Harvesting, threshing on stone

In Hamlet 1, Dinh Quan commune (Dong Nai province), there's a unique farming story that stands apart from the familiar image of vast rice fields. The family of Le Hoang Dung owns just over 1,000 square meters of rice land, yet from that modest plot, they harvest two crops each year, enough to sustain the entire household through all twelve months.

Threshing rice on stone. Photo: Le Trung

What’s notable is that Dung’s harvesting method is unlike anyone else’s. In many areas, farmers are now familiar with modern combine harvesters, but his family still carries out every step of production by hand. From sowing seedlings and transplanting to harvesting, all the work is done by family members. Most strikingly, during the threshing stage, he uses the rocks around the field to beat the rice.

It may sound unusual, but it’s a practical choice, as his rice field lies on rocky terrain where machinery can hardly operate. Amid the ongoing trend of agricultural mechanization, the image of his family patiently harvesting by hand and threshing each bundle of rice on stone evokes memories of past harvest seasons, difficult yet rich in the essence of traditional rural life.

Each season, Dung harvests about 1.5 tons of paddy, which he doesn't sell but keeps as a food reserve for the whole family. This approach allows him to stay self-sufficient, free from concerns about market prices, while also preserving the homeland's rice, grown organically, safe for health, and environmentally friendly.

Looking at the small field on rocky ground, few would believe it could sustain a family. Yet through patience and a deep love for farming, Dung has turned what once seemed impossible into reality. Harvesting and threshing rice on stone is not only an image of labor, as it also reflects the diligence and resilience of farmers who, despite harsh conditions, continue to find ways for rice to blossom and for life to endure on barren, stony land.

By Viet Cuong - Translated by Minh Hanh, Minho