Farm Update 28th february

1. Decision to be taken if ready made concrete to be purchased or concrete to be mixed on the spot by local mason. This is for tower foundation.  Subbu was supposed to visit a nearby ready concrete mixing factory. He was told to come again as concerned manager was not there. I wonder, just for 3 cubic meter of concrete, why people make so much fuss. But that is the way it is. Whereever labour work is involved, human touch is expected. City guys have no time for these. But we end up paying more than necessary on 'online' purchases and also donot develop any 'reusable learning experience'. Whereas people like Subbu gain so much knowledge in these moments of truth.



Kandan with is New Bicycle. Learning to walk it



2. Kandan has started walking straght with his new bicycle !. Earlier he was going in one direction and the cycle in another. I am told, now he has learned to 'tame' his cycle to walk with it steady. I am waiting the day when he will mount it and ride it. I was kidding him and he has promised he will fall down and learn it.

This beautiful tank spotted in nanguneri.

3. Assuming that wind water pump will be up by next month, I need to plan for water tank.  'Purchasing' plastic tank would cost Rs. 7/- per liter. assuming we need 10,000 liter tank, the cost would go upto Rs. 70,000/-.  That is too much. I need find an alternative. Perhaps a cement tank. I know many Govt projects construct cement tanks. Need to find who is the contractor and talk to him.

4. Preparation of Tower foundation for wind pump. The tower requires to be assembled  on ground and pulled up to stand straight.  I happened to see the installation photos of Iron Man wind Pump in an US Farm. They have used JCB, a crane, tractor, truck and a fork lift. That is too much of resources to use to just make a tower stand straight. I am sure we will be using none of these. Some labour, techniques and one JCB perhaps should do the job. Let me see. We can think about it only after fabrication which is underway in ABS factory.

5.  Team has gone through two CDs so far.  Kandan has watched the CDs that I gave at his home CD Player. Subbu had set it up for him. That is good. Now I can engage them with some more training CDs. They must have covered two topics so far.  a) Compost Preparation  b) Dry land Farming.

Back home I need to record my speech in camera and append it to the VCD. 

 

Dancing Wu-Li Masters - Wind Speed at Nachankulam - Update for 50 days

"The Wu Li Master dances with his student. The Wu Li Master does not teach, but the student learns. The Wu Li Master always begins at the center, the heart of the matter"

When I took the update on Animometer reading dictacted by Subb from 1500 Kms away and created a graph, I was wonder struck.  I was bit anxious as i was noting down. Because i had placed order for wind pump only based on 20 days of study. The meter has so far run 9485 Kilometers in 50 days.

Nature has displayed its own elegance and beauty.  The Wind Speed is observed high in the night and low in the day time. The contrast is striking. How is that the wind energy oscillating on surface of earth so perfectly to the rhythm of Day and Night ?!. I am wonder struck and happy to learn that I have adequate wind in the night to run the wind pump which is going to be installed in a month.  That is a privilage you cannot get in Solar.

50 Days of reading from 1st Jan to 18th Feb, 2014

Closer examination shows that wind speed is constant during the day time. It is during the night that it picks up. On the day I visited the farm (30.01.2014 at 12 noon), the meter was showing 5842. That entry is missing above because we did not record it as we were busy which explains the gap in between.



I took this photo when I visited


The wind speeds have easily exceeded 8 meters per second on few days, which was not the case in January. Anemometer moving parts were tight at that time ?. I cannot rule that out. But graph shows it otherwise. In fact anemometer should have rusted and dusty in 50 days and its performance should come down without lubrication.But what we see is otherwise.

Well I also had another mental correction to digest. On my visit I observed wind was coming from North to South. Contrary to my assumption that it should come from South West (Kerala). Or is it wind is changing direction during night and day. ? I donot have measurements for that as of now.

 



Finally it is Wind Pump for the Farm

Solar or Wind?.  Dilemma is finally over. It is wind that takes precedence over Solar at this time. Depending on vagaries of wind is risky, but I must take this.

Solar Solution still remains elusive. The most colorfully advertised, Happy farmers with perpetual smile, intellectually pleasing solution, scientific approach to green energy, yet it remains a mystery why on ground retailers are unable to close any deal. Most of the claims are turning out to be false.

I remember as a child, i have played with solar powered wrist watches, toys, calculators, PDAs and even ball point pen with digital watches. They used to work efficiently in doors under tube-light settings.  Now everything is gone. 40 years hence, even toys are hardly solar.  Instead of buying bundles of batteries in malls, we could have gone solar at-least for kinder-garden pendulum toys which consume less power. Rechargeable AA batteries using chemicals are still around with photographers frantically buying "power packs" instead of solar panels. Cellphones should have gone solar way. Still we search for power points in hotels, trains and airports.  (Solar) Panels could have been sold in mom and pop stores for everyday use. Huge solar thermal water heaters which are found on roof tops of every apartment could have actually become and replaced with sleek solar power generators. Yet nothing has happened in 40 years!.  Mystery ? yeh !  Presently let me keep that research aside.

One of the reasons not going for solar in first iteration is also to escape theft and vandalism.  My farm is not guarded in the night. Solar panels could attracts miscreants.

Coming to Wind energy, there are few companies who manufacture time tested wind pumps, whose proposals were duly compared. There may be other small scale companies fabricating pumps, but they were left this time for want of installation base, service and support. The list published by Ministry of New and Renewable Energy Sources on the manufacturers of "water-pumping windmills, aerogenerators, and wind–solar hybrid"  systems is laughable. Hardly anyone except Aureka has a working solution in this list. Two things I have never understood so far. a) how HR selects employees for promotion in a corporate. b) How Govt selects eligible applicants for their schemes.

My farm happens to be on high density wind area. Thanks to CWET (Centre for wind energy technology), this map is available for re-affirmation. The violet colour indicates high density and thankfully my farm is there.

Tinytech offered me Wind Pump, but Mehta said he has no time to support. If any repair comes you take care yourself. If I were at the farm, i could do that.  From remote location it is better to go safe way.  So I left it this time.  Aureka pump from Pondicherry was costing more for my budget. ABS was right in all respects including their good response. Both are UK design and time tested.  ABS windmills use Poldaw reciprocating wind pumps as against gear box driven pumps. They also use SKF ball bearnings which are available commonly. These attracted me besides other things.  It would have been good if good old American pumps as captured by Dorothy Ainsworth namely Sears & Roebuck, Aermotor, Dempster, and Baker Monitor were available. But unfortunately they are not available in India. I doubt even if it is available over there.

Courtesy : ABS

On the specification, the wind pump would have a 3.5 meter diameter rotor atop a 12 meter tower. There was an option to go for larger diameter, but to keep costs low....    Water to be drawn from 150 feet depth through a 6 cm dia pipe. I hope we should be able to build a 10,000+ liter water tank (to be designed yet) and pump the water at 5 meter above the ground level. From this, gravity should pull the water down to pipes for irrigation. Excess water from this tank should fall in another ground level large pool tank. This is the grand plan.  Presently planning to install the wind pump alone and allow it to stabilize.  The output will be taken to existing small tank and with rubber hose, irrigation to continue for some time before investing in piping network.

I am trying to contain the cost within Rs. 2.5 lacs to 3 lacs for total cost of ownership including everything.  THERE IS NO SUBSIDY for WIND PUMPs as I know, yet general opinion and intellectuals thinks that the Government and the World at large are favoring and incentivising renewable energy.  Perhaps policies are made for large Megawatt projects in both solar and wind sectors.  No one seems to care for marginal and poor farmers. Or they come with Gang Bang Plan of subsidy which will benefit God knows who. I would invite anyone who can give sensible consultancy on availing subsidy for small wind pump on the invoice that I would have already paid.

Presently ground preparation for installation to start any time this week. This marks an important milestone.

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On ground Planning for Swale

Sitting comfortably on the ground under the shade with Subbu, Mayandi and Kandan, i was able to draw a swale on the floor out of sand. This was when I visited the farm last week.  I created a small mound in the shape of long crest with bare hands from the sand and explained how it can be useful to contain runoff water and store it underground. Every drop of rain water is important and that need to be stored somewhere. Present practice of storing them in open ponds will dry them soon. Weather is very hot here for 9 months in a year. But storing underground will lock it for longer use.  Earlier I had read Bill Mollison and watched Geoff Lawton videos just to get some ideas. Recently i discovered John Kitsteiner



Run off water taken away nutrients

Subbu was immediatly able to relate to his 'borewell' experience.  While boring, we hit rock immediatly in 20 feet. From then onwards it was only rock for 160 feet. That means mud is available for only 20 feet. If I create a swale and stagnate water, the water will go down upto rock bed and then have nowhere else to go, but climb up slowly. Rather it will spread out underground. That will be useful for all plants and trees during summer.

My land is at the tip of an already created pond Nachankulam (by Government). Ideally water flow from across the land will pass through my land, which has also removed the top soil and nutrients. The entry point of water is as shown in the picture with white arrows. Water gets logged on the spot marked with Yellow arrow. If I cut a swale close to the fence inside, i must be able to harvest water and benefit from it.

water enters as in white arrow and stagnates as in yellow arrow.

"Will water works department object to the swale?", asked one.  "No, that is only in another farm where the water pass from one lake to another. This is only rain water and there is no official water path here", replied another.

I said cutting a swale is an art (impressed by D V Sridharan's experience). Therefore it has to be done carefully and slowly. "Dont worry sir, we have understood. Our JCB persons are skillful" came the reply. Another said, "We will enable JCB for channel cutting and employ manual labour for dressing"..

Swale as it should be. Courtesy : John Kitsteiner

Thus my job was over. I only need to arrange funds. I expect a swale cutting would require 2 days of work. That means Rs. 600 x 5 Hours x 2 Days = Rs. 6000/- Plus 1000 Bata for Driver for two days and food.  5 Nos of manpower Labour would be required at Rs. 300 each for two days costing 3000/-.  The total would be thus around 10000/-.

That should protect my crops and recharge my land for posterity !. And contribute to ground water recharge and make me move towards permaculture.

Battle against harsh weather and pests

Putting up tough stand against hot breeze

I could see that each plant is putting up a tough stand against hot wind blowing over there. Heat, Wind, frost, irregular watering and finally different pest attacks. The growing plants seemed to have a natural ability to sustain these vagaries. Should we react for each of the symptoms or watch it silently?. Best practices in natural farming suggest, do nothing but wait. Therefore we waited.  Earlier when a plant was attacked by some pests, I had suggested a concoction of Chillies, garlic and tobacco to be ground and its water sprayed. Our team had followed the prescription and certified it is working.

However some of the plants exhibited partial cut in their leaves. Subbu could not pinpoint the root cause. Some wild bird, caterpillar, some small animal - nothing could be ruled out as it happens in the night.

Some leaves had dead larve. They were inspected by large

Invasion against larve

black ants. They were all over. The ants seemed to have their head quarters near the water tank, feeding on the tender roots of yet unplanted nursary plants and from there spread out. That is a welcome move. Gradually a food chain is getting estabilshed. I mentioned to Kandan that even snakes should  be welcome in our farm. Only let us be careful to wear gum-boot if required. Otherwise ants, spiders, frogs, dragon fly, snakes, peacock, owl are integral part of a healthy farm.  Today i can spot different butterflies, dragon fly and few birds.

Migratory birds do cross the farm often. They come from different parts of the world especially siberia to the nearby Koonthankulam (not kudankulam) bird sanctury. One unidentified large bird, black in color with a fancy head gear was making loud cry from nearby power pole.  Perhaps I need to add few trees that are liked by those foreign birds too. Some opportunity to study them.

Ant Hill ?

Ant hills or termite hills, i am not sure were found popping all over the farm. That is another healthy sign. I told kandan to encourage these by not disturbing. That translates to no trampling, no ploughing for some time.  These will multiply if we use more of cowdung and related panjagavya.

I could not see earth worms. They will come only when the climate further cools down i suppose. or after the water pump is arranged and ground is wetted all over.

Overall I gave instructions to team not to use any sort of pesticide but wait and watch till predators grow. Even If i need to sacrifice few plants.  We will be under pressure once we start the vegetable farming. Especially brinjal and ladys finger. Need to prepare a strategy before that.

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Neighbour's Crops drying in front of my eyes

The adjscent farm sported green paddy field. Small plot though. The land was dry and cracking. Closer inspection showed the plants were bit tired and had undergrowth. When enquired they said there is no water to irrigate. The farmer was expecting rains which did not come. The paddy has almost grown, but not there yet.

My neighbour's farm. Drying...

It looked very ackward. I have heared of farmes making loss due to failed rains. But seeing in front of you is different experience. There could be well water in another 100 meters. But the poor farmer did not have resource to pump it to save his crops. Perhaps the owner of well may not be in good terms with his neibhours. Perhaps Rain is reason. Or perhaps Govt Schemes on water resource failed. or that he had chosen an hybrid variety which cannot withstand drought or it could be simple stupidity on the farmer to have chosen a wrong season. Or it could be his dire poverty. 

My wife was asking "Why the farmer had left it like that. Almost abondaned a full grown plant which is in flowering stage?"  I had no answer. But i knew the answer. The small farmer is waging a lonely battle.  In chennai, i purchased a dozen of bananas for Rs. 46.  It had done up from 40 to 46. I asked why? He said "Sir agriculture is declining".

Perhaps there is an opportunity to help him. Next time. If only I set right my water pumping solution......



Deweeding - Is it necessary ?

Thick Weeds in some places

 While i visited the farm, i took the driver also inside the farm to keep him engaged. Myself, my wife,  Kandan and driver were walking slowly along the perimeter inspecting the plants.  Few feet from the fence, land had been kept clean by kandan. He had dug the mud loose around every plant. All other places, there was thick growth of grass or weed.

The instant reaction of the driver was "sir why don't you apply some de-weeder and get rid of them?".  Kandan and subbu were also suggesting ploughing the field. I shot back on them. Chemical ? you want me to spray chemical ? you want me to expose the surface to the hot Sun by spending money on bull dozer?



Weeds prevent drying of land

 I explained them that weeds are actually helpful to keep the underneth soil cool and moist.  Weeds form a natural mulch. It consumes very less resources. why should you spend your energy de-weeding unless you are going to do some serious plantations.  De-weeding can wait till we start the actual plantations.  Actually the weeds are now protecting the sibling plants from the hot wind that is blowing over there. It also keeps the area cool. 

As Naturalist Nammalwar used to say "if you dry a plant weighing 100 grams, it will become 50 due to water evoperation. You burn it and the ash will weigh 5 grams or less. Which is what in weight the resources it has consumed from soil. Rest (like Nitrogen) has been taken from atmosphere (ether) which it will give back. Therefore how can you say weeds are eating your resource?  Finally the driver understood and started alinging with me.  One more friend was born.





Key Highlights of Farm Visit and making of Panjagavya

I could visit the farm twice amidst tight family function of a close relative. The following things were successfully completed. Besides there were many observations that were recorded which we will see over a few days.
       a) Making of Panjagavya was demonstrated practically.
       b) Planning for wind Energy for pumping water
       c) Planning for Swale

Royal feast for plants - Panjagavya

I told Subbu to arrange for Cow Urine (Komiyam) which is the most difficult part of the process, I thought. But later I found he had arranged a about 10 liters of it in a 'Kudam', a silver utensil popular in South TamilNadu. How did he manage?  He told he had asked his mother to catch the urine early in the morning starting 3 AM directly from the cow.  His family owns few cows. Now that makes my job easy. Cool. Otherwise I wanted to visit a nearby cow shed and get into an agreement for continuous supply of urine. We are yet to implement the PVC pipe idea discussed earlier in this blog.



Materials kept ready for mixing Panjagavya: Jaggery, banana,
Curd, Milk, Sugarcane juice, beasan powder, pot of Cow Urine,
Bucket of Cowdung and an empty drum.



I had brought Jaggery, Milk, Sugar Cane Juice, Beasan Powder, Curd and banana in nearby town Nanguneri before proceeding to the farm in an auto. At the appointed hour my farmer Kandan was missing. He had been to attend his wife who was unwell. Waited for two hours and started the process of mixing the cowdung. Initially the team was feeling not so focussed. If it were an office, we would have thought 'ah one more HR initiative'. But when I put my bare hand in the bucket of cowdung and emptied into a drum brought for this purpose, and poured Cow Urine, the team started feeling serious about my act and listened carefully. Then onwards i was only instructing and they did everything.



Breaking Jaggery ball with stone. Kandan learning...



Cow Dung was mixed with Cow Urine. Some water was poured to maintain some consistency. Followed by Jaggery. It was difficult to break the jaggery and we used stone. Followed by Milk sachet, Cane Sugar Juice packed in polythene cover. One of the packets burst on everyone while opening. Curd was added followed by Beasan powder and Banana. There is no sequence. The entire mixture was stirred well. I forgot to add garden soil which was promptly added on my next visit.  I feel I have added 1/2 Kg of beasan powder and not enough Jaggery. That I think will be compensated by Cane juice.

When I mentioned that we need to keep in shade, team felt the drum had to be kept inside the room. The other reason is fear of theft (of the drum which cost Rs.900). We did. But soon i realised the room will stink. So we moved the drum to the shaded are under the thatched roof outside. I advised them to cover the bright blue drum with gunny bag so that it gets camoflaged. Now i understand why farm materials are kept dirty in apperance.

The soup is getting mixed. The lumps are Beasan Powder

The panjagavya should be ready for use in another 4 days. I told them to allow as many days as they feel it would take to turn the soup into a potent liquid. Team promised they will continue to add material to the drum after taking out the Panjagavya without letting it go dry. This is good. Because the innumerable microbial bacteria or whatever organism should proliferate.

I asked them to be liberal in mixing this with water before watering the plant. Atleast for few months, extra boost is requred for the land which has not seen biomass for long time.

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