Sona Rice Cultivation

Out here in Kadapagandi Tanda, life revolves around the land. Sona Rice Cultivation is located at number 19 in Jangam, Narayanapur. It is a rural area, and most of our days are spent out in the open. Growing rice depends so much on the weather. If the rain comes at the right time, things are good. If not, it’s a lot of worrying and looking at the sky. We spend hours checking the water levels in the fields. It’s hard work that makes your back ache by the end of the day. The Tanda is a quiet place for the most part, except for the birds and the occasional tractor passing by. We don't have an office with computers. Our work is done with our hands in the mud. Everything is very tied to the seasons here in Narayanapur. When it’s harvest time, everyone is busy from dawn until dusk. It’s a messy job, and our clothes are always stained with dirt. We live where we work, so there’s no real break from the farm. Sometimes the harvest is plenty and we feel like the hard work was worth it. Other times, pests or dry spells make it difficult to get much at all. We just keep going because this is what we know how to do. The village life is slow but the work is constant. We don’t have any big marketing plans, just the rice we grow each year. It is a simple way of living.