The traditional Bhutanese way of life revolves around the land, the crops, the livestock, and the seasons. Over sixty percent of employment in Bhutan is in agriculture. A visitor can learn much about sustainable lifestyles from the Bhutanese – from the northern yak herders to the southern communities sharing in the work of a rice harvest.

Bhutan’s historical self-sufficiency depended on farmers growing crops suitable to the local climate – rice, oranges, and cardamom in the south; summer rice and winter wheat in the lower central valleys; barley, buckwheat and wheat in the higher valleys; maize in the east; and millet everywhere turned into alcohol. More modern agriculture includes potatoes, peaches, plums, apples, asparagus, and cheese making in areas where the climate suits. Good Karma Travels knows the best valleys and farmers to visit and can arrange for you to stay in a rural guest house to experience farm life.