Shiva Rice Mill

If you go to Village Macharaikalan, you’ll see Shiva Rice Mill. We’ve been operating out of this village for quite some time. It’s not a very big place, but we have enough equipment to handle the local load. The mill is basically a large warehouse with some machinery tucked inside. We spend our days moving heavy bags around. It’s good for staying fit, though it wears you out by Friday. We don’t have a fancy logo or a polished front desk. Usually, someone is just sitting on a plastic chair near the entrance to check the trucks in. The machines are old but they still work well if you treat them right. We have a lot of dust in the air during the afternoon, so we try to keep the doors open for a breeze. Life here follows the rhythm of the harvest. When the rice is ready, we are working non-stop. When it’s off-season, we spend our time cleaning the pipes and painting the gates. It’s a quiet life in Macharaikalan most of the year. We know most of the people who come through the gate by their first names. We don’t try to be something we’re not. We are just a rice mill doing our part in the village. There is always a pot of tea going in the back if anyone needs a break. It's just simple, honest work for everyone involved.