On the farm

Alright, sorry for the length of time between posts but this is the first time in 5 days that I have had access to internet. I didn't realize how addicted I was to being connected all the time by a phone or the internet. I've been pulling my hair out to have this moment back.

At the beginning of the week I was seriously wondering what the heck did I get myself into. No interaction due to the language barrier, the other intern was in the tractor while I was on the farm, and no access to internet to see if the world was ending somewhere other than Brazil. Most of you know me pretty well, but I need by social interaction to survive. I was really stressing out about it and really felt homesick, but as the week went on it got better because my Portuguese has been progressing.

Rondonian (pronounced hondonia) is the farm that I will be working at the majority of my stay in Brazil. It is the largest of GAI's farms at 5,000 hectares or 15,000 acres, Grown on this farm is popcorn, corn, soybeans, and edible beans. I should also include the 50 head of cows, 50 head of pigs, and 50 annoying chickens. Rondonia is the only farm north of LEM for GAI. The rest of them are south and a lot closer to town. The manager of Rondonia is Dino (pron. Gino) and he is a very likeable guy. He is very interested about the United States as both Michael and I have gone through our pictures with him. He is very hands on and I thank him for that everyday. He knows a little english but is very patient with us when we're talking in portuguese.

To describe the conditions on this farm I would have to start by saying that I have been getting away with not wearing any deodorante for 5 days!! HAHA Ok its not that bad, but besides the internet and electricity, I feel like I'm back in the 80s. Things I hear are all the same, kids whining, tractors running, cows mooing, chickens clucking, and the workers singing in portuguese. The food, well its below average just for the fact that its basically the same thing for lunch and dinner everyday. I get by not eating lunch, by nibbling on the cookies I bought at the super market before we left town.

My shift: 7:00pm - 7:00am!!!!!

The only positive about this shift is that it's not hotter than (you finish the anology) when I'm working. So during the day, when its really hot, I have to catch up on the sleep I lost while in the tractor. At night its hard to see, there is no help to be found when something breaks, and it is easier to fall asleep at the wheel. My weapon in turning over the dirt (60% sand) is a 8410 and a heavy disc no wider than the duals. Mind you, it takes me a half an hour to make ONE ROUND. No wonder why it seems like I am getting nothing done during my 12 hour shift. In the last 5 days Michael (another intern from Washington) and I have had some bad luck. One spindle on the disc has broken, on the same disc we have burned up a bearing, and lastly a stick has put a hole in the front tire of the 8410. You may wonder how could a stick do that. Well the field we are working on is on its second year of production. Before it was just cerrado, basically big brush scattered throughout. So this stick I talk about is actually about the size of my forearm.

We're on the verge of rainy season so tillage is going on at full speed, 24 hours a day with 3 tractors and discs. The P & K of the N-P-K (fertilizer) is also put on 24 hours a day with 2 tractors. Back at the farm the rest of the workers are either working on planters, cleaning soybeans to plant, or are doing general things around the farm. Tyler, the president of GAI, wants to start planting popcorn by the 15th of October. Looking at all the ground that needs to be worked and the problems we have been experiencing with equipment, I think thats gonna be a push.

It feels like spring here with all the planters being worked on and the tillage work being done. I am really excited to continue to work with Dino and his crew to get these 15,000 acres planted before the 5th of December. Contrary to the beginning of the week, I am actually starting to enjoy my time here.

p.s. could someone please send some peanut M&Ms, it would be greatly appreciated!!


Signing off.......


- (a skinnier) Hrubes