Viewing a single comment thread. View all comments

stealth_elephant t1_iv4t5z0 wrote

> Each day the students swap their uniforms for work shirts and boots and spend part of their school day outside tending to the 85-hectare crop.

That is not how you grow wheat.

69

diagnosedwolf t1_iv4zzie wrote

It is if you’re too cheap to install irrigation.

40

Reeves32hp t1_iv5crkh wrote

Farmer here, irrigation is actually expensive to not only install but to run, just imagine the water bill. We just slap our wheat seed into the ground with some pot ash and rely on Mother Nature to provide rain. At most, the kids may be pulling weeds but if you plant your wheat seeds close they can usually over take the weeds.

52

azuresegugio t1_iv5m4ap wrote

I'm not an expert or anything but free irrigation for farmers seems like the kinda thing that we should be prioritizing. Edit: Really like getting downvoted for literally saying I don't understand something but it sounds important

−15

Reeves32hp t1_iv5uv8v wrote

Eh, it's not really necessary, we've compared our rain water crops with irrigation and when it came down to it, the net income we were both making was about the same at the end of the day.

18

azuresegugio t1_iv60ma4 wrote

Oh ok, like I said I'm not an expert just seemed like the kinda thing that'd help

4

Kronos-_- t1_iv6fujb wrote

Irrigation is super expensive and it doesn't help for most cultures, cotton for example is a high value crop that would get no extra production from irrigation. Irrigation is mostly used for wet crops, like rice or beans or on a smaller scale for quick or delicate crops like strawberries and lettuce

7