Farming with common sense

By Vatapuia Maiava 16 December 2016, 12:00AM

Farming is not as simple as digging, plant, wait and harvest.

According to Poe Tele, from the village of Faleasi’u-Uta, common sense is one of the main tools a farmer needs.

Without common sense, you could lose the quality of the soil or you could end up watching all your hard work wither and die.

A lot of thought is put into farming and for many families in Samoa; the humble plantation is their only source of food and money.

“As you can see, right now I am just trying to clear up the land a little bit,” Poe told the Village Voice.

“This plantation is one of my family’s main priorities right now because it provides so much. That’s why I am always out here working hard to make sure everything runs smoothly.

“My family also knows that working together is the best way to get things done.”

For Poe, farming has become second nature to him after doing it for some time.

“I have grown accustomed to this lifestyle,” he said.

“I come here every morning and I begin my work and do my part to take care of my family. When you do this long enough, you’ll get used to it.

“I also go out to sea to get some fish or other edible creatures for sale and for my family to eat.”

But there’s no point in having a lot of land when you don’t have common sense.

“I own a lot of land but I don’t often use it all,” Poe said.

“That’s because you have to always use your land wisely and not overuse it in any way. As you can see when you look around, we are growing mainly taro on this plot of land.

“While waiting for harvest or when I decide to give the land a break, I head out to sea. People can easily survive on both the land and the sea.”

According to Poe, you can try and live on eating crops and fish as much as you want, but at the end of the day everyone needs money.

“But the one thing that everyone needs is money,” he said.

“You can make money from the land and sea but it’s not that easy. You can try live on crops and fish alone but eventually, you will need to buy things from the shop.

“That’s why you should use your head in finding out what and how much you should grow.”

But right now, Poe says that everything is great at his home.

“My family is doing very well at the moment,” he said.

“We have enough to survive and when we need something in the family, then that just means that I need to work a little extra hard. 

“I just want to take this opportunity to wish everyone in Samoa a very Merry Christmas and happy New Year.”

By Vatapuia Maiava 16 December 2016, 12:00AM
Samoa Observer

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