Customer Reviews

Cycle of Rice, Cycle of Life: A Story of Sustainable Farming

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In Bali, an Indonesian island is Southeast Asia, has a long history of sustainable agriculture, primarily for raising rice. Fresh water is extremely important to the success of their crops and "hydroengineering has harnessed these waters for more than a thousand years." Agricultural traditions, passed down from generation to generation, also include giving thanks to Dewi Danu "for blessing them with pure, life-giving water." Traditionally Bali was the best rice producing area in Indonesia and continued to be until the "Green Revolution" came about. When hybrid rice and a different agricultural process was instituted it didn't spell green, it spelled d-i-s-a-s-t-e-r!

At the numerous temples scattered throughout Bali the Jero Gde (high priest) would bless the waters. The water was shared and a "perfect cycle of water is sacred to all Balinese people." It takes two to four months for the rice to mature after a very careful method of hand planting. After the harvest, ducks would come in and were used as "natural pesticides and fertilizers" in crop production. This made the Balinese rice crops environmentally sustainable. When the Green Revolution came about things were upended and instead of being the best rice producer, they became the worst and their rice crop was threatened. It was a very serious problem, but would American anthropologist J. Stephen Lansing be able to halt the destruction and return the country to its former way of life?

This book was a real eye opener on the destructiveness of interfering with successful, environmentally sustainable agriculture that had been in place for thousands of years. I was very surprised to hear about the disastrous plan to increase rice production that actually backfired. I think most readers will be enthralled by this story. It is very well written and unfolds quite nicely. The photography is quite complimentary and adds a lot to the tale. This is what I call a "lessons learned" sort of story that will all can benefit from reading. If you take the time to read this book, you may well learn some lessons in your own backyard agricultural ventures!

Set on the island of Bali in Southeast Asia, Cycle of Rice Cycle of Life: A Story of Sustainable Farming is a picturebook about how people survive by living closely in tune and harmony with the natural cycles of the water and soil. Through water sharing and crop rotation systems that have been in effect for more than a thousand years, Balinese rice farmers preserve the health and yield of their farmland, which in turn provides for them. Illustrated with beautiful photographs throughout, Cycle of Rice Cycle of Life highly recommended as a glimpse into the positive traditions of Balinese agriculture, and the universal message of responsible stewardship. "After the harvest, the field is fallow, or without crops, but there is still work to be done. Putu waves a long bamboo pole to herd the family's ducks to the spot where he wants them to settle down and eat... The ducks play a crucial role in allowing the cycle of rice to continue, year after year."

While many people know Indonesia's island of Bali for its tourist industry, fewer know that Bali is a leading global producer of rice. Much of the island is covered with lush terraced rice fields, with harvests that have flourished for centuries due to the exceedingly rich soil. Also contributing to the plentiful harvests over time have been an elaborate irrigation system that involves hand-made canals and waterways, a careful system of water sharing between farmers, and a balanced method of crop rotation. This beautifully-illustrated and carefully-researched book provides valuable insight into Bali's system of sustainable farming and the risks associated with trying to modernize a traditional system with new rice seeds, chemical fertilizers, and mechanized techniques.

With photography and words, this picture book presents the ancient ritual of the cycle of water and the cycle of rice in Thailand, from temples to fields, from seeds to rice-bearing plants, and from fallow seeds to ducks. This book celebrates the rhythms of the natural cycles in Thailand, despite emerging technology, finding strength and fertility in the ancient harmony of life. This is a good resource about sustainable farming for children ages 5-8.