Point Return and other farms

Long time since some farm visit was shared here. I have been lucky to be associated with people who take me to interesting farms and ‘open’ my eyes..Its a great network that keeps expanding and so resulting in many amazing trips..such visits not only infuse hopes but also keep me pepped up.

Regulars here know of the Point Return and our visits there. I had spoken about the measuring for pond there, fencing etc..Each time it grows on us, in all sense..as a project, as an idea, as a farm and as a rocking oxygen supplier/ body-mind revitaliser..


Now DV/PR is a proud owner of 1 million litres of water, if not more..
YES! in such a short time (infact the digging of the pond itself is not complete, had to be stopped due to rains, still what a sight) in the recent rains, the whole pond area is brimming with water and DV is brimming with pride- both are a sight to behold:-)

We also visited the farm of a techie (jaishankar) who quit his CTS job 3 years ago and formed nigh.. farmed this - http://www.swayambhufarm.com/
An hour spent with Jaishankar is like getting an abridged version of an intro to organic farming. His obsession and interest is so infectious, his smile and comments even more..he has an uncanny knack of talking with and simultaneously watching the workers there as well the plants and react to more than one of these at any instant with ease. He has the traditional varieties of rice like kichalisamba/seeragasamba/kullakar, fodder for his cattle (ya, an organic cattle farm too!), orchards, vegetable yard, etc. Ofcourse he is going to be way kind to nature, so he uses gobar gas (link??)and also connects the same to the household of his farmlabors who live nearby!
Then he wud talk about SLI method, then some corrections and adaptations to that and how he overcomes comments, advises, strong condemnations, jealous looks and all from locals. He wud talk of the nitrogen fixers (sun hemp?) and how he goes about them and much more- lots of which just flies above us). The highlight for me was his observation that paddy is always standing in somuch water for so long not bcos it needs so much water, but just bcos it can live in(spite) of that much water where as the weeds cant. Oops, such an overkill? And we all thought it was one of those crops that needed so much water, hmmm..
Come to think of it, that this gentleman was coding mundane stuff not long ago. His views about farming, agri policies in India, the urban run by farmers, industrialization and its take on rural belt, how the non chemical/ organic farming is looked at by his (synthetic)peers, usage of water (or shud be conservation?)can make one long post by itself..
It was a very interesting trip and we stepped out thinking we have many more trips to make here..so more in next visits..

Another farm we visited recently was an exotic one - that of Arjun’s. It was in an ideal setting just beneath a hill, surrounded by great scenery and a lovely ambience. Part created by them, part natural. Francesca, the other partner (or farmer?) has had a great hand in designing this so naturally striking. An outstanding place with well planned house, irrigation etc it’s a beautiful place.

The best part is that all these neo-organic farmers have their own captive market (their friends and wellwishers) beyond which they cant extend their supply of organic products, atleast as of now.