If No Activity, All is well - Farm Update 28-Jan-2016

In a typical Corporate World if an employee is resting that means there is no productivity. So the offices keep coffee machines, make people celebrate this and that and fuss about temperature, food and toilet.  They also "engage" them with so many activities that actually disturb work.

But the same is opposite in a farm, in a village.  If a person is taking rest that means all work is accomplished. When a Village is serene, that means there is more wealth. People spend their time in other things.  Cities that are built near the rivers have wealthy agriculture. That is why art and culture flourish there.

In my farm there is no activity now.  Subbu is resting himself because he witnessed the bright arc of welding lamp when he went for repair of his family vehicle.  Kandan - I dont know. I heard he is busy collecting CowDung and mixing with Urea to prepare fish feed.

Vegetable tables are growing. Need to complete 42 days for replanting.  The banana is growing, so also other trees.  Wind Mill is pumping water and fresh water flows into the Pond for the fishes.

There is supreme silence.

I asked Subbu to plan and replace the Green Shade Net.  The present one is torn.  I reminded him that we already have the 1.25 inch pipes which were earlier replaced with 2 inch pipes in windmill. The old pipes which count to 10 Nos can be used as pillars for the nursary.

We need Paramu, the carpenter for this work. He is busy with some assignments outside.

Wait Wait......

Cow ? Yes Desi Cow. No No No Ho ! No. !

Recently my friend offered a Bull for a price (28000). That was on its way to an abattoir. It was a desi cow. I told him i will check with my family and come back.  This would solve all my problems of fertiliser. The farm is also in good shape to rear one cow. Only in night it will be locked and no one will be there.  This was a male and hence will be useful for cowdung and work.

That day evening hell broke loose at home..

*&^%%^%*&(*&^&^^%$^%)_()(&(*&(*&(*

Man, it is not easy to develop a farm. There could be genuine reasons that for what you want to do and where you want to spend. But reason doesnot hold good at home. It will be broken into pieces if ever there is a feeling that you are building assets.

Anyway I have to wait for some more days.... Just as I waited for the farm to develop to this extent.

Sincere Pongal In visual

This is pongal festival conducted in the farm by our staff. I am posting this late now because I got the snaps only now.

Seen in the picture are lady staff and their children.

My Employee Retention Program is... - Fish Farming

The best employee affinity program or loyalty program could be "growing Fish in the farm and allow staff to consume it". (I myself is a vegan though)

Subbu is hell bent on protecting the fish folk.  Let the taste of succulent juicy fish bind his tongue and nostrils...

He, Paramu and Kandan are hell bent to protect them and nurture them.  That is the only reason I encourage growing fish in the farm.  It creates activity, it creates energy.  It keeps the men engaged in useful work.   I can imagine lot of farm activities around the fish tank every day, punctual.

Latest addition being metallic shine silver strips criss crossing the mud pond.  This is latest innovation by Subbu to wade off the angry birds.

So be it........

New Coconut Trees - Late arrived Photos

These snaps were missed in last post and came late in the mail.  The Newly planted Coconut trees can be seen in the below pictures.

Snap taken Before the coconut planting from archives - around August, 2014.
Note the absence of water.  The existing plants seen are sapota. The next frame of approximately same place
is below, but taken from little left side of the spot.

Same place today little to the left.  Water way leading to mud pond is full with water due to recent rains.  This waterway is overflow from field and will be maintained as such.  Subbu has planted coconut all along the sideways. Brilliant choice.
Note the sapota tree growth compared to above snap.

This is as we enter the gate.   On the left are the new coconut trees.
Right is the old ones planted around 6 months back.

This time the coconut was brought with more leaves and in poly bags with some mud. Better choice again.

Farm Update in Visuals Dec, 2015

The below are some visuals of the Farm as it stands today.  This doesnot cover all the corners but captures significant developments that were in progress in earlier stories.

Paramu feeding the fishes

The Paddy being sowed. Happy to see this that my farm also is going to grow rice.  Look at the professional
rice farm outside. I am going to match them now.

The sample patch and the big one are getting mixed

Tilling has been done north of Jasmine patch. This is for onion

Mud Bars have been made (through hand by 3 labor) to ready for Onion sowing.

Assorted common vegerables will go here

Look at the pond water. It is now green.  Earlier it used to be muddy color last year. I had lost hope
now it is clean and green. Thriving with microbes.

This is all the Banana that we have. These are daughter plants that have been left out from last harvest
Note further siblings (Suckers) have already started.  This will maintain continuity

The coconut trees have grown well. The space in between has been tilled to keep it clean.

Fish, Food and Maintenance

"Where are you Subbu"?"

Sir I am at Moolakaraipatti, a small hamlet near our farm. I am in a pig farm purchasing pig dung.

"Oh !. Must form a good manure" - me

"Sir it is for our fishes.  We need to mix pig manure (3 bags) with Japan Urea (Some coarse urea crystals) (2 Bags) along with cow dung and keep it in a bag.  Immerse the bag after 2-3 days in water and keep a heavy stone on it.  Make a small opening in the bag.

The idea is the mixture will rot, create worms. Fishes will be able to eat them.  This one mixture is enough for days to come. Slowly there will be constant supply of the worms from this rotting bag inside water"

Great Idea. expert one too. Go ahead - me.

The pig dung costs Rs. 200 a bag. The urea is costing 310.  Though I hate the word urea, its ok since we are using it for fish feed first time. I need to discover some better things in organic.

"Sir we are also cooking ration rice for the fishes using women folk. They keep three stones and cook in the farm. we feed this rice also to fish."   Oh I am missing the farm.

"I guess fishes must be visible now?".  "Yes. I have seen them. Unlike last time, the water is clear now. We can see fishes.  Wind pump clean water is getting added and is cleaning the pond. Add to that fish waste is also creating the water into green. I will send photos tomorrow" - Subbu.

"Fishes are even fond of Ponnanganni spinach too. They are eating like mad. We enjoy feeding them".  (earlier I had asked him to plant this across all mud eroding sides).

It is strange that even common birds (sparrows) are very fond of this in my home here.  The sparrows never allow them to grow. They eat away.  In general  all small animals including fish are finding something good in this. This spinach must be really a good stuff.

English: Alternanthera sessilis, Dwarf Copperleaf.
Tamil: Ponnanganni
Telugu: Ponnagantikura
Hindi: Garundi, Guroo
Kannada: Honagonne
Malayalam: Ponnankannikkira

How is the frog population. Has it increased ?  - Me

No sir, strangely it has not. only small frogs are still there. I donot know what's wrong with them. Crabs are there.

I wonder myself what could be wrong in the food chain ?

Meanwhile Subbu said this will be the last feed. "Last feed ?"  what will happen to fishes?  He said they will grow in 3 months. This feed bag will contine to supply for some time, fresh worms.

I asked if they will lay eggs and if we can learn the technique of how to preserve them.

He said, "Sir it is a mistake we made. We should not have dug the pond using JCB.  (Earlier we wanted to widen and deepen a more).  We should have left the "karandai mud"  (Floor soil) as is."

"Will the eggs be preserved in hot sun ?."

"Yes sir, it will be inside the mud holes. We should not disturb them. When water comes they will hatch.

Strange are the ways of nature. It must be true. Otherwise how do you explain sudden arrival of so many small animals when apparantly they are absent for miles to gather and months togather.