Hello, welcome to my blog.
About a month ago, I shared a video of an okra farm that I stumbled on the day I went to pick some palm fruits at a nearby farmland. Today, I passed by the okra farm again and I was amazed at how the okra plants have thrived.
The lush greenery and the abundance of the okra pods were only but a testament to the hard work and dedication of the farmer. More so, I was excited to see that the okra plants had already started producing fruits.
I took a moment to walk through the farm, and I couldn't resist capturing the beauty of the okra plants on video and photos too.
The harvest
Also, I caught sight of the farmer tending to his crops with care. He was actually picking - or rather plucking the okra fruits at that time. We shared a friendly greeting.
Afterwards, I had a chance to talk to him, off camera, and he shared some insights on his okra farm.
Here's how our conversation went:
Me: "Your okra farm looks incredible! How do you manage to get such a high yield?
Farmer: "Thank you. It鈥檚 all about good farming practices, regular watering - when there's no rainfall, and ensuring the plants get enough sunlight. We also make sure to harvest the okra pods at the right time, just like I'm doing now, to encourage more growth. However, some chemicals need to be applied on the okra plants to help protect them from pests, promote growth and fruiting."
Me: Amazing! Okra is a great crop to grow, isn鈥檛 it? Is this the first time you are picking the fruits?"
Farmer: "Absolutely! It鈥檚 nutritious and in demand. And no, this is actually the third harvest. However, the previous ones didn't yield as much as this one, but they were quite encouraging. You know, most times, first harvests doesn't usually yield much. So, after now, I'll apply the chemicals which I've already prepared. I'm hopeful that my next harvest will be bigger than these ones.
Me: "Oh, that's great. I hope it works well for you, and I wish you more bountiful harvest". "Well, I believe you made some money from the previous fruits you picked? Laughs.
Farmer: Joins in the laughter, and then replied, "Thank you." Of course, I sold them in our local market here. I'm happy to be contributing to the local food supply. Then we prepared okra soup with ugu and uziza vegetable. You know I need to enjoy the fruit of my labor. Hahaha" 馃槄
Me: Oh, I can relate. 馃槄 Fresh okra soup tastes delicious when prepared with fresh ugu (pumpkin vegetable) and uziza vegetable. I love it.
Farmer: "Really? In that case, here are some okra fruits for you." He handed me a generous amount of okra, and I was filled with gratitude for his kind gesture. I thanked him for giving me his time and the okra, and happily continued on my way, armed with the fresh okra fruits.
The little time I spent at the okra farm was not just about seeing the crops; but about understanding the effort that goes into bringing food to our tables. Chatting with the farmer inspired me to put more effort into gardening, so that I could also contribute to the local food supply.
Thank you for reading.
Author's Photos
鈻讹笍 3Speak
