Gathering Fish, Community Rice Fields

Community rice field lands, especially when minimal herbicides and pesticides are applied, make prime gathering grounds for collecting small fish, building friendships,and the community that people need to have an active, local strong food culture. During my three weeks in this forest community, I ate all local foods. There were a couple stores in this forest community, but I hardly saw anyone eating any packaged foods. When I would return days spent in the forest, my first glimpses of the nearby community would be some of these ricefield islands. One day, while resting here enroute to the village, I made some friends and helped collect some small fish. As food prices soar in the US and Asia, I realize that we all might need to change our habits a bit. We all might need to find our own kind of community rice field. This, of course, might involve giving up some freedom. We might travel less. Or perhaps we will learn to travel by foot more often. It’s not always easy, but getting wet and muddy is all part of the process. We might become stronger, our communities just might flourish, and like these girls, we might learn to laugh a little more.