Hi !
I have shifted to Word Press ! The new Site address is https://www.radhamurali.farm
Not because word press is great !. It is very confusing and highly commercial. However Blogger is abandoned by Google. No support, not working.. Visitors have stopped coming. Therefore i have no choice. Feeling trapped.
Since I am moving there still, that site is still getting spruced up. You can find latest posts there. Old posts are getting repaired.
Welcome to new home !
Google app almost stopped update on the blogger application. I need to manage and continue to post using outdated interfaces. Now this post, I am trying from my new mobile phone Samsung Galaxy A22.
The silent communication with farm workers still continue the pictures are sent by them without commentary.
 |
| Durga Pooja at Farm Normally Subbu would invite all families and perform. Not sure who were there. |
 |
| Must be a memorable picnic for this boy at our farm |
 |
| Subbu probably wanted to convey the work that had been done. Mud fencing each plant. Hopefully now that rains are lashing this would have been useful. This is traditional agriculture practice and Subbu always used to mention |
 |
| Not bad harvest. But I expect more. Very high quality jasmine flowers. Intoxicating fragrance. |
 |
| Jasmine patch. |
 |
| Finally the classic entrance. Trees are matured and shade is continuous. No wonder Paramus, the carpenter is spending time here resting. |
Communication with Farm Staff
One of the biggest lessons of my life was learnt by me recently. Obviously as usual it was taught by my own staff at the farm - Subbu and Kandan.
It all started with weeks and months of absolute silence without even a single phone call attended. NO communication whatsoever from Subbu who otherwise deemed duty bound to blah blah even if they are white lies. And for my part as a thorough corporate bred, consultant trained, master in communication capable of negotiation, hard talk etc failed on my part to somehow convince him into talking.
The usual daily ring that never got answered. Frustration mounted. Tried to reach through alternate phones and failed. Finally got hold of a known common friend and asked him to meet Subbu in person to enquire his health and why he is not talking.
No use. Dead silence. I went to the end of my wit because it may not be necessary that I am calling to take a feedback, it could be an emergency too or someone visiting the farm or even i myself......
But nothing worked.
Finally one day he called to say he was shy to call me because he has not done such and such work. I had mixed feeling, one of anger and another of pity. Counseled him not to fear to disclose anything. In my mind I wanted him to feel free to the extent he will open up and attend calls. I was expecting worst. But the matter is very simple. Sometimes human mind gets hangover on trivial issue and can never get out of gult and agony.
But I never knew that it is going to be his special call to say that he will not call me hereafter before once again dissloving into silence. He said he will not call till he finishes the work i had given***. That work never got finished for years now. But still...... He must have felt huge embarresment (which he told me) to attend my calls with pending work.
[*** The unfinished work is nothing but connecting borewell pump to the windmill. That was a trivial work we used to do very often few years back. Now there is huge labor shortage. Perhaps no one is listening to him. This work however must be done as it is dear to me and I had invested several years into it. Especially I can save on electricity bills. I make it a point to text the bill value to embarrass him. The fact that he is unable to organise manpower to lift the pump from borewell and connect it is weighing him down.]
He calls it Zeal (வைராக்கியம்), I call it bull#@!$. But anyway there is a subtle message that a worker gives you. This is very common in villages. For years they will not speak with neighbours or relatives till somethings are settled. Life is not jet speed like in city.
I have no choice but to wait. I give a ring occasionally. Sometimes he sends photo of some finished work, like he sent snaps of having put manure around each plant and created water holes. The work gets done somehow. But not anything new.
I want to respect his zeal holding down my frustration. I have selfish interest too in fanning his zeal. Because that should translate into quality work whenever it is done.
We also do this in corporate world, ain't we ? I have refrained from sending any mail or call to boss for several months. Why unnecessarily kindle his memory and turn it on us especially when our performance is not so spectacular. ?
General Update : The farm is not having much activity. Due to COVID lockdown, Subbu and Kandan are confined to homes. Even in remote villages, the movement is highly restricted by police. They visit the farm once a day, pick flowers and vanish back to home. The Covid sickness and death news that is coming from the villages is not encouraging. Each of the villages are loosing people to this deadly disease. Since one per family have to attend the funeral, they come to know each other. People who go to Higround hospital die and the body gets transferred to crematorium by organised groups. Period.
Adjascent to the farm, the narrow tar road is getting widened. For this road widening, the contractor is dumping mud upto the compound of the farm. I believe he is constructing a concrete wall to hold the mud. That means two things
a) Farm will a wide approach road from the main road. This is good for future.
b) The farm will have steep elevation protecting the farm. I asked Subbu to plant tees between road and farm so as to act as fence for future. Like hundreds of unfulfilled instructions, this may get staked up.
 |
| The wall coming to the left is upto which this road will widen |
 |
| The gap between Road and farm compound. My worry is people should not start using this as regular path. Which subbu says cannot be because there is no entry or exit for this. Presently this is a service strip. May get covered with shrubs I want trees to be planted here. So that traffic will not fall from the curved raised road onto the slope. |
 |
| The scene near the enterance. The trees have become matured. Subbu says he spends time in this shade. It can instantly make one happy. |
 |
| Not bad at all. All the trees that were recently purchased are growing well. This patch of land was dull earlier |
 |
| The Jasmine patch. The only revenue yielding crop today Though the output is only 200 grams. I guess extreme hot sun is now allowing flowering. If I were there I would experiment with a canopy But such trails if done through workers have failed and resulted in money/effort loss. So not attempting I also have in mind of setting up a distillation plant for extracting jasmine scent. Again this needs inquisitive mind and sincerity. |
 |
| Some more young trees |
 |
| It is heartning to see the girth of the trees have broadened. These were coconuts that I was worried since they grew fast and hence less strength. But now it can survive. No medicine, no pesticide, not even fertiliser. Just natural growth. |
 |
| This is how electricity is carried from main room to pump room. Three wires hung from a stay wire. The plastic separator clips keep the wires away from each other otherwise they are also insulated. But insulation will break due to heat and rubber becoming brittle |
 |
| Beautiful view of Farm Pond. The color of water is muddy. Sometime it will be clear. This is used by migratory birds. |
 |
| A forest look or resort look. I can now slowly invite people for farm tourism. |
 |
| Classic view of WIndmill |
 |
| Kandan's work is visible here. The gooseberry tree is visible have become tall. The ground is loose thanks to constant maintenance. Ready to absorb water. Incidently last week it was raining there. |
 |
| Extremely high density of wild herbs in fence side. Must be a paradise for those who are interested. |
 |
| The windmill tower now with proper ladder ( a project by itself). Look at the small animometer that was kept aside for few years, now again fixed on tower. |
 |
| Finally the iconic windmill. The trees competing with it. |
