It's almost the end of the wheat-harvesting season in Punjab, and I've been fortunate to take a few trips out into the rural areas (Gujrat, Pindi Bhattiyan, Okara) where I could see the wheat harvest in process. Mostly the fields are filled with beautiful golden wheat although there are sugarcane fields, cotton, buffalo fodder, potatoes, and other crops.
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| Wheatfield in Gujrat, just as a rainstorm was about to blow in. |
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| So golden! |
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| Women glean the wheat after the field has been cleared and keep it in their homes. Some people still grind their flour by hand. |
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| Cut and ready for the thresher |
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| Tractor ride! |
Most of the wheat is still harvested by hand, then mechanical threshers are brought in to separate the grain from the chaff. The straw is baled and kept aside to give to the livestock, and then the wheat is either stored in small earthen silos or taken to be sold or ground. The fields are cleared of the remaining stalks by burning them, and the earth is prepared for rice cultivation (a much more labor intensive crop).
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| Wheatfield near Pindi Bhattiyan |
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| Fodder for cattle |
Meanwhile back in the city, this morning I had my own little harvest! Seven perfect little bhindiyan (okras). I brought them downstairs to hearty congratulations from Shahzad, Amjad, and Muntasir. Tomorrow I'll have the cook make them into something tasty and feed it to everyone. It's a small harvest, everyone will only get a little mouthful, but the point is to share what I've grown. Such satisfaction! Supposedly the plants will continue producing for several months yet.
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| My first harvest! |
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