The Electronic Intifada 31 July 2024
The wheat harvest is deeply connected to Palestinian identity. (Photo courtesy of Rania Abu Taima)
Every summer my family eagerly awaited the wheat harvest.
Our plot of land is about 2.5 acres in size. It is located in Abasan al-Jadida, near the southern Gaza city of Khan Younis.
For the first time in decades, we have not been able to produce wheat this year. Israel’s genocidal war has made that impossible.
The cancellation of plans to grow food has an impact on an entire community.
Planting wheat takes place in November.
My father meticulously prepared the ground beforehand. The soil must be well nourished in order for the wheat to thrive.
He would start by buying fertilizers to enrich the soil during plowing. He would secure large quantities of wheat seeds.
The process would be assisted by machinery and other farmers from our village.
Farmers work from dawn to dusk when the planting operation is being conducted.
Harvesting is hard work, too.
It begins with the removal of any weeds that may have appeared during the growing season. After that, farmers have to ensure that the crop has reached maturity, which can be determined by how hard and dry the grain is.
The harvesting process can be accomplished either manually or mechanically.
Manual harvesters cut the stalks with sickles and then bundle them into sheaves. The process typically takes about a week.
Mechanical harvesters cut and collect the wheat in one go, significantly reducing the time needed for drying, which usually takes two or three days.
During the harvest, the grain is separated from the stalks and chaff through winnowing. That can be done either with handheld sieves or by using machines that streamline the sorting and cleaning process.
A special white bag is then used to store the purified grain.
Some of the grain is taken to the mill for grinding into flour so that bread can be baked. The remainder is stored to meet future needs.
The entire process can be completed within a timeframe of 10 days to two weeks.
Heritage and efficiency
This combination of traditional and modern techniques reflects our commitment to both preserving our heritage and embracing efficiency so that our wheat harvest continues to be a key component of our community’s resilience and sustenance.
Over the past 10 months, our land has been invaded by Israel. It has been completely inaccessible for farmers.
Through its bulldozing operations, Israel has transformed fertile land into degraded soil.
It will take at least a year of intensive effort to restore the land to a productive condition. That will involve repeated plowing, aeration and the application of fertilizers.
So – even if Israel immediately halts its current aggression – we are likely to lose the next harvest season as well.
Israel’s aggression means that flour needed to make bread is in short supply. Food is scarce and hunger and malnutrition are widespread.
Yet no matter how much destruction the Israeli occupation will inflict on our land, our commitment to restoring and preserving it will remain unwavering.
For Palestinians, land is far more than a source of income. It is deeply connected to our identity.
It represents who we are, what we own and what we have the right to do.
Rania Abu Taima is a writer and translator from Gaza.
