The climate of the Sisakhti plateau supports the production of wheat and fodder crops (cover, alfalfa). Wheat was a staple food source, eaten as bread. Some fruit crops, particularly grapes, were also grown. Agriculture depended on irrigation, which in turn depended on a sophisticated social structure that ensured fair sharing of water access among farmers. The land and crops previously belonged to the tribal leaders, who demanded large grain taxes and left farmers with little for their own consumption. Gathering wild mast and plants was needed to supplement the little harvest that was left to farmers. In the early 1960s, the Land Reform changed this system and gave the land and its crops fully to farmers. In Sisakht, a local community leader who is depicted in several of these images was instrumental in organizing farmers and working on their behalf with the government.
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