I said NO to Free Electricity proposal

I have taken the best ever decision which is backed by my long standing conviction and satisfaction. I said 'NO' to an idea to apply for 'free' electricity connection to my farm.  Not that it is so easy to get. I hear there is a waiting list of 3 years. But my farm supervisor was bringing a proposal whereby someone has promised that they will provide connection before May (elections) if we 'pay' money with 80% probability. That money could cost as much as one lakh. Left alone, many people will be dragged into this attraction, after all they will get lifelong free electricity even if upfront payment is high.

I explained to my supervisor as follows.

1. I donot anyway like the idea of 'free' current. Anyone who has taken free current is only misusing over a period of time. I have seen farmers just pumping water from boring into well for hours togather, i know not what they achieve.
2. Free current will not be there forever. Even after Kudankulam and other power plants, once again TN is in darkness with power cuts. Therefore there is no guarantee of power in TN.
3. I donot want to adjust to 'load schedules' of electricity board. I want power when i want.
4. I have no major machinery. By limiting to small current, I can limit my growth on any major power consuming activity and encourage energy effecient small scale things.
5. I want to give first preference to renewable energy. Crack the problem of Wind and Solar. Gas and solar concentrators are bit away once labour force comes in.

I have experience of planning for Solar. I did an intensive mental exercise as well are some study and have arrived at a model suitable for me.  My planning was in advance stage 6 months back. But due to some disagreement at home,  i had to postpone it. Now i will start thinking seriously. I need to relieve my lonely worker of his physical burden of handpump. Number of saplings are growing.  Otherwise my plan was as follows;

	Quantity
Solar PV Module - 250 Wp	3	Nos.
MC4 Connectors	1	Set
Module Mouting Frame	1	Set
Hybrid Solar Pump of 1.4 KW	1	No.
Starter Panel suitable for 1.4KW Pump	1	No.
Solar Cable, 4.0 Sqmm	40	Mts
Submersible Cable Suitable for 1.4KW	100	Mts

The solar panels to be installed at 6 feet height on pedastals with concrete base and iron rods. The submersible pump which is costly should be secured somehow.  The total spend would be around 1.5 lacs is my estimate.  Let me see.....

Note: My area is prone to theft in the night. Therefore I also need to have night watchman. That is one of the deterrence to go for more investment of costly items in my farm.

Backdated postings

Bloggers to this site are requested to check the backdated postings also. I am filling the gap beween now (2013) and 2010 with different stories of my experience.

Creating Swales in the farm

After reading the article "Falling in love with swales" from Mr. D V Sridharan's blog (http://pointreturn.com/2009/12/swales/), i also have now fallen in love. His own personal account and his presentation is excellent.  Though I cannot buy a JCB machine for myself (which I wish) as he has done, i do want to go ahead with swales with my own design manually or otherwise for catching the rain water which otherwise is going waste. I need water. Presently I have one borewell with a handpump.  With this, and one manual labour, i cannot grow many trees. Today irrigation is confined to whatever this man can reach to do. Presently only live fence is ON. Even there also some of the pine trees are still not planted and remaining in polythene bags, already tring to burst it and grow its roots out. I feel if I can replinish the ground water by recharging the ground, then i can go for more trees unattended. Initially when they are small, some hardwwork will be required for watering. Later their deep roots must be able to fetch water from underground themselves. 

That's my idea.  I just now discussed with my farm supervisor and friend. Explained him about premaculture and Swale in the language he can understand. I donot know how much he grasped, because anything I say he listens with eagerness and equal fervor. May be because it is a new concept or i am the boss. Whatever, he is going to help me. I am going to start the planning from 1600 Kms away. Now it is raining in my farm. I have asked for photographs of rain water stagnation points and flow marks and top soil erosion points. Let me wait.....

Tailpiece: I am also talking to my friend farmer shashi to cut swales in his coffee garden in Coorg. It will be more useful in the slopes to save rain water which otherwise will run down the hill.  I have personally experienced water problems in hilly areas. In my child hood we had severe water scarcity in Ooty where it rains many months !.  Because perhaps of wrong water management or bursting population

Completed some basics on the blog. You are invited to follow regularly once in a week

I have completed my Vision, Mission pages and the Background of the Initiatives. These are my 3 year old thoughts which are still fresh. Having done this background work, I can now start posting regular blogs.  I will start with procurement of land to begin with shortly.....

Selection of First batch of plants for fence

The following are the plants that I have selected for my Farm - first to go inside the fence.  The idea is to ;

1. Create a first level defence using bougainvillea  (Kakitha poo) supporting the wire fence. By the time the still wire mesh will rust away in 3 years, this thorny bush should takeover.
2. 2nd level plants like Marudani to grow into thick foilage.  Consists of two parts.  Flowering ones like Arali facing the road side. Useful ones like Kodukapuli on other sides.
3. Third level trees at 10 feet each. They can be flowering trees like Gulmohar on road side and useful ones like Neem at other sides.

The prices quoted are actuals from a nursary to give an idea of what is the expenditure outlay. Add Rs. 1500/- for lorry rent, loading and unloading with lunch.  Some of the plants quoted here are much more than the market rate of  saplings that are generally sold in a nursary. That is because, these are well grown plans, sometimes with the large pots, which we brought out as the nursary offered them without any choice.

Botanical Name	Local Name	Quantity	Rate	Total Rs.
Bougainvillea spectabilis	bougainvillea	100	15	1500
Pithecellobuim Dulce	Kodukkapuli	2	150	300
Nerium Olender	Arali	50	15	750
Caesalpinia Sappan	Pathimugam	25	30	750
Lawsonia inermis	Marudani	50	10	500
Baruhina Purpurea	Mandarai	5	30	150
bombax Cebia	Elavamaram	2	50	100
Cassia Fistula	Kanikondrai Kondrai (Yellow)	10	20	200
Delonix Regia	Mayflower Red (Gulmohar)	2	75	150
Michelia Champaka	Shenbagam	2	60	120
Sapthodea	patadi (Flame of forest)	5	20	100
Caesalpina Crista	Mut kondrai	5	20	100
bamboosa Oldhami	Giant Timber Bamboo	2	60	120
Bambusa Vulgaris	Yellow Bamboo	2	120	240
Bambusa Arundinacea	Common Bamboo	2	25	50
Casuarina junghuhniana	Savukku  common	1000	3	3000
Eucalyptus globulus	Southern Blue Gum	5	15	75
Syzygium cumini	Naaval	2	15	30
Joanesia Asoca	Ashoka	5	15	75
Azadirachta indica	Neem	50	15	750
Tamarindus indica L.	Puliyamaram	2	20	40
Citrus medica Linn.	Narathangai	5	30	150
Citrus medica Linn. 2	Narathangai 2	5	50	250
Emblica Officinalis	Peru Nellikaai	5	30	150
Citrus sinensis	Kamala Orange	2	250	500
Psidum gujava	Guava	5	50	250
Punica granatum	Madulai (pomagranate)	5	50	250
Cyathea dealbata	Pungan	5	15	75
Swietenia macrophylla	Magogani	5	15	75
Olea europaea	Pinnai	5	15	75
Prunus amygdalus	Almond (Badam)	5	15	75
Pterocarpus santalinus	Red Sander	5	20	100
Santalum paniculatum	Sandalwood	2	150	300
Magnifera indica	Alphonso Mango	2	125	250
Ficus benghalensis	Alamaram	2	60	120
Ziziphus jujuba	Ilandai Maram	1	125	125
	Palamaram	1	100	100
	Vadulam	5	15	75

The first plants to Go

With withdrawal of South west monsoon, rain fall has started in southern part of India. It is peculiar though. When north east cold currents force the south west monsoon clouds, the hitherto dry lands of southern tip of India, gets its full rain.  Otherwise a rain shadow region, for rain parched Nanguneri, these two months are important to get their maximum rain. Taking advantage of this, I have ordered about 1300 samplings from nearby nursery in Nagarcoil.  The farm that I was dreaming about for the past 3 years gets its first life.

A mixture of flowers, fruits, live fence, trees, shurbs to give color to the bio-diversity of my farm. There is a catch, though.  I have a hand operated pump installed on a newly dug borewell. that is all the source of water for my farm, which is fenced and secured.  A new employee, a farmer by himself is going to water these samplings.  My friend Subbu would provide his helping hand as usual. I am waiting for the snaps of the first few plants that are already installed. Subbu told he has dug 2x2 pits and placed fruit trees already with a circumference of planting not exceeding 50 meters from the hand pump, lest it will be difficult to irrigate.