
Those dead old languages I learned
When I was prodigal of youth!
Then in the sunlight stood a boy,
Outstretching either hand,
Palm upwards, cup-like, and between
The fingers trickled sand.
"Oh, why so grave" he cried to me,
"Laugh, stern lips, laugh at last!
Let wisdom come when wisdom may.
The sand is running fast."
I followed him into the sun,
And laughed as he desired,
And every day upon the grass
We play till we are tired.
V. Sackville-West
I love this story! I have been disenchanted with the overly-safe and sanitized world that so many American children live in. I wonder how they will nourish their adventurous spirit when their wildness is constantly tamed for fear of broken bones or lawsuit.
I think it's fantastic that you involved the children in this process. Sometimes life requires fire and a machete! Better they learn that now. :)
p.s. I recently applied for the Wellness Fellow Position in the Fall, and am hoping I get the chance to join this amazing team of dedicated folks and inspiring students!
How attractive Libby looks standing there by the ruins. Nice and slim and not too thin.
I love all of your pictures and seeing all of the stages of the garden. Thank you so much for sharing. The garden metaphor offers so many possibilities for growing! I was thinking about some fun questions you could ask re: the garden.
-Perhaps you could ask the children, "What kinds of seeds would they like to plant in their life garden?" An example might be: "Seeds for success, for good health, for love, for friends and family." Maybe even "...seeds for more laughter, hope for the world or peace in my heart ."
-Perhaps you could ask them what their seeds need in order to grow in the best way. They might say, sunshine, love, kindness, friendship etc.
-Perhaps you could ask them to describe or draw a picture of their life garden - in full bloom - what would it look like? Would it be colorful, fun, bright, far reaching?
-Perhaps you could ask, who will benefit from their beautiful and abundant life garden?
Just some simple ideas for today. Happy Growing!
"What would you like to plant in your garden of life?"
Kimberly