Baby Rice

I had always wondered about how the rice plants get started. Around this time of year the rice is being planted out. As one drives past (always a passenger!) one can see the little tractors planting the seedlings, but until yesterday I had never seen the seedlings.

I was invited to see an "English Village" which is used as a holiday camp for school children - normally primary schools. My two Korean hosts own a Hagwon or private school, and were looking to see if they could hold a school camp there. It was quite interesting and I'll post some photos of it later.

But while they were talking in Korean, I wandered off to see the rice fields and it was there that I saw rows and rows of rice seedlings.

I had never been up close and personal with a new rice crop before, and so found this fascinating. We had travelled about 80 kms from Jeonju - through delightful countryside with rice paddies on both sides of the road, as well as farms with many other crops. Hundreds and hundreds of plastic domed "hot houses" with a wide variety of crops that I could not identify. I did see some with orchids which is interesting.

Out in the fields the worders are in full swing. Many many Korean women work in the fields and in the rice paddies they wear boots often, though some look like they might just have small shoes on. I didn't get up that close.

Along the way there were may cattle pens too. I always feel sorry for the cattle. All they do is sit and eat. There is no where to go - as they are confined to small pens. There is so little land around Korea for farming, so that sadly is the life of these animals.