Monthly Archives: May 2014

 

IMG_0194-1There are plenty of notes and photos about our Siembra 2013.

We planted our fields May 28 and June 6, having purchased fertilizer granules to go with the seed. Many fertilizers, pesticides and herbicides come to Mexico from the US, and receive a lot of suspicious attention from the farmers that purchase them, including fears that Monsanto and other companies might be selling “plaga” of all sorts right along with their seeds to get the farmers to buy something to control them with.
We received irrigation water right away, so everything got off to a good start. I’m not sure whether it was conscious or not, but this planting season was one of little machinery use, and lots of hands-on work. We almost can say we had a peon de planta,  a full-time worker, because Mechin started working for us with the irrigation, and worked all through the summer and fall.

Mechin brought other workers when there was too much fertilizing/weed spraying for one person, and that worked very well. He and another worker both decided that they would not drink until the local fiesta, and as far as we could tell, they stuck to their decision, thus saving themselves a lot of money and foolishness that often accompanies drunkenness. (I’m not on a soapbox, just stating the observable facts.)

Mechin worked for us nearly all year.

Mechin worked for us nearly all season.

The seeds sprouted, the plants appeared and grew.IMG_0220-1
So did the insect predators. See the holes near the roots of these young sorghum plants?

Insect predation.

Insect predation.

I think those are deadly attacks from gallina ciega the hideous underground herbivorous predator. The adults are as big around as a finger. and can live about 3 years.
Gallina ciega, horrible creature, ugly name "blind chicken"

Gallina ciega, horrible creature, ugly name “blind chicken”

Chon in growing sorgo

Proud farmer

Even prouder farmer

Even prouder farmer

 We worried, as dry-land farmers do, about not having enough rain. But looking back in memory and through my notes, the worry wasn’t necessary in 2013 (OK, perhaps it’s debatable whether worry is necessary or not). At any rate, we got frequent gentle rains, with few really heavy storms. But there was plenty of thunder and lightning, usually in the evening and night, and rains all the way to harvest time. It was difficult for some local farmers to get into the fields, and it took quite a while for the maize and corn to dry sufficiently for harvesting.
End of harvest 2013

End of harvest 2013