Malai Millets

The air up here on Talamalai Road is much cooler than down in the plains. Our building at 7896 in Thalavadi is where we do all the processing and bagging. It is a rural area, and the road can be a bit steep and winding for the delivery vehicles. When the husking machines are running, the noise is so loud that we have to shout to hear each other. There is always a layer of fine dust on the concrete floor, no matter how much we sweep it at the end of the shift. We have bags of millets stacked high against the walls, sometimes reaching almost to the ceiling. It gets quite chilly during the winter months, so we usually have a small fire going outside during our breaks. We don't have a fancy office space, just a simple wooden table where we sit to eat our lunch and manage the paperwork. Most of the people working here are from the surrounding farms, so we all know each other well. It is hard work, and my clothes are usually covered in husks by the time I head home. We don't spend any money on advertising or fancy labels. We just focus on getting the grain cleaned and ready for the people who need it. It is an honest living in a beautiful part of the country.