The Heart of Farming Life in the Philippines: The Story of a Farmer’s family Behind Every Grain Is a Dream Fulfilled

Hello to all my fellow gardeners here at @hivegarden ! I’m happy to join this Hive Garden Question of the Week. The topic is all about what we grow in our garden that is special or traditional in our country. I’m proud to say that in our province here in the Philippines, Rice is the most important and traditional crops we grow.

In our province – Sultan Kudarat, Philippines, rice is not just food but it's The Heart of Our Farming Life in the Province. We are a farmer family, and rice farming is part of our daily life, our culture and our way of survival.

My family has been planting rice so many years. I grew up in the fields, seeing my parents working hard under the sun. Farming is not easy, but it is an honest work and we are proud of it. We wake up early to go to the rice fields and care of our crops. The process takes months almost 3 months or 120 days but, in the end, seeing sacks of palay ready for harvest gives us great joy and fulfillment.
Early in the morning, may husband take fertilizer and pesticides to the rice fields. He does this regularly to protect our crops from insects and to help the rice grow strong. Even before the sun rises fully, he is already in the field.

Rice is our main source of income. After harvest, we keep some for our daily food and we sell the rest to buy our needs and payment for some credits. It helps us survive.

This is the reason why we were able to graduate from College – because of farming. All the hard work in the fields helped support our education. That’s why I have so much respect for all farmers. They work under the sun and rain just to provide food and better future for their families. Farmers are true heroes.

Here in the Philippines. We eat rice three times a day, every day. It is the center of every meal. No matter what dish we have vegetables, fish or meat it always comes with rice. That’s why growing rice is very important for us. It feeds not only our family but also many people in our community. 🍚

Our province is knowing as one of the main rice producers in the region. You will see wide rice fields everywhere. During the harvest season, the roads are full of rice drivers, farmer and trucks carrying sacks of rice. It’s a busy but happy time in the community.

Many families here depend on rice farming. It gives jobs to the people from land preparation, planting, harvesting to milling rice. That’s why rice is very important to the economy of our country. Without rice farming, many families would lose their income and food.

For us, rice is more that just a plant. It is part of our identity as Filipinos and as farmers. It teaches us hard work, patience and teamwork. Every grain of rice’s represents the effort of a farmer, the care of a family and the blessing of the land.

Even during typhoons, we do our best to protect our crops. It’s not always easy. But we keep going because rice is our basic needs. When the plants grow and turn golden, it feels like a reward from nature.

I’m proud to be part of a farming family and proud to grow something so important to our country. Photos are mine, Edited in CANVA💛

Thank you for reading my story. I hope you can feel the heart and love we put into our work as rice farmers. ❤️