Onion Farming                                                                                                                                    

 

Batty took me out to an onion farm where I watched the red onions being harvested, pulled by hand, loaded on the carts and ready to be taken to the drying racks  From there they will be placed in a reddish mesh bag, loaded on a larger truck and taken to market.

 

The Thai red onion is more like our garlic, in cloves.  They take a certain one of these cloves and use it for planting next season.  They are very proud of their onions.  One farmer helps the other so most of the labor is free.  Sometimes they will hire some extrs, pay for that is about $10 a day.  As in a lot of cultures the women are the hardest workers pulling the onions.  I saw men standing around smoking and acting "smart" in front of the American.

 

 

A sweet little one in the onion patch.

I think this is one of Batty's cousins holding Brian.

 

Pulling onions

 

 

This lady was happy to show a foreigner her onions

and have her picture taken with me.

 

A man showing me his onions.

Do not know why he is looking down.

 

 

They pull so many onions and tie a bamboo "string" around them,

leave them on the ground for someone to pick them up and load them on

the cart.  Some carry the strings in a pocket.  One man had them in his boot.

 

Loading the bunches onto the wagon.

This job is usually done by the men.

Under the trees in the background they have a rest

area set up where they eat their lunch and have a little

rest during the hot of the day.

About 3 o'clock I see the carts come past to go to the

drying buildings.

 

A cart loaded and ready to go to town.

Notice the tractor.

 

 

Hung on bamboo poles to dry,

After they are dry ladies sit and cut the dry roots off the bottom and

some of the dry tops and then retie them together.

 

 

From the bottom up.

I think these have been clipped.

 

 

The neighbors across the road hanging onions to dry

 

Carrying the bamboo pole loaded with onions to the

drying shed.

 

After the task was done they fed their crew.  They asked

Batty and I over for some of their soup.  It was very

good.

 

 

It is not rice time at present.  They are getting the fields ready to plant in May.  They cut the dry straw, bail some to use for cow feed or multch for new plantings.  They put some into interesting stacks.  The fields are then burned off, worked up ready for planting.