On the way to wrangle cows, we saw a wild boar trap. The wild boar run into it. I will not spoil what happens. You need to see the video. Yoga and his Dad explain it pretty well. My job was to lead the cows to new pasture. They listen about like Cooper (my dog).…

This morning I worked alongside a farmer who showed me how to harvest rubber. He uses a special curved tool that cuts just into the bark. He taught me how to cut the tree just enough to let it bleed–OK, what I really mean is he tried to teach me. The white sap flowed slowly…

This morning we went to the traditional market. Do not confuse this with a grocery store. The traditional market is way more fun and you can find some awesome food. These beautiful ladies were cooking up my favorite–fried bananas. I also tried fried fermented cassava and sweet potato mixed with brown sugar fried. YUM!!! We…

This post is dedicated to my Mom. She took a basket making course and made a lot of baskets. I am not sure where they are now. I think she would like this post. When you watch the video posted at the end, you will see my course in basket weaving did not last long.…

I love cows! They are so beautiful, full of personality, and they never forget. Today, instead of working with a coffee farmer (who never showed up), I ended up meeting a cow farmer on the road home. It felt like it was meant to be. He was smart, kind, and full of stories, and I…

Palm oil is the most used oil in the world. The edible oil comes from the fruit of oil palm trees. In Indonesia, it is called sawit (pronounced saweet). The fruit produces 2 types of oil: squeezing the fleshy part of the fruit produces crude palm oil. Crushing the kernel/stone in the middle produces palm…

Beautiful sunrise across the rice paddy this morning, as I traveled to the coffee plantation. Indonesia is known for its coffee, which the Dutch colonists introduced in the 17th century. Indonesian farmers use an old process of warehousing the coffee before it is processed to achieve a deeper body and less acidity. This process cannot be…

I have a decent size garden at home and I love to work in it. I enjoy feeling the dirt and watching my plants grow. Makes me feel good. Today, I worked with a vegetable farmer. He was spraying herbicide. I did not want to wear a backpack full of chemicals dripping down my back,…

I am in Bengkulu to interview farmers about local environmental and ecological changes. Farmers are the first to identify with changes as those changes affect what they can grow and how they grow crops. The best way to interview farmers is work along side them. So I pulled up my pant legs, took off my…

My first visit to Indonesia was in 2018. Aceng Ruyani (turtle conservationist and Professor at University of Bengkulu) developed a NGO for his turtle conservation program. The NGO owns a house down the street from his home. This is where the turtles stay and medical students complete some of their research. Mr. Aceng offered to…