Life Lessons from Wheat Farming
Over 30 years ago, we were driving from visiting grandparents in Nyanga and Zviyambe, when my parents took a stop at this derelict farm along Mutare Rd. They took some time talking to a man who was running a garage by this run down workshop. There was grass everywhere and the main residential home had chickens running inside and everywhere. It was an inconvenient and irritating stop as I was looking forward to selfishly stopping at the Halfway House (a popular highway stopover) so we could eat some fresh pies and coke.
When we got back on the road, both parents were so excited and animated. They went on about how they would build a school at this place, build clinics, grow tobacco and maize and all sorts of crops. They forgot about the stop at Halfway House. In fact they talked all the way back to Harare and none of us in the back seat existed. That was the time our lives changed, when our farm was born.
That farm spawned amazing stories of hard work as a teen waking at 4am to supervise harvesting of peas for export, driving endlessly between the farm and the capital, planting, harvesting, labour management and so much more. It also was packets of fun riding motorbikes, driving tractors, laughing, family ties. Overall, it was constant hard grueling and consistent work and it continues until today. At times it has felt much like Brazilian soap stories. I shall share some of those stories, little by little over time.
After so many years of growing tobacco, maize, groundnuts, rice, wheat, peas, paprika and beans and rearing fish, cattle, sheep, goats and pigs; this farm has proven it's resilience and productivity. Even throughout the droughts, land invasions and endless economic turmoil, it has been steadfast in its productivity, every year and it has been a constant support to the local community.
While we produce so much variety annually, my personal annual highlight or draw-card is wheat. There is something about the crop that is timeless and enthralling. From the deep fresh green as it grows, to the light brown straw when it matures. It's appeal, on a personal level is immeasurable. It is the background in most of my profiles. It is the bouquet in my home. It is the artworks on my walls. It is, without doubt, an inspiration of sorts.
The history of wheat...
Commercial cultivation of wheat was started some 10,000 years ago, with its origin being traced back to south east Turkey. Wheat has always been viewed as a symbol of prosperity, fertility, and abundant harvest. Probably this was so because of the sheer scale of the crops multiplication. From a mere seed, a good wheat-straw plant can yield 30 fold more seed.
Wheat became the symbol of riches, fertility and unity that holds an eternal place in the marriage ritual. By the times of ancient Rome, women being married carried sheaves of wheat to depict fertility. At the close of the Roman marriage ceremony, bread made from wheat was broken over the bride’s head.
The modern wedding cake, made from wheat, is a descendant of that wedding bread. It is still customary to shower the couple with wheat, although many opt for rice today.
Wheat offers its own share of contrasts; for the slightest change in rainfall, sunshine or inputs, some years you may have abundant yields while other years not so good. We have learnt that this is to be expected since no two years are alike despite your best efforts.
What wheat farming teaches should not only apply in the field. The same way we invest and cultivate the crop to maximize harvest yield, so we must also do the same in our families, our marriages, our friendships, our communities and in the things that grow the Kingdom of God.
Lessons from Wheat farming...
1. Good soil and conditioning.
When we got back on the road, both parents were so excited and animated. They went on about how they would build a school at this place, build clinics, grow tobacco and maize and all sorts of crops. They forgot about the stop at Halfway House. In fact they talked all the way back to Harare and none of us in the back seat existed. That was the time our lives changed, when our farm was born.
That farm spawned amazing stories of hard work as a teen waking at 4am to supervise harvesting of peas for export, driving endlessly between the farm and the capital, planting, harvesting, labour management and so much more. It also was packets of fun riding motorbikes, driving tractors, laughing, family ties. Overall, it was constant hard grueling and consistent work and it continues until today. At times it has felt much like Brazilian soap stories. I shall share some of those stories, little by little over time.
After so many years of growing tobacco, maize, groundnuts, rice, wheat, peas, paprika and beans and rearing fish, cattle, sheep, goats and pigs; this farm has proven it's resilience and productivity. Even throughout the droughts, land invasions and endless economic turmoil, it has been steadfast in its productivity, every year and it has been a constant support to the local community.
While we produce so much variety annually, my personal annual highlight or draw-card is wheat. There is something about the crop that is timeless and enthralling. From the deep fresh green as it grows, to the light brown straw when it matures. It's appeal, on a personal level is immeasurable. It is the background in most of my profiles. It is the bouquet in my home. It is the artworks on my walls. It is, without doubt, an inspiration of sorts.
The history of wheat...
Commercial cultivation of wheat was started some 10,000 years ago, with its origin being traced back to south east Turkey. Wheat has always been viewed as a symbol of prosperity, fertility, and abundant harvest. Probably this was so because of the sheer scale of the crops multiplication. From a mere seed, a good wheat-straw plant can yield 30 fold more seed.
Wheat became the symbol of riches, fertility and unity that holds an eternal place in the marriage ritual. By the times of ancient Rome, women being married carried sheaves of wheat to depict fertility. At the close of the Roman marriage ceremony, bread made from wheat was broken over the bride’s head.
The modern wedding cake, made from wheat, is a descendant of that wedding bread. It is still customary to shower the couple with wheat, although many opt for rice today.
Wheat offers its own share of contrasts; for the slightest change in rainfall, sunshine or inputs, some years you may have abundant yields while other years not so good. We have learnt that this is to be expected since no two years are alike despite your best efforts.
What wheat farming teaches should not only apply in the field. The same way we invest and cultivate the crop to maximize harvest yield, so we must also do the same in our families, our marriages, our friendships, our communities and in the things that grow the Kingdom of God.
Lessons from Wheat farming...
1. Good soil and conditioning.
 |
| Field preparation |
- The conditions for an excellent wheat yield (target 6 tons per hectare) is to have the right soil and to condition/soften it. In the same way, the right family and the right friendships and the right business need to be set on a foundation that allows the seed, of love, contentment and productivity to germinate.
- Loosen the soil. Don't be a hard soil or hard-hearted and be so closed that the seed cannot germinate with ease.
- Allow nutrients like lime to be added to the soil to improve its potential to produce. This adapts the soil to wholly accept the seed. Things you could do to add nutrients could be like reading, training/learning, playing games together, taking time out.
2. Timing is everything
- Wheat is a temperate crop and is best grown in winter under irrigation with optimum day temperatures of between 15 – 20'C and cooler nights giving the best yields. If you plant it when it is to hot, it may stress and face challenges like pests and weeds and therefore offer less yield.
- The same is true in families, friendships and business. There is a time to strategize and a time to implement. A time to fight and a time to calm and heal. A time to laugh and a time to cry. A time to time to holiday and a time to work. A time to fast and a time to feast. A time for drought and a time for refreshment. You need to gauge the right time to plant an initiative, the right speed to react, the right season to confront issues for the optimal stages of crop establishment, tillering, flowering and grain filling. While you may still get the results from just winging it, you probably will face more obstacles, pests and weeds in the process and face an uphill challenge in getting results. The harvest yields will certainly be less.
3. Irrigate
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| Wheat pivot irrigation |
- The total gross amount of water wheat requires is between 450 and 600 mm per hectare. In Zimbabwe, we grow wheat during the dry rain season so it's inevitable that we have to irrigate. In the same way, at times, families, friendships and businesses need an artificial investment (irrigation) to be productive and grow.
- There must also be wisdom in identifying when the crop has emerged fully and it is time to harden the wheat. At this point irrigation is stopped. In the same way, you need to know when not to invest and to allow the team to strengthen and harden.
- It goes without saying, it is vital to always be on the lookout for pests and weeds that seek to eat into your crop and your investment. Take early steps to deal with threats. It's not necessary to use hard tactics like pesticides all the time though for they may have negative side-effects. Consider simpler techniques like mirrors and scarecrows.
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| Harvesting |
- You must have a good estimate of when the harvest shall be. Book the Harvester on time and make sure that preparations for storage are ready. Always be ready for the harvest.
- Allow time for those who do not have or those with little, to glean from the fields after the Harvester.
- Never waste good straw. This one is a bone of contention for me. So often, I see farmers burn the fields in Zimbabwe after harvest to prepare for the next crop, yet the straw is viable feed to livestock. The straw must be harvested, bailed and stored for livestock and therefore increase yield in other departments. In times of harvest there are many other beneficiaries and partners that benefit from your harvest and it is important to acknowledge them and serve them.
- A good farmer is always vigilant and watching over their crop. Actively and intentionally walking through their fields to examine the soil, plants and surroundings. In the same way, we must always be watching and reacting to what is happening in our family, to our friends and in our business to appreciate and react to the trends.
Wheat is the longest storing seed crop. It's versatility is so diverse, it is an essential to any dinner table across the world. It has history and it cannot be considered outside our future. African countries need to grow it more and this should be a wake-up call to farmers. In the same vein, families, friendships and businesses shall continue to grow and expand, following the characteristics of wheat farming. If they do, they shall enjoy amazing re-germination and prosperity throughout the generations
This is a great post Fari
ReplyDeleteHmm you really took me back home with the intro of this article uncli. Very informative post
ReplyDelete