This year's early rains soaked the parched soil and stirred the ground beneath the fields. Lina and Ethan watched barefooted villagers toss seeds into the furrows as they stood at the edge of the farmland. Yes, there were crops growing here, but they were haphazardly grown without any planning or preparation for floods or droughts.
Ethan mutely remarked, "This won't feed a growing town."
Lina gave a nod. "Milord, we do what we can. However, the soil becomes weary.
Ethan looked around at the farmers. After that, we'll let it rest. And we'll support its strengthening.
In the soil, he drew sketches of various crop zones, a three-field rotation, and water channel pathways. At first, he was surrounded by confused faces. However, their expressions shifted from skepticism to interest when he described how turning beans with grain would improve the soil and how gathering rainwater could shield them from dry spells.
They set to work.
Ethan oversaw groups that dug irrigation ditches, using hollowed logs and woven gates to direct water from the neighboring river. Seepage was decreased by clay-lined channels. They used rock and packed soil to construct basic levees to stop flooding. Kids assisted with stone carrying. Young women marked planting lines with ash, while older men shared their wisdom from earlier times.
Every area of the field was used for a different purpose: the low south was used for rice and yams, the northern ridge for wheat, and there were tidy vegetable rows in between. Near the town's edge, a new granary was built with a stone foundation, a raised wooden floor, and a thatch roof that sloped to keep rain out. Inside, Lina was in charge of the first grain sacks and the drying of maize.
By the middle of the season, there was order rather than chaos among the green shoots.
Scraps were collected for composting, and livestock pens were positioned closer to future plots for fertilization. For the first time, hunger was determined by strategy rather than chance.
Lina handed Ethan a small bowl one quiet evening: steamed yam, fried greens with a bit of salt.
She remarked, "You helped grow this." Ethan bit into it. It was more than just food. It demonstrated the power of unity and intention to bring about change.
He glanced out over the fields, where the well-kept rows were glowing gold in the waning light, the canal water was glistening, and the sound of laughter came from the huts of the laborers.
This exceeded mere farming.
Sustainability was beginning to take shape.
It was the germ of a future spanning all their lifetime.