There were many steps we should do before we before growing crops. The field had not been used for a while, so it needed some soil preparations. First, we pulled up all of the weeds in the field and put most of them into a pile, leaving some in the field to be used as fertilizer. Mr. Hong told us that we could use the scythe to cut the long weeds and use the hoe to pull up the roots and the small weed.
Mr. Hong was showing us how to use a scythe and hoe
Earth's Children were working to get rid of the grass in the fields
The field before and after our hard work
Next, we added fertilizer and turned the soil. The reason why we should do this work is that after soil preparation, the fields would become softer and the nutrients in the terra can get distribute evenly. Thus, the crops on it can grow better. If we plow the fields by manpower, then it might take too much time and physical power. As a result, our farming teacher, Mr. Hong, gave us an useful machine to solve the problem. It was a tool driven by motor, so the only things we had to do is controlling the direction it goes. Thanks to the machine, we can finish our job more easily. What’s more, we also utilized this experience to understand the effect of “agricultural mechanization.” It raised the output of agricultural production and saved manpower. We learnt so much in today's lesson.
Carrying bags of fertilizer into the field
Turning soil
<The pictures were taken by Grass Hope Taiwan Foundation and Earth's Children>