6/20/13

6/20/13, Daping Village 

Today we arrived in Daping village. All of the families surrounding the farm we are on practice organic agriculture. We took a tour of the farm and the man living here showed us their composting system as well. They also use biomass for electricity. All of their waste goes into a tank and the gas is separated off of the top and used. They compost their food scraps and extra organic material in a sectioned off area in the backyard. There is a section that is completely dry, one that is wet where the water runs off into, and a compost pile with finer ground material that is ready to be used to fertilize the plants. He told us about how they rotate crops seasonally. For example, he grows rice in the spring and summer but he can use that rice field for other crops in the fall. This is what keeps the soil full of nutrients and balanced out. Crop rotation is extremely important in organic farming. In monoculture, extra fertilizers are needed because the same crop is continually degrading the soil.