Further Greening the Farm

Yesterday the following saplings were purchased from Ramji Nursary, Nagarcoil as planned.. Total cost was around Rs. 5000/- for the nursery.  For lorry it would be around Rs. 2500/- from Nagarcoil to Nachankulam both ways.  With this load the farm will become further green, with diverse species like a botanical garden.

Purchase From Ramji Nursary, Nagarcoil
1. Around 4 varities of Coconut = 35 saplings each costing around RS. 80/-.  This consists of Red, Green coconut, Nattu (Country) coconut and kuttai-nettai.
2. 20 Sapota trees
3. 10 Jasmine plants, totalling now around 40 (30 purchased already 2 days back from Valliyoor)
4. Amla, koyya, pomagranate, rose and others. I asked Subbu to buy as many varieties as possible.  Last year whatever we brought has grown well, though there was hardship in maintaining it during peak summer.

Purchase From neighbouring farm
Country Banana (Nattu Ragam) roots around 200 Nos.  It costs Rs. 3/- per root for dressing and another Rs. 2/- for transport etc.

Ground Preparation
The tracktor work is completed for the 2nd day. Two field beds have been carved. Tomorrow onwards some manual work is there for which labours will be called for transplanting.

Farm Update 27 October, 2014

After a week of Diwali festival, the entire country is settling down to work. I called Subbu to take an update and discuss this week plans.

a) Rains have stopped for the time being. Still the mud is heavily soaked in water and hence tractor cannot plough the ground. We have planned to plough two square plots of around 25 cents each to be used for multipurpose, mainly experimenting.  Subbu's brother is owing a tractor. So it is convenient to call him whenever we want.  We need to invite tractor tomorrow. There is heavy sunshine today. 
Moral : Have a handy contact in hand always for every work.

b) There is no wind. Not even the anemometer is rotating. If this continues, we may have to use the reserve water. Currently water is available in full at the ground level rain water pit. Strangely, this  water is not soaking inside the mud layers. The bottom is already rock, so water has to escape sideways, but it is not. Therefore good news is we can use it to store for long time. And grow some fish as well.  Bad news is that ground will not get moistened for crops.

Half a tank of water is also available in the cement tank (30x20 feet) that can be filled only by surplus water from wind pump.
Moral : Be careful about water usage even during rainy season.

c) There was a slippage of ball bearing (SKF) on the wind pump. Wind rotor stopped working.  Subbu, had to set it right by climbing the tower top during Diwali when it was also raining. It required two more people to hold the Rod assembly, slowly rotate the crank and fix it.  The root cause was that these bearings are using Allen Key to tighten the screws in place. The engineer who installed the pump did not have all the Allen Keys (Kind of spanner for Allen screws). So he left it half fixed which has slipped during its up and down motion. I asked Subbu to purchase a set of screw drivers for permanent farm use.
Moral: Have a complete tool kit at every farm.

d) In next few days we will sow the following seeds.
a) Mappillai Samba Seeds
b) Vegetable seeds all in small quantities in a round robin fashion on a raised bed.  Grown mainly to produce seeds.
c) Sweet Potato and Jasmine flower saplings in alternate rows.

e) Subbu suggested we will sow some sweet potato. It seems neighbours are doing it. Let us copy the same. Then within these plots, jasmine saplings which are purchased will be planted as inter crop in raised beds.  I am of the opinion we need to mix as much as possible, so that we avoid mono cropping even at small level and invite various diseases.
Moral:  Copy and Improve the neighbourhood.

f) After a long wait and lot of discussion, I told Subbu to drop the plan of going to Parasalla to purchase coconut saplings or purchase from nearby Valliyoor who is not committed. We will stick to Ramji Nursary in Nagarcoil. We have experience with them. The gardners over there are friendly. We need to pickup 30 coconut and all different tree varities.
Moral : Don't attempt to buy small quantity from big or small unknown nursery.  Choose good nursery which is flexible and provides quality.

g) We planned to plant trees on the perimeter of our plot also outside wherever possible. Let us use this rainy season and increase greenery.  I have always wanted to start a social movement to make the area green. But that will involve thousands of saplings, and hundreds of hands.   Doing a social movement along with villlagers to plant thousands of trees - is a little far away. Presently let me start small, grow some green and invite more people.
Moral: Do something yourself before expecting social responsibility from others.

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Water, Seeds and happy days have begun

Today the rains have started properly. Yesterday there were thunder and lightning. Subbu quickly dismissed my call as he was fearing lightning may strike an active mobile phone.

Last week there were two natural farmer friends who got introduced through facebook, They were different.  Unlike others they not only said they can send seeds, but also promptly mailed it across to my farm. Since this is my first purchase from a fellow farmer, I am very happy.

All organic farmers who are concerned about current state of affairs, generally have a courtesy to distribute seeds for free. Yes, that is how nature itself works. Seeds are supposed to be free. Somewhere down the history companies commercialised them.

Chandrasekharan from near Madurai sent the following rice seeds (paddy). They are worth gold. While the seeds were given by him free of cost, the material was sent through a lorry driver who took around Rs. 180/- for that.  Subbu had to intercept the vehicle near a highway to collect them. I was coordinating this meeting from Pune.   I told Chandrasekharan next time to send by regular post or courier. The charges are less.

1. Mappillai Samba - 1 KG
2. Athoor Kichidi Samba - 1 KG

Parameshwaran from Dindigul was generous to sent around 42 varities of vegetable seeds through courier which got promptly delivered at Subbu's home.  The total cost was Rs.400/-. All are native varities in small quantities, neatly labelled.  This is huge variety. I guess each will be spoonful or few seeds and must be carefully planted.

1. வெள்ளரிக்காய்-cucumber	25.பெல்ட் அவரை-village beans.3
2. வெண்டை-ladies finger	26.கோவக்காய்- Gherkins
3. மிளகாய்-Chilly	27.கேரட்-carrot.
4. சீனி மிளகாய்-mini Chilly. 5. குடை மிளகாய்- capsicum.	கீரை-greens:
6.முள்ளங்கி-radish	1.பால கீரை- Spinacea oleracea
7. பீர்க்கங்காய்-ridge gourd.	2.புளிச்சைக்கீரை-Brown Indian hemp, Hibiscus cannabinus
8. குட்டை பீர்க்கங்காய்- short ridge gourd.	3.அரைக்கீரை-Marsilea quadrifolia
9.நீள புடலங்காய்- snake gourd lengthy.	4.சிறுகீரை-Amaranthus tricolor /Tropical Amarnath
10.குட்டை புடலங்காய்-snake gourd short.	5.மணத்தக்காளிக்கீரை-Solanum nigrum /Black nightshade
11.சர்க்கரை பூசணி-pumpkin.1	6.அகத்திக் கீரை-agathi
12.லாடம் பூசணி-pumpkin.2	7.பச்சை தண்டுக்கீரை-Amaranthus Caudatus / FoxTail Amaranth(green stem)
13.பாகற்காய்- bitter gourd	8.சிவப்பு தண்டுக்கீரை-(red stem)-Amaranthus Caudatus / FoxTail Amaranth
14.சுரைக்காய்- bottle gourd	9.கொத்தமல்லி-coriander
15.சாம்பல் பூசணி-ash gourd	10.வெந்தய கீரை-fenugreek
16.கொத்தவரை-cluster beans	11.கோவக்கீரை- Gherkins leaves
17.தக்காளி-tomato	12.முடக்கத்தான் கீரை-balloon vine leaves.
18.காலிபிளவர்-cauliflower	13.முருங்கை கீரை-drumstick leaves
19.முட்டைக்கோஸ்-cabbage	14.கருவேப்பிலை-curryleaves
20.முருங்கை-drumstick	15.முளைக்கீரை-amaranthus blitum/ Amaranthus, Chinese spinach, edible amaranth
21.பச்சை கத்தரி-brinjal green.	herbals:
22.வரிக்கத்தரி-brinjal violet	1. துளசி - basil
23-கோழி அவரை-village beans.1	கோவக்காய்- Gherkins use as a fruit, vegetable, greens.
24.தம்பட்ட அவரை-village beans.2	முருங்கை-drumstick use as a vegetable,greens.

Farm Progress in Visuals October, 2014

Subbu had sent snaps now of the farm when it was raining 2 weeks back. Since then there is no rain and water is being purchased.  The irony is, we do have water now stored in rainwater catchment tank (not in any of the below picture). But how to pump it out ?  Thinking of purchasing a small kerosene water pump for such temperory water shifting.  The rainwater pit is far away from the main action area. But we had already laid the backbone pipes through which we can pump and bring it upto the overhead tank, so says Subbu. Hmmmm. I have to see how much a pump would cost.  When I floated a quotation in the net, I got replies such as Rs. 280 for one dozen pumps !.  They thought i want plastic pumps. What i need is a kerosene engine with centrifugal pump. I asked Subbu to walk across to Tirunelveli market and purchase one outright.

Otherwise we are purchasing water @ Rs. 400 per day for 1500/- liters. That will continue till the rain comes, which is expected anytime this month.

overflow water tank (the old and original one)

closeup of greengram

Healthy Millets

Water logging during the rain. Have to plan how to divert all these water into a pit which is far extreme at the centre

This is the current Action Area. Vegetables will be sowed here in small quantities.
This is adscent to the wind pump

Another view of action. Seen in shadow are Subbu and Kandan

Harvest, a humble beginning

This is the most focussed part of farm

Banana Plants againt backdrop of windpump

Some of the grocery for the farm. Few items of these will be sown as green manure. We did already.
but there was no rain thereafter and all the sprouts had dried down.

Another view from the tower side

This is the famous Kandan Mistake.  Kandan had planted these trees too close and had a good mouthful from everyone

Farm Manual in Sheets for Ready Reference

Subbu said he has put a garland to the WindPump Tower as part of Ayudha Pooja (Durga Puja). The navadanya seeds that was kept soaking have sprouted and has been sprinkled on the field. But there is no rain yet. Cloudy though.

Back home, I wanted to spend the Durga Holiday usefully working for the farm from remote Pune. There are 4 days holidays. Did not go out as there are exams running for children.  Having technology at hand, I did what I wanted to do always.

Typed all the procedures in Tamil for Subbu to understand, take printout, laminate (Paper lamination) and send it so that he can stick on the walls for ready reference.   Instructions for preparing Panjagavya, Jeevamrutham, Rama Banam, Neem Astharam etc etc...  The material I gathered from Pasumai Vikatan, Pasumai Oli (044 66802917) an IVRS and my farm notes that I maintain.

Total cost is my time (3 hours), inkjet printing cost for printing 4 pages on A4 executive bond paper and lamination @ RS. 20/- per page. I will courier the laminated sheets through speed post. Subbu is in a village and courier will not reach. But postal system will deliver. That will cost Rs. 40/-.

Learning: I guess this is working well. In coming days, I need to create policy documents like this and send across.

The PDF version is uploaded (Click here) so that anyone can download, print and benefit out of it. Just that it is only in Tamil. This is in Google Drive and you may require google login.

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