ESP Comic
Storyboard Text
- Good day! I am Ben, a farmer. Let me give you an idea about today’s lesson, the farming practice called “Swidden farming” also called “slash-and-burn” or “shifting cultivation.” To some it is a merciless and harsh kind of farming. But this kind of farming used to be popular and is still common among indigenous people.
- In shifting cultivation, farmers clear a piece of forest, burn the vegetation and then plant crops for a few years. Burning is done in order to release the majority of the nutrients existing in the vegetation to the soil. By extension, the fire will also kill weeds, pests and diseases. The ash will improve the soil structure. For the first two years, the yields are good.
- But soon, the nutrients are used up or washed away. After a few years of farming, the soil is exhausted, and pests and weeds threaten the crops. Traditional farmers leave the land fallow - to rest for a while and recover. That’s it for today’s lesson, you will know more about Swidden farming as we move forward.
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