I started growing kava, ginger, turmeric, cucumber, and other crops on my farm during the Covid lockdown and it was rewarding. Not only did we get to eat healthy from our backyard but also managed to sell harvest at the market. I lost my good workers to RSE and the farm was neglected when I was busy with other projects.

The grass and bees took over. Last week, I decided to restart the farm. My cousin and his workers helped with the grass. I started with the front plot and got stung by bees a few times. That was not fun.  I find that white vinegar is more effective on bee stings than honey or any other prescribed medicine.  Even the age-old advice of using urine at the first bite isn’t as effective. My hand usually swells like a mini balloon after three days. This time the swelling was gone after one day instead of the usual four to five.

At the first bite, pour white vinegar right on the bite. Use around 30-50 ml. Then use a cotton ball to dab on the bite every three hours. Believe me, the amount of work is better than having a useless swollen hand for a few days.

Farming isn’t just going out and putting seeds in the soil. If that were the case, there would be more consistent farmers. Farming is planning, clearing the land first, seedlings, weeding, watering, protecting, harvesting, regrowing and a whole lot of maintenance. Your biggest enemy isn’t the bee, it is the grass and then pests who feast on your beans, cabbages and fruits.  

I’m a part-time farmer and I haven’t done it long enough to call myself a consistent farmer even if I grew up on a farm. Farming is hard work, harder than any other work I’ve done, apart from teaching. Then again, teaching to me is not really a job, it is a blessing filled with new hurdles and learning opportunities. No one can show us how to teach the perfect way. We learn from observing, doing the work and listening to our students. We also lean on parents to help encourage their geniuses to learn.

The fundamentals are that your child is safe, happy, nurtured and supported to reach their full potential.  Thankfully farming is similar. No one system fits all kinds of farming but we can create a system that works for us. Depending on your chosen crop, you can grow, water and feed it accordingly. You will come across challenges. Many may give up at the sign of pests or losing good workers.  Don’t give up.  Happy farming Samoa, rest when you can and then continue.

Enid Westerlund is a regular columnist for this newspaper. She is an aviation specialist, business consultant, author and loves teaching children to read on the weekend.