Veggies now for the common man!

When I started my wonderful experience with growing veggies in 1998 my motivation was to grow colourful bell peppers red, yellow and orange. I can say this was a pioneer product for Pune and so the demand was selective. Along with peppers I grew Broccoli, Iceberg lettuce, Snow peas, Zucchini and a few other special veggies. These veggies being new to Pune only a niche market demand could be targeted through premium retail shops like Dorabjee’s, Natures Bounty and theme restaurants.

Within a period of 10 years the market changed from a premium demand to a general demand. Prices came down rapidly well within purchasing power of many. No longer did they merit a ‘special status’. The so called special veggies started selling briskly in our main vegetable markets. The picture taken last week in our Shivaji Market shows a good range of such veggies.

However by 2001 I decided to move on to growing culinary herbs. This was mainly because I discovered herbs can be grown without use of chemicals. I only use natural pesticides like Neem extracts. Whereas veggies like bell peppers, broccoli, iceberg lettuce, zucchini need heavy doses of powerful chemicals which are harmful to health.

Red leafed veggie for the home kitchen

In Hindi we call it चौलाई chaulai, लाल साग lal sag, Rajgira. A healthy vegetable and quite tasty when cooked lighty. Is packed with nutrients and healthy. Also known as African-spinach, or amaranth.

Cheers!

Go Veggie Go Organic

A picture showing some simple vegetables straight from Jugnoo Farm and ready for the home kitchen! Anything fresh tastes good.

FarmFresh to Kitchen

In the picture you can see (a) Double beans (b) Beans called ‘Paota’ (c) Coriander (d) Brinjal small and (e) Spring onions

Nirgudi Plant

Nirgudi is a common plant in Maharashtra India. It has other names in the different States of  India . It is believed to have curative benefits. Grown has hedges and can act as a natural fence.

A Nirgudi plant in my garden

A common folklore is that Nirgudi leaves have amazing curative and healing properties (desi remedies or gharelu nuske). Villagers use this herb to provide relief for joint pains and swelling in the limbs. The common practice is to wrap these leaves around the affected limb and keep in place with a bandage or a piece of cloth.  Another way is to prepare a paste by boiling the leaves and applying it on the joint.

A hardy plant which needs very little water and manure. Has high sustainability and grows best naturally.

I need to confirm more on the medicinal uses from my friends who practice Ayurveda. Will up date the post on tips received.

Indian Tulsi On A Global Journey – Real and Inspirational

Nearly 10,000 farmers in Bundelkhand, Azamgarh in UP India grow Tulsi for the International Markets – Indian Express January 30, 2009

IT WASN”T the whiff of money but faith in the small, inconspicuous plant in his courtyard that nudged Kailash Nath Singh, now 87, to venture into something unheard of more than a decade ago.

When ORGANIC INDIA, then Indo-Israel Trading Corporation (IITC), asked him to take up organic cultivation (without the use of chemicals and fertilizers) of Tulsi or Indian Basil, Kailash, bogged down by low yield from his farm and debts, was wary.

“Although the idea of cultivating Tulsi sounded strange initially, I nonetheless accepted the offer. My skepticism changed to confidence once I saw how the firm operated,” Kailash says.

For information on the amazing TULSI properties of please click on the Video link in side bar – Organic India

The risk taken by the 75-year-old did pay rich dividends. And as kailash’s income rose, many farmers eagerly followed in his footsteps.

OI took a different approach. It decided it would bear the cost of production, and the risks of crop failure and market volatility. Farmers were to only tend and harvest the crop. In short, each one contributes according to his ability. An OI supplier contributes only what he owns — half-acre plot, labour and farm wastes.

Now, over 10,000 farmers in the drought-hit districts of Bundelkhand, besides Azamgarh and Mau districts in the eastern UP, are cultivating Tulsi as a cash crop in addition to their routine agricultural practices. They are producing more than 2,000 tonnes of Tulsi annually from over 1,000 acres of land.

Motivating the farmers wasn’t difficult after my success story and when farmers came to know of the firm’s approach, says Kailash. The Lucknow-based firm decided to bear the cost of production as also the risks of crop failure and market volatility. Farmers were to only tend and harvest the crop. In short, each one contributes according to his ability. For the past ten years, in fact, the farmers have been paid even when the produce wasn’t good enough due to adverse climatic conditions or pest attack.

What more, their produce fetches them eight times more than the market value. If the rate of Tulsi is Rs. 10 to Rs. 15 per kilo in the market, the firm buys it for, say, Rs. 80 to Rs. 90 per kilo.

For ORGANIC INDIA, too, the benefits are equally large. “This is because these farmers are producing pure organic Tulsi, which fulfills the specifications of international market,” said Krishan Guptaa, the CEO and Managing Director of ORGANIC INDIA.

The production cost for the farmers, too, has gone down as they do not need to spend in chemical fertilizers. They do not have to worry about selling their produce either. The company not only provides them with organic manure but also reaches the field to buy the produce. The farmers have crop security because the company is a guaranteed buyer of their produce.

“The crop season is from January to June when the farmers are assisted by field managers and technical managers of the company for best yield,” adds Guptaa.

Meanwhile, the Tulsi growers of UP have another task at hand these days – to supply one million saplings of Tulsi for planting around Taj Mahal to check pollution. They have already handed more than 20,000 saplings on Republic Day to the district administration of Agra.

Tulsi Mahotsav

AN agricultural festival called the Tulsi Mahotsav that celebrates the wonder herb Tulsi (holy basil) is held in Azamgarh district of Uttar Pradesh every year. Organised by ORGANIC INDIA with its Tulsi farmers, the festival is held at the onset of winter. It seeks to honour Tulsi and pay tribute to Tulsi farmers who have converted the ravaged soil into fields of prosperity. This is the only festival in the world which celebrates the queen of herbs.

Neem a natural pesticide

The neem tree has valuable natural properties related to health and as an organic pesticide. In India as you know this tree is common and can be seen growing on its own almost everywhere. For centuries people in that country have looked to the neem to provide relief from pain, fever, and infections. People also clean their teeth with neem twigs, apply neem-leaf juice to skin disorders, and drink neem juice as for health benefits.

We have a lovely shady neem tree at Jugnoo Farms whose shade in the hot summers is so welcome.

Neem leaves

We have a neem growing in our backyard at home too. I took a picture of neem leaves for this blog. It shows some tender new leaves which when eaten do not taste so bitter yet have amazing health benefit.

Coming to the pests in young basil plant and even other herbs I recommend the application of NeemAzal®–T/S a natural pesticide

Neemazal bottle

developed by Trifolio–M GmbH, Germany. NeemAzal®–T/S has shown excellent insecticidal properties against caterpillars, beetles, whiteflies, leaf hoppers, thrips & mites.

As I understand it acts in a very simple way – when applied at the rate of 1 ml per liter of water it makes the leaves quite bitter in taste to the pests. Who are unable to eat the plant and fall off due to starvation. Another advantage of neem based pesticides that it does leave any trace on the leaves as even a  spray of water can wash it off. It is non toxic and pests do not build a resistance to neem pesticides.

I also apply a natural fertilizer Humicil (Made from humus) that is very effective. In the presence of Neemazal the plant uptake of Humicil is enhanced and the plants have a much better growth. I will write more on Humicil in my next post.

So please apply Neemazal regularly at least once a week even if there are no pests.

‘The One Straw Revolution’

What got me into ‘organic farming’ and embracing the natural farming philosophy? As a new entrant to farming in 1998 I was thrilled with the immediate results of growing exotic veggies using the chemical processes. Great productivity and profitability. Two years later my good friend Prithwi (himself a believer in natural farming and an environmentalist) advised me to read ‘The One Straw Revolution’ by Masanobu Fukuoka.

The One-Straw Revolution

The extract of Masanobu’s interview given below is an eye-opener:

…if modern agriculture continues to follow the path it’s on now, it’s finished. The food-growing situation may seem to be in good shape today, but that’s just an illusion based on the current availability of petroleum fuels. All the wheat, corn, and other crops that are produced on big American farms may be alive and growing, but they’re not products of real nature or real agriculture. They’re manufactured rather than grown. The earth isn’t producing those things… petroleum is!

—Masanobu Fukuoka, Mother Earth News interview, 1982

The essence of Fukuoka’s method is to reproduce natural conditions as closely as possible. His four principles of natural farming are:

(1) “No Cultivation” or no plowing or turning the soil. The earth cultivates itself naturally by means of the penetration of plant roots and the activities of microorganisms, small animals and earthworms.

(2) “No Chemical Fertilizers” or prepared compost. people interfere with nature and try as they may, they cannot heal the wounds. If left to itself the soil maintains its fertility naturally in accordance with the orderly cycle of plant and animal life.

(3) “No Weeding By Tillage or Herbicides”. Weeds play a part in balancing the biological community. Weeds should be controlled, not eliminated. Straw mulch, a ground cover of white clover inter-planted with the crops and temporary flooding provide effective weed control in fields.

(4) “No Dependence On Chemicals”. From the time that weak plants developed as a result of such unnatural practices as plowing and fertilizing, disease and insect balance became a great problem in agriculture. Nature left alone is in perfect balance.

Masanobu Fukuoka’s inspiring quotes:

“Natural farming is not just for growing crops, it is for the cultivation and perfection of human

Masanobu Fukuoka

beings.

“Giving up your ego is the shortest way to unification with nature.”

The above quotes reveal the import of his own experience and conviction in natural farming as also in spirituality. The book can easily transform our attitudes and make us believe in the laws of nature.

I do believe Masanobu’s wisdom made me give up chemicals and move into organic farming one small step towards natural farming. I use natural fertilizers and an try to remain as close to natural farming as possible. In my case I gave up growing the lucrative colored bell-peppers and try growing herbs and and some local weather friendly veggies like Rucola, Leaf mustard etc. The transition period the entire business approach also needed a change. Revenues dropped drastically. New customers had to be developed. Happily today the we are back in business doing well not only in revenue and profits but also a deep sense of well being. My team is happy and healthy with no harmful toxic chemicals to handle.

A few pictures of using sheep manure in-situ in soil. There is a practice I observed local farmers use of inviting the gypsies (Dhangar community) who move from place to place with their sheep. Always on the move like gypsies all over the world do. Dhangar literary means wealthy. The way they move about in the uninhabited terrain we can never know where and how they riches safe? They are fearless but strike a hard bargain for their sheep manure and sale of sheep.

Dhangar sheep in Jugnoo Farms

The practice is to allow them to camp with their sheep on your farm where they rest their sheep for the night. They all also sleep along side in the open.

The picture shows evening time in Jugnoo Farms. The Dhangars have returned with their sheep from the days grazing.

The Dhangars prepare their meals in the morning

and soon move off for the day for grazing in the

Dhangars preparing meals for the day

close by Sahadari Hill ranges.

Sheep manure contains valuable nutrients, like nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K). In addition to the three major elements, manure also contains essential micro-nutrients (boron, calcium, copper, iron, magnesium, manganese, molybdenum, sulfur and zinc. You need to either keep the sheep for one night or for two nights depending upon the intensity of manuring you decide to do. The soil is then

Sheep manure is nutrient rich

deep plowed with cattle plow to mix well and deep. My discussions with local farmers who have years of practical experience reveals that the nutrients in the sheep droppings get break and are absorbed in the soil after almost six months. Thereafter the soil need not be fertilized again for the next two years. The crops are healthy and much less prone to disease. Please read a fellow bloggers experience with Dhangars -

http://mtmyndd.blogspot.com/2006/11/nightout-with-dhangars.html

This process is quite cost effective too.

I hope to share more of my experience in organic farming and would welcome more suggestions from friends and visitors.

First blog entry: General information!

The Jugnoo Farms blog is dedicated to organic farming. The farm grows

Organic herbs

culinary herbs and some related veggies. with plenty of sunshine these herbs grow well and do not need chemical pesticides. Neem (harmless non chemical) extracts are natural pest deterrents as they make the plants unpalatable for pests to feed on. Therefore pests do to attack the plants.

Sage a calming herb

Viewers of this blog are welcome to share their experience on organic farming and the various benefits of organic cultivations.