Farm Update 31-May-2015

a) Last week was without any event.  There is heavy sunshine at the farm even today. This is the hottest part of the yea known locally as Agni Nakshatram ("fiery star") or as Kathiri Veyyil, with maximum temperatures around 38–42 °C (100–108 °F). Though there was a prediction that there will be monsoon rain, it is getting delayed by about 10 days.

b) Subbu had to pump water from neighbouring well as usual. There is zero wind for 3 days and hence no production of water from windpump.

c) We wanted to change the 1.25" pipe to 1.75" inch pipe in the boring.  This is to get more water and prevent friction between the central rod and pipe for windmill to operate smoothly and without noise.  That was finally done.  Ordered for TATA pipes @ around Rs.600 per 10 feet. Total length 100 feet. Also purchased a large drum for panjagavya and some accessories.  Alas after replacing the pipe there was no wind to test its working for atlest 3 days. I donot know if today there was wind.

d) The windpump pipes were replaced by own team. The new pully was put to good use. I was told it made the job easy of lifting the pipe assembly which should have weighed 130 KG.  only two ladies could life the assembly while the men replaced the pipes.

e) The nursary has been started with seeds of Brinjal, tomato and one more I donot remember.   A modest 50 polythene bags that was purchased 2 months back had been prepared with mud, cowdung. I heared the seeds have germinated too in about a week.

f) The only target now is to enrich the soil. We have to catchup on what we lost.  The soil is not fertile and we have not cared for;

1) Ordered two tracktor loads of cowdung. That came in about 10 days from neighbourhood. Cost Rs. 2000/-.  This cowdung will be used to prepare panjagavya, gana jeevamrudam, apply on soil directly and the compost pit topping.

2) Considering the demand, I asked subbu to go for more cowdung. I need to confirm tomorrow.

3) "Sanappu" or garlic was planted between the newly laid red banana roots. they have germinated. It will be manually mashed to soil to add enrichment to soil.  We need to repeat this steps.  Though opportunity for spreading multi grains exist, subbu is still not in for that idea.  Sanappu is ok for now.

g) The week ahead should see activity planning for trying one more crop. I want to put groundnut. For want of water, we kept it aside. If monsoon comes, we will go for it. Otherwise we have to run the show.

h) Subbu wanted to harvest the fishs. Enough he said. We need to maintain that tank properly. It is silting with mud.  Now they have to workout how to catch the fishes. Perhaps some fishes will be saved in another tank for future.

My Farm visit experience - May, 2015 - Part 3

Banana Under growth.

The biggest issue now is how to make the soil uniformly fertile?  There could be quick answers like remove the top soil, add red soil, add fertilizer, grow green manure and so on.... All of these cost tons of money. With natural farming techniques and available resources doing this is a challenge.

These trees are healthy and near the tower......

Especially when your team has still not quite understood the workings of panjagavya, jeevamrudam or any natural techniques or when the ground facilities donot permit that.

For example when there is no water the staff keep thinking only about it. They dread growing anything like green manure.  When water is occupying your head.......

Panaroma of same Banana Patch all planted 5 months back.
Note the unhealthy growth on the left slowly graduating to healthy one on the right

The above picture shows banana trees planted at the same time.  Some areas have dwarf growth whereas in others there is full growth.  Non availability of biomass in soil could be a reason. But I feel not watering them properly could also be a reason, which Subbu doesnot agree with me.

I have a reason to think so.  Look at the dwarf trees. They are looking healthy. Perhaps because water conditions have improved. Perhaps because of few days of rain that preceded. That means if we had watered it must have grown.  You never know......

Well to improve the soil I advocated atleast twice in the past of sowing multi grain mixture.  It was promptly done and got dried without sprouting in few days. Such is the intensity of heat and dryness. Subbu fears if we plan anything, we need to water them. That (water resource) is scarce. How do you then add fertility to soil.

One idea is to wait till rains and sow the seeds. But the moisture will dry in few days. After that ?

Recently It has been decided we will apply manure prepared else where.  It requires more cowdung.  I have ordered for two tracktor loads of cow dung which is expected in few days. We will prepare liquid panjagavya and solid gana jeevarmidam and apply. Perhaps that will improve.

My Farm visit experience - May, 2015 - Part 2

A train journey helps you consolidate your thoughts.....

A farm visit would always begin with one thing in mind and end with doing something else. This is akin to visiting a mall where you go to buy something important and end up shopping a bagful of garbage, omitting the main item.

Repairing the Green Shade House was a top priority.  What i saw was that one of the corner supporting pole was seen fallen down and hence the entire tent had collapsed.

Added to that due to recent rains, the raised mud floor had developed pot holes making the floor

Green shade collapsed due to wind / Rain

uneven. Erosion of mud was seen on the periphery. The green shade net was not useful to start a nursery. This is very important for me to plan the future.  Therefore started mending the same with the team.

Doing is not easy as thinking and saying......

It was very hot and bring Sun.  This time we wanted to anchor the poles firmly and  time some cross poles so that structural stability is achieve

A strong foundation for one corner pole

Pole in place. An empty fertiliser
bag was worn like socks under
ground to extend life of pole.

d.  Earlier the poles were standing on their own with very weak links between them.  Luckily we had earlier purchased some extra casurina poles at 500/- per stick.

We did a re-plan.  The roof should be made flat and tight so that it is more laminar without sagging when there is heavy wind.  The edges of net were rolled to strengthen and stretch them to make it tout.  While structure has to be strong, the aesthetics was also achieved by creating even border around.

The ends of the net to be rolled onto the poles and the tied.

or tying the poles, we used rope, nylon ribbon and thin wire as appropriate.  First the skeletal structure was tied with all the available poles. Then the net was spread and tied.

Finally done and ready.  The mud has to be spread properly.

At the end, the job looked neat.  As of today (23.05.2015) the nursary bags are in place and they had been filled with help of women workers.  Brinjal, tomato and chilly seeds have been put 2 to 3 per bag totalling around 100 bags only.  Wanted to see if we can maintain them with available resources.

There is a small gap in the bottom. That can be either covered or left open depending on need. The idea is if there is hot wind we can cover otherwise some amount of wind is necessary for nursary plants.

Once the tent was finished, the climate inside became so pleasant.

This green shade will be my important experimental ground.  Planning to load the space with more plants in coming days....

My Farm visit experience - May, 2015 - Part 1

There are many things that you need to do in parallel when you visit your farm occassionally. I had very little time to spend for myself.

Assorted things for the farm

a) What you envisage to do will never be done.  For example I carried a seed box. That was a collection of different seeds that i collected from road side trees.  It was so irrelevant in front of other issues in the farm that the seed box came back promptly with me.  I did not want to smear the seeds without due attention and focus.

The pully system to be installed

b) Immediate things catch your attention. And each one require long time. Therefore you end up doing things in hurry.  Some of the things that can be done quickly is a) Farm inspection and feedback  b) Motivation, distribution of gifts like T-shirt  c) A bonus if you wish.

c) I paid attention to equip them with more tools. I took Subbu to nearby town exclusively to explore the hadware stores and brought an assorted varity of things for Rs. 4000/- that I felt are needed for the farm.
That includes;
1) Two weed cutters (garden hoe)
2) Three hand forks (one for my mother)
3) A Taparia Screw Driver and a Star one.  Subbu alreay has a Ellenkey set

Excess Rope is secured.  The rope is
knotted at equal spaces for hand grip

4) A heavy duty saw
5) Hack-Saw blade frame
6) A good Wringe
7) 4 Nos of S-Hooks
8) A pully
9) Wire cutter
10) GI Wire of two thickness
11) A plumb line
12) A Hammer
13) Heavy duty cotton Rope

The Pully is in place

d) Climbed the windmill mast and secured the Pully and Rope with help of Kandan and Subbu. This arrangement now can be used to easily lift the Pipe assembly whenever there is repair.

e) Enquired about the pipe rates in hardware shops. Decided to replace the current 1.25 inch pipe with 1.75 inch pipes to get more water (hopefully). This will also allow more headroom for the central rod to push and pull

*********

So Finally Shade Roof to beat the summar

The farm had a shade which fell few months back. Since then after many months of waiting to purchase stone pillars failed, we decided to use scarp iron poles to build a new one.  I left it to Subbu on the design part.  Only this time we wanted to raise the flooring.

This is what I sort of planned many months back and drew
on a piece of paper.

The following material goes into making a large shade roofing.

1. 6 Iron Pipes,  4 of 6 feet and 2 of 12 Feet height costing 45/- Kg of iron totalling Rs. 4500
2. 400 Nos Coconut tree leaves knitted  at 6/- each totalling 2400
3. Skilled Labor for 2 days @ 500 each person total 2 persons = 2000
4. Concrete for iron pillars and preparing the ground = 1000

The roofing is made of knitted dry coconut leafs. flooring is sand on raised pit.  It can host around 10 people comfortably or 15 people sitting.  It has come out little smaller than expected, but is cute and just enough considering many other aspects.  There is one issue, that is soil erosion on the sides. Have no idea how to contain that.  I also may need to arrange some solar lantern and a wire cot or bench.

And this is what achieved.  It is on a raised bed with Sand spread across.
There are bricks lined to decorte and hold the sand.
Originally i planned to spray cowdung. But that is not required now.

The roof inside

Kandan's Dog is the first soul to take rest.  Look at the relaxed posture.
He is enjoying his nap in hot Sun.

And my value addition. -  Hanging a mirror to a pole to groom oneself.

Farm Progress in Visuals April end, 2015

The first yield of Bananas are good.  One bunch was taken home and distributed
after offering to God.  In right time, there is a festival going ON in nanguneri.
There were 19 more that went ripe and was purchased @175/- per bunch for a local
temple festival

Water stagnated immediately after summer rain at April third week. It dried in 2 days.

water drops on Casurina plants. 

Children enjoying in the farm

Finally my home ladies inspecting the farm. There is a sense of approval. I can go ahead with
some more mischief projects like this I hope.  You never know, when the gear will reverse

My friend, farm supervisor Subbu posing with Banana

And Kandan, who grow these from zero.

They are searching for herbs and trying to identify. Many of these names are not known to
kandan and subbu. So it was a test.

The jasmine plant with drip pipe. The first attempt to drip.

Rainwater directed to the pond.

The fish tank is full of water.  Water is muddy. There are many frogs that were visible on the banks.
They jump inside with slight disturbance.  The banks have to be secured with vettiver. That project is a failure
as two people so far have not delivered as promised.

A healthy tree

Newly constructed shade place.  Subbu calls it as perai.
I want to name this later.  More story about this later

For recycling of waste.  Detailed story was covered earlier.
However I am disappointed to see it is not being used properly.
There is scarcity of cowdung. The owners of cow sheds are selling it to
people from kerala. So locally not available.
Panjakavya has virtually stopped. I want to take some drastic steps.

This luxury only during rains. In two days this was dry.

The majestic windpump working with no issues. However there was no wind.
Next month onwards there will plenty of wind.

Some insects are eating all citrus leaves.  Agni astram is not working as leaves are falling
so Team has left it.  I am waiting for some predator insects to develop.
Meanwhile neem would be good solution. Should spray some Neem extract over these.

Atlast our Sastha has got a roof for himself. Brand new roof. Story later......

The farm view from road side. Birds are freely visiting. There is more greenery now.

Kandan with his domastic dog.  He says this is his companion.

Drip pipes are drawn at will.

Unhealthy banana section. This piece of land is not fertile. Earlier I wanted to
plant kolingi and grow green manure. That failed due to lack of water.
Need to do something for this.

This is how the Pods develop in banana.  Note the big ants. They are here to suck the nectre.

Some bird has constructed nest and laid eggs inside banana bunch.