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正文

我的“農民意識”和一次農場經曆

(2023-09-20 17:38:45) 下一個

記得在中國時有個籍貫(老家)的說法,填時要寫父親或爺爺的出生地,哪怕那是距離你的出生地有十萬八千裏的地方。

我的老家在湖北湖南四川交界的地方,是個魚米之鄉。沒有見過麵的爺爺是農民,爸爸沒上學之前是個放牛娃。我是在大城市裏出生長大,對農村老家隻有4歲時回去的路上坐了火車,再坐汽車,再坐小渡輪,最後坐在籮筐裏被挑著晃來晃去的模糊印象。 後來(因為晚生了點兒)很幸運沒趕上被強送插隊的年代,除了中學時學校組織的短期夏收秋收,和農村沒有太多交往,更別提和農民的交往。

但不知為什麽,我小時候特別喜歡農村姑娘紅布花襖的故事,而且一直愛好種菜養雞,所以五穀均分四體很勤。出國以後雖然沒有養雞的機會,但自己家的前園後院一定要擺幾塊石頭,種花栽草,在有光沒鹿的地方種點青菜。上班時每天幹9,10個小時後筋疲力盡,有時下車連腿都不想邁,但一看見我的花草精神馬上煥發,什麽都不管先去問候它們。休息時澆完水坐在園子裏,和它們說話,給它們唱歌,看著它們迎風起舞,真有點兒"采菊東籬下,悠然見南山"的感覺。

我明白在人的腸胃沒有進化到可以消化塑料之前,這個世界一定要靠農民才能生存。所以職業農民很偉大,也非常辛苦,盡管有機器們幫忙。在一年春天裏過生日的星期,我和先生利用假期去了附近一個有機農場做義工,歇歇腦子,用用體力,也借機體驗一下這裏的農民生活。 去了以後很有些感慨。於是把經曆寫了下來與同事們分享。發了後在公司裏有些反響,有幾位同事還因此專門去住了那個農場的B&B。
 
雖然我在文裏提到了那個農場的艱難和不很樂觀的前景,但沒想到三年後農場主夫婦就鬧分手了。做農民成功真不容易啊。

下麵是我寫的那篇農場英文小文。我偷懶就不翻譯了。在農村生活過的博友一定會笑話我的農場經曆和“幼稚”看法,獻醜啦嗬

另附一張我家大花貓在房前的照片。他也很喜歡花草,不過他是用牙齒來欣賞嗬。

=====================================

All men were farmers sometime ago...

On this sunny April morning, my husband and I, both software programmers, drove through the rolling spring lands of eastern Ontario, and came to an organic farm with over 100 acres and a big animal barn.

Although the farm does have a B&B, we didn't come for the retreat. It might sound crazy to some people, we took our vacation time and came here to learn how farmers live today and to see if we can help out with some dirty and hard farm work.

We started to plan for this at the end of last year, after my husband found the WWOOF (Willing Workers on Organic Farms, www.wwoof.ca) site online. We applied for membership and read through the green book which lists Canadian organic farms that take “woofers”. We found a farm in Price Edward County about 3 hours away from Ottawa, near Picton, with an interesting description: in addition to being a certified organic farm, they live off the grid, being powered by solar and wind only.
 
We were happy and grateful that the farm owner accepted our request and allowed us to work and stay in the farm for shorter than a week (the minimum that most farms request).

We didn't know what to expect or what to bring, except some old clothes and old sneakers, plus four willing hands and two open minds. We entered the farm with loud greetings (or perhaps warnings) from the sheep, goats, roosters and ducks and under the suspicious stare of two alarmed donkeys. About 300 meters of crushed stone road led us towards the house, and just outside the house we met Achim the owner, a strong man with a big smile, and Jake the friendly farm dog.

Achim and his wife Ute came to Canada from Germany 6 years ago, and started the Reachview organic farm about 3 years ago, adding a B&B last year. Like many new immigrants, they have their share of hard life starting out in a new land, but they love this multi-cultured country. Trained as a mechanical engineer without much farming background before this farm, Achim (and his mother) had a vision about the environment and how humans should live and feed ourselves. With two young daughters (age 4.5 and 16 months), he and his family are willing to experiment, and at times struggle, to see if they can make their living based on the vision.
 
Part of the vision is to live off the grid with renewable energy sources. They built a house in the middle of the farm, simple but with many energy saving elements: big south-facing windows to take in the sun in the winter, smaller north-facing windows to allow cross breezes in the summer, a large panel containing pop-cans on the southern facing external wall for warm air circulation, and a rain water collection system for most washing needs. All electricity used by the house comes from two 3x4 feet solar panels and a 60 feet tall wind turbine that makes sounds like a bird singing all day along. A family of four, plus guests can live very comfortably.

We are amazed by how much work one person can do on the farm, as that is basically what Achim does: run the farm mostly by himself, 16 hours per day at busy times, with a bit of help from his mother who lives nearby. There are about 20 goats, 30-40 sheep, a dozen or so white rabbits, and probably more than a hundred birds including different types of ducks, chickens, quails, roosters, and two big turkeys, all living in four portions inside the big animal barn. Most of the animals are free to wander around outside the barn into a fair sized fenced in area which includes a small pond. As a certified organic farm, no chemicals or antibiotics are given to the animals, so their living quarters need to be kept fairly clean to avoid any diseases.
 
On the second day into our stay, the sun was hot in the middle of the afternoon, and after more than 3 hours planting onions in the field under the sun, we were happy that Achim asked us to clean out some of the stalls inside the barn. But boy the smell when we stepped into the stall and started lifting up the wet dirty straw filled with bird urine and droppings, and cleaned the wet floor. I kept telling my husband (and perhaps myself) that we don't mind cleaning for the chickens, but the smell could really send some people away if you are not prepared. On top of that, there was one big rooster which thinks itself as the protector of the barn and launched three vicious attacks on me while my husband was away on his water trip, I had to use a big brush to fight it away.

Before cleaning the chicken stalls I was wondering why Achim keeps so many roosters (about 10?). After the rooster attack incident, I started to think these roosters could be of better use, so I offered to cook a rooster feast. I didn't tell Achim, but confessed to my husband in secret that the meat would be very tasty. Only later on I realized that the rooster slaughter and feather cleaning would take some very valuable time from Achim’s busy spring schedule, and that was probably why he didn't seems interested at my rooster feast idea. To my relief, Achim's mother, a very nice lady, stepped in to clean all dead roosters after the execution the next morning.
 
Although there are more than 100 acres of land on the farm, Achim told us most of the land is not good for farming as the soil layer is not very deep and not rich enough, that is why most of them are filled with wild Juniper tree bushes. There are 7 or 8 fields that are cleared, some are seeded with hay and alfalfa for the animals, and there are 2 or 3 with better soil for organic vegetables and sunflowers. Being organic means that soil can only be fertilized in two ways: by applying compost made from the animal waste (composted for 2-3 months), or by planting nutrient rich plants (for example red clover) and leaving them in the soil. So the smelly wastes we cleaned out from the barn are really gold to farmer eyes.

Being organic also means very labour intensive field work, as lots need to be done by hands instead of machines. Achim has prepared a bag of onion seeds (about 25 lbs) for us to plant as that is probably one of the simple jobs on the farm.

On our first onion planting day, my husband and me each planted two rows, one row for regular onion and one row for green onion (same seed as regular onion but picked early for their green tops), on the vegetable field next to the house. The field is really long, probably about 250 feet or more. For some reason, we always seemed just more than half way from the end every time we stood up to stretch our legs and backs. We started just past 9 am (quite late by farmers time), and finished the 2+2 rows only after 12:45pm. We felt quite slow and not sure our work could pay for our living.
 
But Achim seemed happy with our planting, so we were asked to do more the next day, on part of the good vegetable field next to the barn. My husband came up with the smart idea that we separate the task: one person to lay the onion seeds in the row with proper spacing; the other person to set them root side down and cover the row; kind of an assembly line operation (that did improve our planting efficiently by about 30%). To award my husband, the thinker of the day, I offered to be the cover up person that needed bending down all the time. My back and legs were so hurt at the end of the day that I needed a massage.

I was a bit embarrassed to admit to Ute that I had an emergency treatment of rubbing alcohol in the middle of our first night in the farm. Achim asked us to clean a small field (about 40x50 feet) on the side of the house that afternoon, and I tried to impress everyone with my gardening skills and forgetting about my computer occupation injured arms, that I just kept raking away for a few hours without stopping. Achim probably didn't see my work at all afterwards, but I woke up in the middle of night with my right arm burning and sore at the same time. Dear husband also had sore legs after the onion planting, but felt somewhat better than me, so when he closed his eyes, he only saw onions and fields and dreamed about that all night along.
 
Life is tough on the farm, especially on the organic farms. Although part of Achim’s vision was to be self-sufficient for his family, they do also have bills to pay. The organic onions sell for a bit more than the regular non-organic grown ones, but not too much, and there is no way Achim can afford to hire help. His organic fed ducks must be checked by a government certified place to which he needs to pay $12 per duck to just get them killed, adding to the cost and time he grows them, so he would not make money even if he sold his ducks at $6 or $7 per pound.

Achim mentioned that although some big food stores have started to carry more organic food, they normally push the price very low when they buy from the farmers. And the stores sell the goods with much higher prices to make bigger profits for themselves. To fight this, Achim and his fellow organic farmers started an organic farmer's cooperative, to exchange produce between themselves and to set up booths in farmers markets (mostly in Toronto now), to sell their produce directly to the customer, so we get fresh organic food, and the farmers get a fair price. Also this gives people more of a sense about healthy eating and living. "Farmers do this for the love of it. It’s something in your blood, even when you’re loosing money", Achim told us. He would be happy to see more people start paying attention to our land and to plant things organically for themselves (even with a planting box if they live in an apartment), and to buy local produce whenever possible. A sustainable lifestyle, including producing and buying more locally grown food will become necessary as we face declining oil supplies in the coming days.
 
Achim does not know if he will succeed or not, but he will have to make a decision after this year. Beside the busy farm work, he will try to do some independent consulting work and seminars on renewable energy based on his experience and his own home setup. For Ute, even with 2 little ones to care for, she decided to open a B&B to help out with the family expenses, and to give city people a chance to come to the farm and live off the grid, to see the animals,  and to eat organic eggs, bacon, breads and cup cakes which she cooks everyday.  Their daughters, Leah, the bright 4 year old one who speaks 3 languages (German, Persian and English) and is always thinking, and the 16 month old baby who is always smiling and laughing, will for sure be good helpers for Dad and Mom in a few years time.

We had a big stewed rooster feast on Thursday night: Achim's family, his visionary mother and retired father, my husband and I, even Jake the dog had a big plate of left over rooster bones for a treat. Achim went back to his office right after supper, probably working on his renewable energy course, which left Ute, his mother and father to talk with my husband and me about our lives in Germany, in Iran, in China and of course, in Canada.  With our stories and a bit of Tao philosophy, we also knocked down a big bottle of red wine.  
 
Next morning, packed with 5 dozen fresh eggs and a big dead roaster, we hugged Ute and the baby, and waved goodbye to Achim who was up in the field already.

A couple onion seeds dropped out from my husband's pocket that he used for storage during planting. He sighed, "I will never look at onions the same way". Yes, after days (Tuesday to Friday) on the farm, with no TV, no newspapers, no Internet, hard labour work and healthy organic food, our bodies are tired but fitter and our heads are happier, and we will never look at our food the same way.

All men were farmers sometime ago, and all men (and women) will be farmers sometime again, hopefully all green and organic…
 
 
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閱讀 ()評論 (27)
評論
最西邊的島上 回複 悄悄話 回複 '阿芒' 的評論 : 謝謝!同問阿芒好,好喜歡你的自畫肖像啊!
阿芒 回複 悄悄話 農民的生活接地氣,有泥沙玩的童年生活很幸福,很幸運我家裏小時候有個園子,是玩著泥沙長大的。那大花貓漂亮啊,特別那坐姿,大老板的架勢,試看天下誰能敵。
問好北島
HanxueClear 回複 悄悄話 回複 '最西邊的島上' 的評論 : 也謝謝你跟讀我的流水帳!能在Victoria 退休養老,真是太幸福啦,羨慕你!你英文Assay寫的生動有趣,特有人情味兒,我一字不落的一口氣讀完。
最西邊的島上 回複 悄悄話 回複 'HanxueClear' 的評論 : 謝謝喜歡和支持!剛讀了你寫的兒子(在我們維多利亞)婚禮博文,多省心暖心的孩子們啊!
HanxueClear 回複 悄悄話 太喜歡這樣的生活了,真希望你的最後一句總結能實現,有一天我們都能成為農民!現在各種殺蟲劑,殺草劑,化肥,對土地的傷害太重了,都擔心有朝一日人類被自己毀了。
我想退休後去環境保護組織去做誌願者,給保護地球出點微薄之力。
最西邊的島上 回複 悄悄話 回複 '石假裝' 的評論 : 是啊。拜讀過你的回憶,很感人!
石假裝 回複 悄悄話 我在農村生活過,與大自然打交道太辛苦。
最西邊的島上 回複 悄悄話 回複 '曉青' 的評論 : 謝謝!
曉青 回複 悄悄話 喜歡這樣的生活篇!
最西邊的島上 回複 悄悄話 回複 'plum59' 的評論 : 老鄉太客氣啦,謝謝回訪!
plum59 回複 悄悄話 北京人回拜北京人。中英雙語開博,寫的真好!容我慢慢讀了。
最西邊的島上 回複 悄悄話 回複 'yy56' 的評論 :歡迎來做客!謝謝喜歡和鼓勵。我們去過鳳凰城(兒子在亞利桑那讀博時有個小Condo),冬天很舒服。我家大花貓也是亞利桑那人,特別喜歡曬太陽。

你的文筆很好,別離開時間太長哦!
yy56 回複 悄悄話 聽菲兒介紹,來這裏做客,謝謝你用這篇特殊的經曆為文城開了一朵別致的花,我特別希望下次回城可以看到有更多的人用中英左右開弓,更希望讀到像你這樣獨特的經曆。

人生美好,能一路上栽滿奇花異草,值了。
最西邊的島上 回複 悄悄話 回複 '無法弄' 的評論 : 同在北京生長的老鄉好!你剛回去過覺得不認識了,那我如果再回去會更認不出了嗬。

看到你博文照片裏和平裏的舊筒子樓很親切,我有一個非常尊重的(煤炭部)忘年交就住在那兒,以前每次去看望她都要去那兒的稻香村買點兒點心。
無法弄 回複 悄悄話 我對籍貫也不清楚,我在北京出生長大,老得寫媽爸的甘肅,我才不管呢,就寫北京,誰願意改誰改,我不管,現在連北京都懶得寫,北京變得我都不認識了:)
最西邊的島上 回複 悄悄話 回複 '水星98' 的評論 : 哈哈,我也今天才知道我們是同“籍貫”的“老鄉”(我母親是漢口出生)。我雖沒當過知青,但能理解你們當時的苦悶。希望過去不再(故國)重複啦。謝謝。
水星98 回複 悄悄話 今天才知道最西邊的島上博主是一位女性,太不好意思了,哈哈哈哈。我在加拿大BC省沒有機會到農村去體驗,但是在中國的農村體驗了三年。那個體驗和在加拿大完全不一樣,每天勞動強度大,吃的極差,這些都還可以克服。看不到將來,沒有出路才是最鬧心的。寫得好!
最西邊的島上 回複 悄悄話 回複 '馮墟' 的評論 : 說的對!
最西邊的島上 回複 悄悄話 回複 '兵團農工' 的評論 : 謝謝77級兄弟來訪。希望大家都幸運,65歲以後不用為生活奔勞啦。
最西邊的島上 回複 悄悄話 回複 'diaoerlang' 的評論 : 是啊,我父親說過他大嫂生小孩後沒幾天就要下水田幹活呢。
最西邊的島上 回複 悄悄話 回複 '菲兒天地' 的評論 : 謝謝菲兒讀了全文和鼓勵。接受你和林兄的意見。我一是懶,二是忙(馬上要去日本看看),人工翻譯是二次創作要花時間,哪怕是自己寫的嗬。

關於亞馬遜:我自己在思科做了十年,知道美國高科技用人有多狠,但亞馬遜不是一般的狠,是很毒狠。我知道有華人老實孩子在那兒被逼無奈跳樓的,還有不聽話提意見的被製造理由裁掉。所以小朋友要小心,做好二手準備。
最西邊的島上 回複 悄悄話 回複 '林向田' 的評論 : 謝謝林兄!軟件翻譯的有一點兒幹巴巴,但是大意還算準確。不過看到機器把“有機農場義工”的小體縮寫翻成“低音炮”,覺得咱們人類還是有不會被機器取代的希望嗬。
馮墟 回複 悄悄話 你們城裏人是應該嚐嚐當農民的滋味,哈哈。很好的體驗。當農民不容易。
兵團農工 回複 悄悄話 很高興你寫的故事發生在我住的城市不遠的地方。

農業生產需要強健的體力,健康的身體。

我覺得超過65歲,有些農業活幹不動了。

比如說清理牲畜的糞便,使用工具挖地。

聞了牲畜糞便的臭味之後,鼻子要好幾天才恢複過來。




diaoerlang 回複 悄悄話 靠天吃飯,農民不容易,像博主說的故鄉上幾代農民更辛苦,整年臉朝土地背朝青天,要是再遇上災年戰亂政局更迭,那就是方方莫言楊繼繩們筆下的描繪了。

菲兒天地 回複 悄悄話 讚有內涵的農民文,一個字一個字地拜讀了,這樣的生日體驗真是特別,讓我想到了博友平等性女兒拿到大學錄取通知後去獻血的事情。我家女兒小時候過生日,有一次就是把生日收到的錢捐給了動物中心,然後那天在那裏做義工。西島夫婦在有機農場做義工的經曆非常特別,有意義,描述得也很生動,讓我對有機農場的產品有了更多的了解,也知道了一些他們的運作,以及如何定價等問題,真是受益匪淺。

同意林兄,如果加上中文翻譯會更好。:)
林向田 回複 悄悄話 我用軟件幫你翻譯了前幾段:

從前所有的男人都是農民

四月的這個陽光明媚的早晨,我和丈夫都是軟件程序員,他們驅車穿過安大略省東部春意盎然的土地,來到了一個占地100多英畝的有機農場和一個大動物棚。

雖然農場確實有民宿,但我們不是來度假的。對一些人來說,這聽起來可能很瘋狂,我們利用假期來到這裏,了解農民今天的生活方式,看看我們是否可以幫助解決一些肮髒而艱苦的農活。

去年年底,在我丈夫在網上找到WWOOF(有機農場的自願工人,www.WWOOF.ca)網站後,我們開始為此做計劃。我們申請了會員資格,並閱讀了綠皮書,其中列出了加拿大使用“低音炮”的有機農場。我們在普萊斯愛德華縣發現了一個農場,距離渥太華約3小時路程,靠近皮克頓,有一個有趣的描述:他們除了是一個經過認證的有機農場外,還靠太陽能和風能生活。
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