Bringing in the Sheaves

We spent a beautiful Mozambican winter afternoon engaged in the rice harvest at the small farm plot of Rui and Bendita.  The harvest is in full swing and it was more our truck than our personalities that were appreciated today.  Herewith a few pictures from out on the "machamba".

This is the look of mature rice on the stalk--ready to harvest.

Workers and families--family farm rice production is largely the work of women.

I'm being taught the finer points of the art of the scythe or "foice".

After the rice is harvested, dried, and beaten with a stick--it is sifted in a basked like that above to remove the husks.

bags of rice weigh in at about 110 lbs.  no small feat to carry them around.

Just being us always gathers a crowd

We helped them haul eight bags home--which will feed their whole family for a year.  They will store it in their home, whre the greatest challenge Rui tells us, is the rats, who will consume 30% of the harvest.