One Day in the Life of a Rice Farmer

For many, a bowl of rice is a simple trip to the supermarket. Rarely do we think about the production of our food. The documentary shows a typical day in the life of a rice farmer and the laborious process of rice farming. You can see how well-connected the whole system is and the number of parties involved in farming rice. The way in which the farmer gently treats his animals illustrates the importance of every single life and how it is part of a greater system.
From cultivation to sale the visuals give you a sense of the strenuous, manual and monotonous work in the rice paddies. Every action has an intention -- the self-grown rice is used to feed the fishes, which will be caught and cooked for dinner. Every step and actor in the process is part of an efficient, self-sustaining system.
The simplicity of the video appeals to your senses and gives the viewer a real understanding of these conditions. You are transported into another world by listening to the original sounds. Commentary or music are not necessary to complete the documentary. This is not only a video, it's an experience!
Director, Camera: Alexander Baumgartner
Sound: Isabelle Baumgartner
Film Editing: Alexander Baumgartner
Sound Design: Ferdinand Feifel

[@roymarshall_]

I really appreciate that this video is done without narration or music

[@gypsycyn]

Thank you for using no narrative in this documentary. It allows us viewers to think ourselves on what we are seeing and in a sense, imagine ourselves being there observing their lives. Great job to everyone!👍✌

[@Cruiser007]

Where I'm at right now it's freezing outside. I'm here on my couch under electric blanket watching this video. I sort of wish I was there with you all. My wife of 14 years is Filipino. Surely a God send!!! We have a beautiful 11 year old son. I really wish we could afford a round trip ticket to the Phils. Please pray God will open the door for us soon.

[@RickAnderson1]

my pinay wife of 14 yrs and i have a 14 yr old boy....live in canada and have a place in bohol....where is your wife from?

[@Cruiser007]

We're are from Wilmington, Delaware. Not to cold today.

[@Cruiser007]

Wife is from Marikina, City.

[@phipherfilipino7578]

Yes SUPERB video, it depicts the real life of a farmer... to all people who are complaining about hard lives they are experiencing, this will definitely open their minds. Do not complain, just work... AND PLEASE.... DO NOT WASTE YOUR RICE!

[@tubeman1355]

That was my life 15 years ago..before I got a chance to work in the USA. I miss it. I didn't realized how calm, and simple my life was back them. But now I have a family here in the USA. Someday I will be back and live a simple,calm and in my home land...

[@VOLTIS5]

Ain't that something? I left the Philippines as well 20 years ago (but it wasn't my choice as I was only 13 at the time) and even tool now I still want to go back and leave this so called the "American dream" for the simple life back home. Honestly I could do without a mortgage, insurance up my to my eyeballs and bills every month.

[@chwynd]

To who ever made and posted this video... Salamat! Someday i will do this life this is my ultimate goal in life.. Live simple and peaceful in my islands..

[@benjjrgraham6842]

many blessings to all these people. thank you so much.

[@stevenryan5428]

Have lived in Philippines in aurora . stayed on a rice farm and believe me it a super hard life . one thing i learned is to respect them who put the food on my plate here in the uk . The nearest doctor was a day away and the nearest hospital was 3 days . the work is high risk of infections . they are happy in all they do with a passion ... it easy to say buy something to make the work easy . if you only knew what it is like to live life on the edge you would never say such insults to the one who places your food at a price you can afford on your table with no risk .. god bless the Philippines and all its people .

[@bjornnjordson2986]

You could greatly reduce the workload by using seed balls and direct sowing instead of transplanting. The transplanting is really only needed for cold temperate climates, but the Philippines are a tropical country. To anyone who grows food, I highly suggest the book One Straw Revolution. The guy who wrote it is Fukuoka Masanobu, a recipient of the Ramon Magsaysay Award for Public Service. After applying the book's methods to my crops, I had less work, less problems, and a very big increase in harvest. It's also very cheap. You can find the book online for free, or I can send a copy to your e-mail if you ask.

[@bernadetteortega4630]

Thanks for uploading nice vid very clear. Every time I gave my mum a call to skype or mobile I used to hear the noise of ducks, chickens, cockerels, dog barking, pigs, birds so loud and makes me laugh I felt like I am still in the Phil's. I love this lifestyle I used to live in the farm surrounded by the rice fields with different varieties of mangoes in Bulacan. When I was still back home I was not appreciated this life. But now I'm getting tired working here in U.K life is not so excited anymore simple life is much better.

[@donaldarbolario]

This is what I usually do when I was a child...I experienced all of those things and I miss it... For those who wants to experience what they are doing all I wanna say is, it's not that easy but a little interesting....because of tjis I learned on how to survive wherever I am.... Salamat liwat sa nag upload sang ini nga video....hehe...Proud ilonggo gali ah

[@carmilajones4199]

This is makes me appreciate the food I had in my table. Praises!

[@betskie1]

its look alike my province in ilo ilo Philippines, i really love this video of simple living in earth even one day, and i remember my grand pa how to eat rice in his plate with out any single pies left. he says no dropping or wasting of rice, because of hard work and time patient for the farmer to plant the rice...

[@arlenemariani7042]

I would love my children to stay here a few days to enable them to appreciate what they have

[@LilMissDee]

This is life. Good job!

[@jfrd-pw4hk]

Thank you for your hard work and perseverance! :) Cheers from the Philippines!

[@5Nala]

I want to live like this people. I missed my childhood life. It's been 30yrs that I haven't been back in the Philippines. THX for sharing this video.

[@HakunaMatata009]

This is definitely in South-East Asia. Remind me of my beloved village. :)

[@xmenako]

Mabuhay ang mga magsasaka - Ka simple sa kinabuhi, Ang Ginoo maga nalangin sa inyong abot sa yuta. Pag igo na puhunan, mobalik ko sa ingon ani nga kinabuhi dala ang bag-o nga natuklasan sa pamaagi sa pananum. Maayong video bai Baumgartner inspirasyon aron mag kugi sa pag panginabuhi.

[@nickjourney3119]

Kakamiss magtanim ng palay at saka Mag ani, at naka2miss ng buhay probinsya

[@bradryan8071]

I am in awe of the hard work, intelligence and efficiency in this well choreographed ballet of life that has been carved out by these hard working industrious people. My one negative comment about the whole video is that is was very sad to see such hard working efficient people exploited by the addiction of smoking. Very sad that there is always some company in the background taking advantage of the poor.

[@kaimalino8440]

This is hard work. Those who made comments about how simple and idyllic this lifestyle is have no concept of how hard these people work and how little they have in terms of amenities.

[@roypost7327]

I'm married to a woman originally from the Philippines. We visited her families in 2011. All behind us where we stayed in Virac were rice fields. People toiled there all day in the hot sun. I don't know how they do it! It has to be back breaking work, especially as they get older. The way they slung those heavy bags of rice up onto their heads was incredible. Great and informative video. Good job!

[@jovesdepaz2783]

mabuhay PHILIPPINES, this video is great .

[@dulcehermosillo6702]

I really like this video, makes you think.

[@jeanmayor5722]

i missed this lumaki din kami ng ganitong buhay simple but contento at masaya

[@zeroturing4955]

ito ang masarap na buhay tahimik at walang stress,di tulad d2 sa america hirap kc kailangan mong kumayod ng husto at ang kita mo sa renta lng ng bahay mapunta at sa mga bayarin sa ibang mga bills.i love this life very simple.

[@jengkejengke876]

I miss this kind of life...I still remember when i was a child

[@ninjazrramos3666]

A simple and happy life in the philippines,my hometown...nice vid, thanks

[@kanepoyser4345]

5576

[@uhavemooface]

this has to be one of the hardest jobs to have in the world. To be a rice farmer and feed your animals to. That is one heck of a weeks worth of work.

[@veo16]

It's a day's worth of work. Multiply this by 7 days straight, no breaks, no days off. As a reward, the hard workers take home a sizeable $1 a day income.

[@KellerRune]

yes, direct seeding is becoming more and more prevalent due to labor shortages. most rice varieties can grow without being partly submerged in water. The reason rice is submerged in water is because rice is very tolerant of that while weeds are not, as are a lot of insect pests. therefore, partial submersion in water is a way to optimize the growth of the rice vis a vis competitors.

[@mrbluenun]

Rice farming by hand, making sure the most that is possible is grown excluding weeds of any kind. This probably equates to one step for each rice grain grown, so think about that next time you eat a curry and rice! Has to be one of the most labour intensive ways of making a living and maybe would not be possible without the small animals bred and kept I assume as food or to take to market. These people are probably never going to be millionaires other than if one counts the number of grains produced thats for sure, and what a wonderful way to take care of the countryside by taking control of the larger part and building and rebuilding every ‘Paddy’ field each year, because every time there is water allowed into the fields via a sluice of some kind it will wash away some of the edges of the dead level fields. I worked in a fish farm and it had about 30 very large ponds with maybe half a million fish in each and one built,and these were made of concrete so THEY are never going to be washed away like the natural earth rice fields, but part of the regime was to keep the water flowing through the ponds to let small food animals and oxygen through and an absolute ‘MUST’ to clean the screens between the ponds and the diverted river which was far less than 1% of its total. It worked by the little diverted stream running in the first of many ponds through the first screen and then through each subsequent pond, but as I say a must to clean these or the ponds will over-flow each other and all the huge investment in these decorative fish, mostly carp, would be lost into the local Trout River. Very labour intensive to clean these and to clean out at least one of the large approx.’ 20-30 metre square ponds to clean all the invading river plants and all the local animals and small crustaceans and possible fish infector including not least the worms which burrow into the fish between the scales, and also to rid the pond areas of as much silt as possible because this would fill the ponds over a few years, so the metre deep ponds have little room for fish. Thanks and a really interesting video. mrbluenun

[@ronnieamigo000]

nakakainggit naman po yung buhay na ganito.... parang panaginip. buong buhay ko po kasi lumaki sa maynila at duon narin ako pinanganak at halos mahigit kalahati ng buhay ko ay nasa america pero syempre pinoy na pinoy parin. cguro pag mag retiro na ako... ganito gusto kung maging buhay... maliban lang na mag tanim ng palay... dahil di ko na kaya. mag tanim sa bakuran pwede.

[@chwynd]

May 2023 and I am still watching

[@allancampado5625]

Yan ang trabaho ko dati,,mg tanim ng palay,,jn sa brgy. Mahalo, anahawan ,southern leyte,, philippines....nakakamis tlga,,,sana makabili ako ng palayan,,pg uwi ko sa pinas...

[@pnoysuede]

cant wait to go home after spending half of my life in europe and live like these men.

[@obie143]

naiingit ako sa ganitong buhay.. eto ung dream ko na lugar god sana matupad ko..

[@tamdoan3142]

i love this video ,peoples work so hard for living ,hope you guy good life and more fun

[@leaeclar4588]

di nakkasawang panoorin,saludo ako sa lahat ng mga magsasaka,thanks s video na 'to.

[@appool]

Mr Baumgartner, very nice documentary. Thank you very much for sharing.

[@judithp4300]

thanks for sharing this video,lapit kmi dra s M'lang North cotabato,nice one.

[@yvonneost12]

Love the ducks & geese using the bridge so they don't get their feet wet hahahahahaha

[@osmelabdul7293]

wow naalala ko nung nanjan ako.. iba na talaga ngayong nandito na ako :)

[@MrFrancoissavard]

Excellent video. great job by everybody. Made me miss my trips to SE Asia very much...

[@rice]

i like this video

[@judymerpines89]

This is M'Lang North Cotabato, my home town... Ang mga Tao dre sagol, ilonggo,cebuano,antiquenyo,Muslims,aklanon,and etc..

[@zubimaliga]

amazing video ...the future is their hands

[@1994TiffanyKemper]

This is a great video. Thank you!

[@BillVoelker]

No narration or music? That's quite different than what we are used to watching, but it seems to work in telling the story, purely from edited raw video.

[@Ghanzi209]

One of the best docu ever :).

[@rosemarieincalgary]

Nice documentary of farm life🤩🤩🤩

[@daimlerblanco3493]

wao nice and well maintained ecosystem.

[@sudhirkumar-ue4mc]

Excllent rice duck fish system

[@spacej0ckey]

WOW!!!! ANG GANDA NG LUGAR!!

[@herbbearingseed]

Good to see Good godly Farmers.

[@schlaznger8049]

Cool video. Thanks

[@arjay2002ph]

i want to have my own place like this. life is simple and rewarding. you take care of a life and in return they give life back. : ) if i'm a billionaire i would give them machines for tending the rice farm. "we are all woven in the web of life. everything is interconnected, all are intertwined." - native american proverb

[@jannahnadar2770]

napakahirap mag tanim..pero may mga tao na nag aaksaya ng kanin..HNDI inuubos kainun..sana natoto tayo mag pahalaga

[@peterwXXX]

Good stuff! Thank you for the education!

[@jaredsmith4919]

I love when people in the U.S say their life is hard, look at this man, works to live, no one really to depend on for food or help much. And assumingly Mc Giver's his problems.

[@ewblah1878]

miss ko ganitong buhay walang problema sumday babalik ako jan i do d same thing lyk u do god bless..

[@vsgP7117]

hmm. bango ng inihaw nyo! Sarap!

[@19785881]

This Should be Dedicated to Lazy People Claiming no Jobs and Moving to Big Cities so Suffer More....Congratulation to This Man !

[@mjtores3068]

yves wenger you wright ..they are rich people than the lazy rich people live in the city

[@uvalera]

Very interesting documentary. These people have a great simple lifestyle.

[@vinaagustin5041]

nice vedio i like the fresh vegetable,fresh fish and fresh air in soroundings.

[@williamthadeusbakil2444]

Philippines is just like any place in the world when it comes to Farming. Except there are more storms during the rainy season which endangers the crops. Meaning investment on planting has a greater risk. Another big problem is farm financing. Interest can go as much as 30-40% per cropping season. Market forces dictates price for the rice paddy is low during peak of every harvest season and there are many buyers who buy using un-calibrated weighing which could easily put a farmer on a disadvantage during the sale of his crops. I was born, educated and raised in the city. I left my home to learn how to farm. After 10 years of rice farming...I quit! Landed with a good job as a manager in a Japanese company. My lament is I can no longer enjoy the good things about farming specially how to persevere and face challenges which nature has inflicted. I miss it. Hurray for the farmers!

[@RickAnderson1]

the other aspect not mentioned is theft by the growers...im a kano married to a filipina from bohol and listened with great disaapointment when i would hear about the farmers stealing from my nanay and tatay by understating the number of bags harvested.... the field would produce 100 bags and my nay and tay were supposed to get 20 but were only ever given 8-10 with a whole bunch of excuses (lies) as to why the yield was down....(although it wasnt)

[@1994TiffanyKemper]

Rick Anderson I know how you feel because it happened to us too.

[@RickAnderson1]

update: we made a deal with the farmers who farm our rice field in which they pay us 15,000 pesos a harvest....regardless of what the yield is.

[@jerzygrimsby]

thank you,well done ,

[@SuperThesya]

parang sarap mamuhay sa probincyang tulad nito!!

[@buddyrichrocks]

this is great video. thanks for sharing. i have no idea what it takes to get rice from the paddy field to the plate, and this gave me some insight.

[@jatzu_]

Very good video nice rice 🍚

[@aklanpinoy1l]

miss you, philippines!

[@majajh]

It is simple compared to our complex lives, slower, but not easy work. I work my small amount of land pretty hard, but sit in an office too. You envy a simpler life sometimes.

[@therealmong1249]

BEST VIDEO EVER ESPIECALLLY THE KIDS

[@ابراهيم-م6ه5ق]

جميل جداً ..موفقين .

[@xeriusy]

I clicked because the farmer has big muscles.

[@MrFlobbyWorm]

LOL! I can feel you.

[@ronabraham]

i remember reading this caption that to grow 1 kilogramme of rice, you need 5000 liters of water. i find that incredible.

[@matel1977]

I want to go back home and live this kind of life in the Philippines my home country...My life here in the US is killing me...bills bills bills...I want a simple life and stress free...There's no place like home :-)

[@walterperry4565]

Wish there was talking,, in english 😁😁😁😁😍😍😍😍

[@sebmixtv989]

maganda talaga mamuhay ng sarili nating bayan.

[@JohnEmmanuelLSalem]

The people that who disliked this video then they are bad people this man suffered but still happy

[@fychxhs]

Why would you think he's suffering?

[@dirtymikentheboys5817]

beautiful...

[@hoverttejero7968]

May purong ilonggo din pala sa North Cotabato? Tnx for this upload. ..

[@madwifey5530]

I love this type of living.

[@inescortes5703]

Nice video interesting.

[@lenaprong7874]

Ay nako gusto ko na mauli miss kuna pangabuhi sa uma.

[@MarkO-jw9rn]

The lifestyle may be more laid back and look appealing to Americans until they actually see the work that is involved in rice farming. Not that I personally know because I have never done that type work myself BUT I did spend some time in the Philippines watching some of the local rice farmers. One in particular stuck out in my mind. He was using an old fashioned plow attached to a mule and was working his field from day break til dark. You have to respect someone who works like that.

[@aadittey]

really I am proud to real farmer,thode whose works from morning to evening with thier strenth.

[@Badboy75ize]

simply the best bro,,,pacman all the way,,

[@janynbuena3666]

daw mapuli na gid ako ah!!! bisan ano kahamungaya ang life sa abroad,,,still a wish come true nga mag estar sa uma... :)

[@valentinlance8072]

Since the rice field is soaked with water are there any weeds that need to be dealt with like in other types of agriculture.

[@eromlim762]

Sana ganito ang farm ko.

[@stealth5580]

They say rice needs its own space; that if it's planted too close to its neighbour, you don't get a good crop & it doesn't grow well. Plus those Ducks @ 01:30 are vicious where I live.

[@hanibatacandolo4792]

Where is this place nice and good people are there

[@ZulXpertz]

@kyle sosik, we dont wear shorts because of leeches

[@amandapage4560]

beautiful

[@DavidCodesC]

Im honestly jealous of their lifestyle

[@tonidakota]

Praise for them

[@MissStrega74]

I have a rice farm in Italy.. the work is completely different for many things now (as you can see in my videos), but it looks like the job that my granfather did 50 years ago.. I know that what you see in this video is an hard job but I'm sure that if they had the chance they would change this way to grow rice.

[@MultiRick06]

naalala ko probinsya namin ah ganto din buhay ko b4, by the way may nakakaalam ba kung saang prov. ito??

[@maartarifindjamhursetiawan6850]

I used to do this, i love rice field. Even I can smell the mud, really I live, what the do