On May 5 we had another Senior Missionaries activity.  This time we went to a rice farm and rice mill and learned about rice.  The photo shows rice growing in a field that has been irrigated.  If rice grows other than during the rainy season, it needs to be irrigated.

This is a rice harvesting machine.  It is very progressive and most rice is still cut by hand but once in a while you see a machine.

The rice comes out of the harvester and is put in 50 kg bags.  They are very heavy but Ken is very strong and can lift them at will.

They still use the convenient carabao to move the rice from the field to the trucks which will take it to the mill.

The carabao is a patient and long-suffering animal and can be sat upon by western tourists.

President and Sister Bertin on the carabao.

These are the other western tourists who attended the rice "workshop".

An ice cream vendor showed up out of the blue and Elder Dickson (from Newark N. J.) bought ice cream for all the children who were following us around like they couldn't believe they were seeing twelve tall (mostly), older, Caucasians in the middle of their Bulacan (province) fields. 

After the rice is taken off the field and before it is taken to the mill, it must be dried.  In this area of the Philippines they dry it by laying it out under the sun on a road or a driveway or another large cement surface.

At the mill the rice is separated from the bran (which is used to feed swine or ducks) and bagged for sale.  The 50 kg. bags of rice which come from the fields must be carried up these stairs and emptied into the milling machine.  (Elder Bremner is on the stairs.)

This is the milling machine.  On one side is President Joven Cruz, of the San Ildefonso branch and on the other side are Elders Bremner and Dickson.

This is our group at the end of our rice "workshop" at the mill.