The article attempts to explain why cash crops like big cardamon (Amomun subulatum) have been introduced into marginal land in a village in eastern Nepal. The article discusses population growth, land pressure, and development of cash crops in a Nepali village. It discusses the ethnographic setting of the study area of Illam district, eastern Nepal. It discusses how farmers of Barbote panchayat are adopting a new adaptive strategy rather than sticking to a traditional model of subsistence agriculture. (Rajeev Ranjan Singh 2007-02-02)