The opening and ripening of the banana fruit

starts with the flower stage...the bananas begin to peak out from under neither...then the fruit pulls away from the flower moving up the stork until you have the fruit and the flower separate. It is at this last stage that it is necessary to cut the flower off to enable all the plants nutrients to grow the fruit



the variety of the banana that we currently grow is called "mak gui nam' or the water banana. It is tasty and rich in potassium. A little starchy, which makes it good for cooking cakes and muffins.

a banana is ready to pick when the shape is 'full'. The 'creases' running down the line of the banana can no longer be seen. The shape then is round, no edges or creases

the banana plant

our first small scale sales

these ladies are called 'mei ka'...literally 'mother buyer'. they come along and buy up the banana flowers and leaves. They don't take the leaves until the bananas have been picked. And it is good to cut the flower after they have been separated from the bananas. If these flowers are left at the bottom of the banana stork, the flower will take away nutrients from the banana. The flowers can be sold for food. Inside the flower is a pleasant tasting bulb that can be chopped up and goes into a local Lao salad called 'lap'.

Making organic pesticides

with the July rains come plenty of insects... here our staff make organic pesticides using 4 kinds of local leaves and grasses

pre-existing irrigation that can be a rich source for the future

the water from the Mekong is pumped up by two 5 horse power motors into the irrigation channels

these pumps have been installed installed for the Sang Thong community

it is a use and pay system...the district recently reconnected the power and a rate is worked out with the local officials as farmers need the water