Some Mustang villages grow crops near the Kali Gandaki River. They construct irrigation systems that take water from the river and feed it to their fields. In the fall, they harvest the crops and dry and preserve them to have a source of food throughout the winter. The Thakali people of Mustang are famous for their ability to preserve food like pickles thanks to the cold weather. Locals also take their animals high in the mountains to find land that has vegetation for grazing. To preserve their meat, they dry it and salt it. People will trade salt and wool for crops from more fertile areas of Nepal. Since tourism is growing, they can import their food more in recent days, as well. And of course, people wear layers of clothes to stay warm and always keep a stockpile of wood to have fires going.
