Tractors

I haven't been out and about much since spring vacation ended. As you know, I live with a forest on one side of me and a residential area on the other side... And behind all that are fields and fields and fields. My very own walking park!

The farmers mainly grow rice and the rice fields are being flooded this week. Later soy bean fields will be planted. Mostly soy beans for feed. Lotus root is another crop we see often and also leeks and green onions. In the hot houses are various leafy greens and bell-flowers.

Just walking one morning I realized how many tractors the farmers have to keep and how many different kinds there are. Some farmers have their own farm equipment some stored in sheds or under protective roofing, but I think the rice tractors are owned by cooperatives and the farmers take turns using the machinery. There is equipment for packing down the field edges, for turning the soil, for delicately planting rice sprouts and later for threshing and hulling the rice.

Today's pictures are some of the tractors along our morning walking route. I have absolutely no idea what they are used for. Any ideas? Sort of colorful and all the tractors look like they are looking forward to getting back to work.


One last picture that I took along a highway of a tractor rental place. I wonder how they got all their tractors up on the wall! Sort of an eye-catcher!