Terraced Paddy 三級田
Stop 3 of the Wetland walk · 濕地路線第3站
Turning the soil, raising seedlings, levelling, building bunds and channels, fencing: all done with spades, not diggers.
The mud is full of frogs and snakes resting underground; machines would kill them, crush the soil too fine and could break the shallow water layer.
Its name: the field steps down the slope in three clear levels.
In 2026 it grows "Mou Saan Si Miu" (霧山絲苗) and Taiwan pearl rice.
Shui Hau once grew three rices of its own: "Chai Mei" (齊眉), one of the old Hong Kong varieties; black glutinous rice (黑糯米), the villagers' pride; and "Rat's tooth" (老鼠牙). The team is looking for them all.
Why frogs love paddies: the water is shallow, warm and still, with no big fish to eat the eggs. Frogs lay their eggs in flooded paddies, and the tadpoles grow fast among the rice.
翻土、育秧、平整、築田壆及水道、架圍欄，全以人手一鏟一鏟完成，不用挖泥機。
泥中藏有大量兩棲及爬行動物；機器會傷害牠們，把泥土打得太細，亦可能打破淺儲水層。
得名自田地沿山坡分成三級，層次分明。
2026 年種植霧山絲苗及台灣珍珠米。
水口昔日種植三種本地米：香港傳統品種「齊眉」、村民引以為傲的「黑糯米」，以及「老鼠牙」；團隊正努力尋找這些品種。
為何青蛙喜歡稻田？田水淺、暖又平靜，也沒有大魚吃掉蛙卵。青蛙在浸水的稻田產卵，蝌蚪在稻株間快快長大。