Harvest, The Grace of God for Hard Working and Harmonious with Nature

Foto : Ruhandi

BINADESA.ORG–April-May is the time of rice harvest for most regions in Indonesia. Some areas recorded by binadesa.org including in Warungbanten Village, . Cibeber District, Lebak Regency, Banten and Salassae Village, Bulukumpa District, Bulukumba Regency, South Sulawesi. Each region has its way and tradition. This knowledge is either a descending outcome or a renewed innovation of the ancestral heritage.

In Warungbanten Village, for paddy fields in a year is usually two times rice harvest and from the field (huma) only once a year of the rice harvest. The villagers, both wet-rice farmers, and dry fields planted their crops at the same time. It is a custom rule. Before the planting season begins, there will be a direct instruction from Pupuhu Adat on the right timing. In the time of harvest, the busyness and cheerfulness of the farmers begin. Usually, the dry fields harvest first than the rice paddy.

Rice harvest, especially large rice or ranggeuy rice is directly stored in the lantayan (place for drying the rice) before it is being put into the rice barn for one or two weeks depending on the weather. After it dries, the rice is bundled (pocong) and is brought to the storage (Lumbung). Some of the rice from the harvest is stored at home for backup and usually reserved also for charity (zakat). This tradition has been done for a long time and maintained until now.

There is a good value of the harvest in the countryside, especially in Warungbanten Village. Rice should not be sold but must be kept in the prepared rice storage. In the process of storage in the barns, the quality of the paddy will still be good even up to 15 to 25 years old, especially for natural rice. This is the evidence that food sovereignty has been taught by their ancestors ever since.

(Foto: Dokumentasi Pribadi/Wahid)

The Farmers of Salassae Village are Constantly Improving

Salassae village in Bulukumba also has an interesting story. Farmers, women and older adults know natural farming since 2011. The developments are fast as there are initiator role namely Armin Salasa and his friends, so many peasants then join and practice natural farming. Sales of pesticides decreased drastically, and unused land became productive. Unfortunately, now there are efforts to invite farmers to return to conventional or chemical farms by giving them many incentives.

According to Ponnong, Chairman of the Swabina Rural Community of Salassae (KSPS), if the farmer is made dependent on the outsourced by government or policy-makers, KSPS was born to enable the farmer to free themselves from the dependence. One of the young men who do the natural farming is Wahid. At the moment he feels how natural farming has changed the behavior, environment and better quality of life. “Success should not always be assessed of how much volume it produces, but most important are to learn to appreciate the existing … and to be consistent with the natural farming principles,” said Wahid. (bd018)