Crops In the Bush

Most of the crops are grown in the bush - also called farm or plantation. The farm is away from the house, and the father and sons have to drive to the land they farm.

Farming is hard labor ... no modern equipment here. The main tool is a long hoe. We took some pictures traveling around Tongatapu of the bush.

Ufi is sometimes planted between the coconut trees. Ufi is a staple of Tongan diet. Families eat a starch with every meal, either taro, kumala, sweet potato, or ufi.

To plant the ufi, one digs a hole  4-5 feet deep with a shovel (one hole for each plant). The soil is put back in the hole and the start (like a potato start) is planted. This is so the soil is soft and the ufi root can grow down. It will not grow if the soil is packed hard. We often see the men with their hoes riding on the bicycles to the farm.

Papaya trees

Papaya or pawpaw can be grown in rows in the bush, and often several trees are seen in people's yards. Papaya is very abundant. I made jam with the papaya. It is also good in our morning smoothies. I made papaya coconut bread last year... yummy. The papaya is just coming on this year, so soon we will have more papaya coconut bread. It costs about $2 per papaya.

We are often given fruits and vegetables as a gift of appreciation when we do our work around the island. Today we got papaya.

Note: Other crops are grown between the rows of trees. Not much land is wasted on the farm.

Bananas can grow almost anywhere. Most homes have a banana tree or two. But in the bush, there are groves of banana trees. Different varieties are different sizes; some are long and slender, some are squat and plump, some have pinkish meat, some the whitish yellow. But all bananas are like you have never eaten in North America. We will definitely miss bananas when we go home.

Giant taro (kave)

Taro is a staple, used at nearly every meal. There are different kinds of taro. This giant one is kave. Taro can have white flesh or purple. We love the purple best. It is sweeter than the white taro.

The leaves have to be cooked before they can be eaten. They are used for lu, which is a primary Tongan food. Lu is served at every feast. Leaves are layered and then filled with corned beef (pulu), chicken (moa), or sheep (sipi) and also filled with onions, tomatoes, and whatever else you want.

He causeth the grass to grow for the cattle, and herb for the service of man: that he may bring forth food out of the earth                                               Psalms 104:14 KJV