Farming experience in the province - Admission/Application Essay Example

Admissions Essay Provincial Farming July 18, This past summer I spent a couple of months in the province where my grandmother lives. During my time spent with her I assisted with farming on the land. The land in the province is beautiful and peaceful. However I was to discover that the beauty and peacefulness of the countryside could pose problems in farming the land. Grand mother’s land is suited to growing sesame seeds. The plants are hearty plants that grow well in tropical and subtropical regions.

These plants have survived for centuries and provide oil and sesame seeds for many different uses. Sesame plants have 125 to 135 days growing period and can provide substantial income for farmers.The experience at my grandmother’s was filled with challenges and hard work. After planting the seeds water had to be carried in large buckets to supply enough water for the seeds to germinate. This was done for several days until the young plants began to push their way up through the ground. The plants then required fertilizer to add to the soil.

Again manually carrying and spreading the organic fertilizer when neededI learned that perseverance helps one overcome many hardships in life. This experience provided me with the opportunity to do something I had never done before. I had to face challenges that I had to find solutions to. I had to endure physical stress and hard physical labor. I learned that by not quitting in the beginning when it seemed impossible I could meet the challenges and even gain the satisfaction of overcoming the challenges.

I also gained an appreciation for the sesame seeds. These plants have been farmed and grown by man for a long time. Records of farming sesame seeds date backs thousands of years. The sesame seed was valued by people in ancient times as source of oil and medicinal uses. Recent studies show that sesame seeds do contain antioxidants that are beneficial to healthy living. Even though these tiny seed have been scientifically studied, much of the world’s production of these tiny seeds is still down by hand, in most parts of the world.

The crops are planted in land still plowed by oxen. The tending of the fields is done by manual labor, including carrying water and spreading of organic fertilizer, exactly like the experience I had at my grandmother’s. The crops are also harvested by hand, to prevent loss of or damage to the seed pods. The growers and their hired hands use machetes to cut down and stack the plants. Then the process of separating the seeds from the pods begins. I did not get to experience the harvest, as I was only at my grandmothers for two months.

She explained how the plants are harvested. The portion of the process I did experience was enlightening to the ways that many people in the word still farm sesame seeds. How much work that goes into the production of the seeds. It makes one appreciate the end products more to know exactly how much manual labor is involved in bring the sesame seed to market.Over all the lessons learned from my experience gave me insight into my own ability to persevere. When challenges in life present themselves in the future, I will be better prepared to face them head on and solve whatever problems arise.

Abstract:This is a short, two pages essay, about an experience that I had during a two months stay at my grandmother’s. The challenges I experienced, the ability to overcome and persevere thru the experience, and the things I learned about farming of sesame seeds.