KIRKUK — Rashid's cousin, Umen Shahidan, is the proprietor of a small family farm, which had been plagued by a lack of water and other natural antagonists of farmers. According to AF weather statistics, Kirkuk prov. has been suffering from a 4-year-long drought that has affected all forms of agribusiness, the most substantial source of jobs for the prov.
While water continues to be in short supply, Rashid and his family have mitigated the shortage with the scarce resources at their disposal. As the Mukhtar, Rashid was eager to answer questions about one of Chemin's success stories; the hoop house that protects and incubates his crop rotation of cucumbers, tomatoes and fava beans.
According to Jim Vancura, the senior agricultural advisor for the Kirkuk PRT, hoop houses "conserve water, increase agricultural products, and are very labor intensive, which increases employment. They're important to demonstrate to farmers that this method offers higher yields and an additional season of growth in mid-winter when vegetables are most expensive."
The houses are essentially enclosed farms, which trap heat and humidity, conserving water and protecting the crops from pests and inclement weather which may reduce the total percentage of crops the farm could yield. They're designed to withstand the Iraqi climate for up to 10 years before being replaced.
Shahidan's hoop house sits on land which has reportedly been in their family for nearly 70 years. "I lived here until 1987," said Rashid. He claimed his family was displaced during Saddam Hussein's Anfal campaign, which forced thousands of Kurdish families in northern Iraq to flee from their homes, according to Quil Lawrence, the author of Invisible Nation.
Rashid moved to Sulyamaniyah in the Kurdish Regional Govt, where he stayed until 2003. "I came back the day after the liberation," he stated proudly. The land that had been in his family for so long was now home to a former Iraqi military base, now abandoned. His story is not uncommon, but they were able to reclaim their family plot fairly easily, since they had wisely held onto the deed. According to the Kirkuk PRT, there are an estimated 40,000 property disputes throughout Kirkuk prov., and the average dispute takes nearly a year to resolve.
The land hadn't been used for farming in some time, so his family came together to reestablish their livelihood on their plot of land. A small pond sits near the property, which was not a naturally existing body of water. Rashid and his family dug out the pond and kept it filled through an artesian well, which siphons water from an underground source with enough pressure to keep a steady flow of water into the pond; which he keeps stocked with fish for supplemental income.
When asked what assistance he had for the grueling task of digging out the pond and the well, Rashid simply raised his hands and replied, "These." Shahidan then built the hoop houses, which have since proven so successful that he was able to hire additional help, an Arab named Hatem Kadhim. "He's the guard," said Rashid.
The success of his cousin's farm as a model of efficiency for Chemin, has encouraged Rashid to seek a micro-grant to build additional ones on his nearby property, which would also include a drip irrigation system to maintain the crops.
According to Vancura, the drip irrigation systems are more efficient than traditional watering methods, and work by applying water slowly directly to the soil and only when needed, saving on water consumption.
Rashid estimates the cost of the original hoop house at $3,500. Micro-grants can be rewarded to applicants for up to $5,000, contingent on a sound business model, which Shahidan has provided. The additional capability has the potential to significantly increase the family's income, which Rashid could certainly use. As the father of 11 children, "and 2 wives," Rashid has tremendous responsibilities, but even more hope, as evidenced by his family. "All of my children were born in Sulyamaniyah but one," he explained. One has been born in Kirkuk since his return, whom he named "Azad," the Kurdish word for "Freedom." And he is not finished. Like a young father, he beams at the announcement of his 12th child, due in April, whom he intends to name "Balin;" Kurdish for "Promise."
