The long way to our dream in Thailand, Part 2

A weather day at work gives me a bit time to talk about our best pesticide we have so far in our "shelf"
Don't worry I stay Bio but I must admit some pesticides are right in front of our eyes and we don't realize it. Even sometime we kick them with our feet and hate them.

On our farm we have planted our trees and of course the pests did spot them in days, chewed down some of the leaves and buds.

Sure, the first problem was created by my wife and myself.
We planted the trees and so we weakened them and made them attractive to pests.

One of the "one shoe fits all pesticides" (almost) is hated in Thailand more than anything else.

Oecophylla smaragdina or Red Weaver Ants.

They use their babies to glue nests made from rolled leaves together.
They are aggressive, don't spray acid but they bite which is annoying.
Their abdomens taste like high quality Lemon candies (who likes them)
...and they will protect their home (Plant) with their life, without allowing any other animal (humans as well) and insect getting on it.

My Santol Wood trees are full of them and my wife as also myself love them.
They cost no money, for a little itching you can have your trees protected.

Great little buggers they are.

Application:
Pick a nest carefully and relocate it on the infested plant.
Within 24 hrs. of merciless battle the pest -think of Aphids and their Ants who protect them, bugs, ticks and caterpillars of any size are disappearing or died.

When your fruits are ripe, pick the nest first and sell the Ant eggs in Thailand for 4800 baht (140 USD) per Kilo ;-) or relocate them back to another tree (after you definitely got bitten again).
Worth it, isn't it?

I highlighted here weaver ants because of their bad reputation...

...but did you know:
if you live in an area where wild Elephants roaming and ransack your crops, you can use the humble Honeybee to make these grey giants run?
Well, unlikely this happens in the United States or at any forum member's house, if they not escaped from the Zoo...  

Lets pictures talk:

Update:

Since I am back on my job in Taiwan I live from updates, which my wife is feeding me...
...making me missing her, our "Family" and our new land even more.

But this burden pays for the land and our food Jungle without even scratching the pension box.

Today she called me excited and told that the engineer has completed the statics and design for our bridge.

Beside he hit my expectations on the point (I left some basic drawings) he called out a price which was way below the budget of 10000 USD
which I planned to get a bridge with the requirements regarding width and load bearing in case visitors like school classes want to cross.

As said before:
designing a permaculture food forest that can be instantly changed or adapted from production over information to recreational purposes like for example a fishing park is a time consuming matter and needs proper planning.

This bridge will bring me to my island where a hut, BBQ, pizza oven and probably a fridge full of beer will be awaiting my "attention".

Happy days ahead.

I'll keep posted...

Update:

Yesterday my wife called me in the night and freaked out.

A huge thunderstorm was going through our Village and crossing our new land.
The rainfall, which is in average 200 mm, was way higher and she feared that our dug out lake and river slopes are failing and collapsing.

As an East Frisian country boy living behind Dykes I tried to persuade her to trust my engineering.

This morning there was no hold and she drove with our housemaid at 4am to the land for the aftermath.

As expected from my side there were erosion gullies created not deeper than 2-4 inches and very equally spread, so  the flood was split into 100s of little run offs which will shape the slopes naturally.

But I don't consider them as erosion damage because:

1st: I expected way deeper cuts as those.

2nd: I made my wife walking through the lake and the water was between 40 and 70 centimeters, which lets me stipulate that we had at least a rainfall of 500 mm.
Such an amount of water in just 2 hrs is very unusual as the average is given from official site around 180 till 230 mm.

Happy days ahead...
Seeing the amount of water in my lake I really would like to stand there now instead sitting on a site in Taiwan.

But here I have here on my job all materials to create a door sign saying: "If not at Home, gone fishing!"

Why is water coming out of the drain already? Is that flow to your river so it will stay at a constant level with the pond?  Appreciate the updates I enjoy seeing this project come together. Great work you guys are doing there!

Joe Hallmark wrote:Why is water coming out of the drain already? Is that flow to your river so it will stay at a constant level with the pond?  Appreciate the updates I enjoy seeing this project come together. Great work you guys are doing there!

Thanks for your interest @Joe Hallmark,

The right (East) side of the photo shows also the flood plain where trees like Tahitian Chestnuts are doing well.

The river will be fed by a solar pump when the lake is full to create circulation within the lake, but the river does not feed the lake...

...the 2nd purpose is that the river drains excessive water from the left (West) side where we do not want waterlogging or flooding because of the requirements these trees have.
(I posted before that we have about 380 Trees /90 different specimens from all around the world and had to design my landscape from swamp to desert to fulfill their requirements)

This worked out well as expected...

Really awesome what you guys have planned and accomplished.

This is just the beginning.
We kicked our greedy family who saw in me only an ATM foreigner and since decades we have a little "informal family" who had the same problems with their family. We stood in for each other and planned our future together.

They do the work and I am the "earner" and we are understanding our roles very well.

I am since 41 years offshore working and as an European I make per day what a they would make in a Month, hence...

I want these "Family" moving out of the bone jarring Rice field and Sugar cane labor, into a more comfortable income with Aquaponics.

For myself I want getting "rich"
by meaning leaving the highly paid job and rat race and living of my land, leaving a Landmark behind when the ferryman comes, not more. (Off course my pension is safe and will support me) but with all savings beside of that, I will create happiness for my beloved ones.
The "last shirt" has no pockets anyway...  

Things to come in the next years

Our brotherhood is restless and going step by step through the summer plan while I am working in Taiwan.
Some nice improvements come for me always as an extra surprise.
Like today, when I sent a drawing with cinder blocks and they change it for a vintage look to fit the landscape better.

Now they are working on Dams which shall keep the water level in the river equal.
We plan to breed Red Claw Crayfish as naturally as possible and the dams shall guarantee an abundance of oxygen.

Raising and dropping water levels is one main thing, they not appreciate at all, beside they are really easy goers...

Two thumbs up for my best friends (I call family) to give always the extra shuffle sand (knowledge and fantasy) to it, to make it even more perfect.

They respect my burden working abroad as "The Earner" and I highly respect that they always find a better and cheaper solution and do the physical part to their best knowledge.

Eventually we will be living all there and they love my design and of course what I did for their Parents at their lowest point of luck and life.

Our River Dams in progress... I love it!

Despite I am in Taiwan working on a 12hrs/7 days a week shift my wife does not hesitate to report "life on line" if anything new going on.
So today at 3am...

I had in mind that our chicken breeds are not compatible but worth a try.

There is Big MaaMaa - a 10 lbs. Brahma Chicken.

It is said that Brahmas have a superior meat quality but also is said that they have some weak bones.
Brahmas are taking the heat of Thailand says Google, but I see she is hiding in the midday heat and suffers.
Also her very docile character made me worry, if a hungry Cobra or other predator puts an eye on her.

And we got Colonel Harland D. Sanders - a ruthless Thai Game Fowl (Fighting Chicken)

70 centimeters tall and about 7 lbs. of bad mood,
really hard "born to kick azz" bones,
top of the notch meat quality but only a little of it
and has proven that even a 5' Cobra is not a match for him.
(Neither I am, but we are now in a kind of truce agreement, after I wanted to spice him up for the BBQ)

And here it is (No Name by now)
A very active little chick, immediately after birth foraging and not minding the heat.
Loves to climb on my wife's hand to get carried around (fearless) and in a very healthy condition.

Still feathers on the feet but also that nasty long and big middle toe, which comes mainly from the dad..

Happy days ahead but I want another percentage of Thai Game Fowl into the breed.
My wife couldn't tell me if it is a she or a he...
We wait and see.

Bad, they were two but the first born died in the night, because the clumsy first time mother stepped on it.
I hope that at least one of the 7 eggs left bring a little brother or sister..

Welcome of our farm, be strong and proud, you are the first animal born on our farm...

Question to my beloved wife: Is that one of the new expensive dishwashing towels we bought recently?

Update:

the little Chick is growing and whenever my wife puts her hand down it's jumps on and enjoys a carry around....

...The Steelworkers have arrived and delivered the segments for to 20 meter bridge that crosses over to the island and starting assembling before the rain season sets in.

happy days ahead...