At last....Refreshment and...LIFE !!! - No Smoking Day

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At last....Refreshment and...LIFE !!!

Hercu profile image
HercuValued Contributor
22 Replies

We are having the most beautifull rain...soft and penetrating and will safe us for a couple of days without irrigation...Not dam filling but a blessing from heaven...The dust are washed away ...it is a nice cool 24° C and everything looks fresh...!

The best of all is that bearnut don't need to worry about bananas.... there is stil a few around to satisfy the daily consumption...!!

Thank you all for the prayers...we are truly dancing in the rain...!!

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Hercu profile image
Hercu
Valued Contributor
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22 Replies
Rachy741 profile image
Rachy741Valued Contributor

Wonderful news! 😀

hi Hercu YEAH

what great news,but I'm still doing rain dance for lots of rain 😁

glad its a bit better 😁

take care 😊

keep kicking 😎

Nozmo profile image
NozmoValued Contributor

Congratulations Hercu - it came at last!

What's the purpose of the big building/structure where all the bananas are hanging? Is that where they ripen? Sorry for my ignorance - there aren't many banana farms in South Shields :-)

Hercu profile image
HercuValued Contributor

Nozmo Thanks...In perfect time...

Totally agreed that there might be not a lot of banana farms in South Shields..

We call it the hanging area....From the orchards the bunches are transported by tractor and trailer to this structure where it is ofloaded and hung on trolley's (see wheels) where it can be moved forward to the processing baths ..where it is stripped in hands, sorted and packed in 20 kg boxes, stacked on pallets of 50 boxes and into the cold rooms...30 pallets x 50 boxes (1500) is one 30 ton load... We need to cool it down from the normal ambient temps of 35 to 40 deg C to 13 deg to prevent compulsive ripening......It is exported green and ripened in South Africa and then distributed to supermarkets.

Now in the drought we do 2 to 3 loads a day and in good times 6 loads.

We harvest about 120 to 200 tons a day...3000 to 4500 bunches

We sell about 10% locally and Swaziland which we ripen ourselves ...Got two 30 ton ripening rooms on the farm...

PS.....The white bags is to cover for sunburn....

Nozmo profile image
NozmoValued Contributor in reply to Hercu

I didn't realise it was on such a huge scale! Amazing. Are we likely to receive any of yours in the UK? I've just been showing the picture to the kids.

My son says his rabbit (Billy) should work on your farm (he loves bananas). I pointed out that Billy would be immensely overweight if he worked there :-)

Hercu profile image
HercuValued Contributor in reply to Nozmo

Nozmo,..UK just out of our reach...We did a few loads to Dubai...But with the USD $ so strong agaist our currency the expences is to high...we must pay everything in $

Billy will enjoy it so much...The Grandaughters 4 (Each got a male and female) is truly enjoying the bananas.

Exsmo profile image
Exsmo

This is wonderful to hear Hercu ! What a great blessing. Thanks for sharing. Your farm looks so neat and organized! Beautiful bananas. God is good.

How interesting to read the process of your farm. I love growing tgings. This was a fascinating read. I too did not know it was so involved.

As a child in Jamaica I watched men come in from banana fields. No one can imagine how large the bunches of bananas are naturally. (My family helped with a mission there) Loved those fresh banans and sugar cane. Does sugar cane grow close to you also?

Sorry if spelling ia off. Dropped phone so looking through a shattered screen.

Again thanks for sharing. I really enjoyed learning about this. So happy for your rain!

bearnut profile image
bearnut2 Years Smoke Free

LOL I knew I could count on you to save the day yet AGAIN. I have 2 in frozen now. Heading out for the rest of my shake ingredient. Keep the Banana's coming......

It is really neat to see the banana processing pictures. Do you have any pictures of the tree? with the banana's still on it? I thought they grew in little bunches like I buy them in the store. LOL I never claimed to being right in the head..

Hercu profile image
HercuValued Contributor in reply to bearnut

Bearnut ...With the rain there is good hope that we will be able to keep them coming...you will be amazed to see how bananas becomes bananas...!

Will surely post a pic..!

bearnut profile image
bearnut2 Years Smoke Free in reply to Hercu

OK hope you get more rain. But where are my tree picture's? Lol I'm still a live...

Hercu profile image
HercuValued Contributor in reply to bearnut

Soon...!!

Asked the admin if they could modify our site so that it can be possible to reply with pics...If not soon enough I will post a pic.

taurean7 profile image
taurean72 Years Smoke Free

So happy for you!

Hercu profile image
HercuValued Contributor

Exmo...Thank you....There truly is an Upper Hand looking over us ....Our Lord is providing..

Yes, Suger cane...... just oposite the Border in Swaziland...and 100 km from us in South Africa on the border to Mozambique....We would like to farm cane but there is no Sugermill closeby in Moz...And to try and export raw sugercane would be the same effort as to take 20 kg heroin into Heathrow airport...!

RoisinO1 profile image
RoisinO1Administrator3 Years Smoke Free in reply to Hercu

:O

RoisinO1 profile image
RoisinO1Administrator3 Years Smoke Free

Great news Hercu and what a fascinating and clearer picture of your banana trees, never knew there was so much to the process from ground to mouth, will never look at one the same way again :)

Hercu profile image
HercuValued Contributor

Thank you Roisin...Yes. it is like your baking ....all the ingredients makes the cake so much sweeter...and only you know how much effort it takes...!

CocoaXChange profile image
CocoaXChangeValued Contributor

Great news Hercu, I hope the rain continues softly for a long time. I also didn't know the process. All I know about bananas comes from the song.

youtube.com/watch?v=PMigXnX...

That’s awesome lots of rain .What a miracle rain can be !!!

Hercu profile image
HercuValued Contributor in reply to

Looked at my Harvesting guys today carrying the bunches and the song was in my head continuously...Thanks Cocoa..!

lagatachocolate profile image
lagatachocolate2 Years Smoke Free

Wow, where is this, Hercu? 😀

Hercu profile image
HercuValued Contributor in reply to lagatachocolate

Mozambique...Southern Africa..

RoisinO1 profile image
RoisinO1Administrator3 Years Smoke Free in reply to Hercu

Hey Hercu - heard this cover on the radio earlier today and thought of you, then see you are 3 years smoke free today, what an achievement and a true inspiration to all of us here, hope you treated yourself

youtu.be/BYywEVzyVLI

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