The cycle of food production has shaped the everyday lives of local people who mostly work as farmers and fishers in Patimburak village, Fakfak, West Papua.

Here are some of their treasured local commodities.

Fakfak nutmegs

Fakfak, a historical regency in West Papua and where 86 percent of its land is covered by natural forests, has prided itself on its fragrant nutmeg.

For centuries, the nutmeg forests have grown and protected by the Mbaham Matta Indigenous community. The families have passed down their prized nutmeg plantations over generations.

The trees are cultivated without any fertilizers and pesticides. And twice a year every October and April, families venture into the wild forests, where the nutmeg trees have grown naturally, to harvest ripe nutmeg for its mace and seeds. The harvest seasons, called west and east seasons, last for two to three months.

Nutmeg farmers will dry the nutmeg in a solar-powered facility to meet international standards, which gives them higher selling prices. Compared to other commodities, the low-maintenance nutmeg trees can bring in relatively big profits for the locals.

Crabs

While waiting for the next nutmeg harvest season, the local community in Fakfak will go to the ocean to capture marine commodities, most commonly when there is less rain.

Crabs, which have a high market price, are one of the most sought-after fishery commodities. The tasty crustaceans are also a favorite choice for home-cooked meals for many families in Patimburak village and its neighboring villages in West Papua.

But now it’s getting tougher to catch big crabs like they used to decades ago, and crabbers have to travel farther to find any. On a good day, they can capture a total of three kilograms of crabs. A kilogram of crabs could fetch about Rp 75,000.

The depleted stocks of crabs, which have worsened in recent years, have prompted local crabbers to change their ways of farming and selling the crabs.

Crab fishers, who join the community group called the Guraferi Farmer Group, now adopt restorative aquaculture, which is farming practices that aims to restore the coastal ecosystem. They are currently developing aquaculture farms for a fattening program in floating net cages. Later, they will select and sell only mature crabs.

Meanwhile, egg-bearing female crabs will be returned to the wild ocean or nearby mangrove forests, far away from human settlements or the noise and oil slicks from motorized boats. The conservation effort aims to rebuild crab populations.

Edible gardens

Since last year, local farmers, who make a living by growing and selling nutmeg, have started to diversify their food systems and learn about subsistence farming. They are now growing various edible crops — tubers, fruits and vegetables — in their vacant land.

When the nutmeg harvest season is over, farmers will have a lot of time to tend their land all day long.

And the growing cycle of each crop shapes their schedule.

Farmers would travel downtown to buy all the seeds and plant them at the same time. The food crops are relatively easy to maintain. Some are quicker to mature than the others. Short-lived vegetables, like tomatoes and water spinach, will take around one to two months to grow. Tubers like sweet potatoes and cassavas take longer to produce, some up to seven months.

A few farmers have attempted to save money from purchasing new seeds from downtown; they save the seeds which will be planted in the ground in the next season. Then, the whole cycle will repeat: plant, water, and harvest.

The agricultural calendar can offer a glimpse at the life of Indigenous communities who are on their toes managing and protecting forests and oceans all year round.