Sand EVERYWHERE!!!

Hello everyone, its me and its been a long time coming for this next post. Sorry for the length of time between posts but I had no internet at the farm I was at. 2 weeks without being conected is a long time for me but it was quite the 2 weeks. This post will get lengthy but well worth the read.

So, the farm I was at for the past 2 weeks is called Global. Global is located south of Luis Eduardo and sits really close to "The Edge" (my picture that was above). 4 interns have been staying out at Global for the past 2 weeks to work on planters and getting them ready for the busy season ahead.

First off, the American misfortune that I was talking about at Rondonia was also going on here and another farm. The other interns ended up blowing out the front seal on their JD 8430 and another group of interns ended up having their transmission fail on them. So this is the reason why 4 of us were at the same place working on planters. Working on stuff here is not the same compared to back in the US. They can fix about anything here with a hammer and a couple of regular wrenches, and since they they like "lean manufacturing" (haha) they only think we need one of each wrench. I guess I get to work on my sharing skills while I am down here.

New equipment is on the way, 2 JD 8430s and a 109 foot JD planter. I hope to get in on the fun putting that planter together (it comes in a container in pieces) with the vast array of tools!! Another thing here, nothing happens very fast and it really tests a persons patience. It seems to take like 2 weeks just to get parts around this area.

While working on equipment one thing is very different and I really don't like it. SAND! Its everywhere my eyes can see and its blowing all the time. I was told that a month before the rains start the wind blows like crazy, and it does. When we were working on the planters outside you easily got sand in your mouth. It doesn't taste very good. After a whole day outside my ears would be full of sand. As my grandfather use to tell me as a young kid "you could grow potatoes in those ears". Im serious, I bet I could have. Another thing thats an annoyance to me out on the farms are the flies. I hate flies!!

Other things that have been happening on the farm include loading semis with some of our seed corn to be treated. Once again having convienient equipment around here is like a sin, so we load probably around 1,200 bags all by hand. Us Americans decide to take Henry Fords advice and make a assembly line to be more efficient. It worked very well and I think the Brazilians on the farm were impressed with our "new technology".

The food is starting to impress me still considering we have the same thing all the time. In the last 2 weeks we have had; cheesy potatoes, lamb chops, mullberry jam, and homemade french fries. Itwas AWESOME!! Yes they do have like 6 mullberry trees right by our sleeping quarters, so right after lunch another intern and I basically defruit these trees as much as possible. These are the biggest and sweetest tasting mullberries that I have ever had. I LOVE them.


To pass the time down here another intern and I have been playing baseball catch. The brazilians give us a weird look, but its relaxing and helps pass the time by. I also have been reading like its my job, and I hope I brought enough books with me to get to December. Another nightly activity that we attended was the making of popcorn (pipoka in portuguese) by the brazilians. This was no microwave job either, it was made over a small fire. This popcorn was special too, it was actually grown by GAI last year.

Well thats about it, for those who are curious my farmers tan is coming along nicely and will be happy to show it off when I get back.

Oh, I almost forgot. I was my clothes by hand. Its not very fun and I don't think I would have been a very good helper back in the times before the technology of a mechanical washer.

Hope everyone is having a good harvest back home!!

Signing off........

- (a domesticated) Hrubes