Rice Terraces


Rice Terraces

***Note: This blog first appeared on my Caris Roane blog in July, 2017

 Humans are amazing. Taking a step back, I marvel at so much of what we, as people, are able to create. Sometimes, it’s through necessity and sometimes through the sheer love of creation. Rice terraces were definitely out of necessity and they are a marvel.

 As I began exploring the beauty of rice terraces, I discovered that this method of planting is ancient as in thousands of years old. Even more amazing, the earliest creators of these hillside wonders used crude tools and their bare hands. They didn’t have the shovels we have today, for instance.

 As a hobby-gardener, I can relate…sort of. I’m not exactly carving out hillsides and shoring up what will be very wet rice paddies. I’m not worried about my Mesquite and Lantana providing food throughout an entire year for my family. But in terms of shaping the land, yes, that I can relate to.

 One of the most famous rice terraces is located in the Philippines. These terraces are called the Banaue Rice Terraces and they have been referred to as the 8th wonder of the world. At some point, between two and three thousand years ago, the tribes people shaped the hills into steps that could be flooded then planted with rice. These terraces are still used today. They cover 4000 square miles of land and some of them are as as high up as 5000 feet.













I hope you enjoyed today's blog!
Have a wonderful day and the best week ever!
Hugs,

Valerie Bosna 
   Writing As...
    Caris Roane
    Valerie King
    Eliot Wilde


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