Saturday 11 February 2017

Farm update 10-Feb-2017 in Visuals

It has been a very long gap since I updated the status of farm.

There are 4 subjects that I need to cover that are pending

  1. Demonitization and its effect on Farming
  2. Pro Jallikattu protest and how it will help farming
  3. Complete Drought like situation with no water and climate change
  4. Catchup time spent on developing verticle windpump lost due to above reasons.

I shall write the above topics one by one in coming days and insert it in timelines. But before that a quick visual update on the farm. Yes I visited the farm last week only and took these snaps.  Though I could spend only few hours there, (I went to meet my mother and had other domestic works) I did accomplish quite a lot of work.

Major notable ones are
a) Initiating building of a toilet in the farm.
b) Purchasing new trees and plants from Ramji Nursary, Nagarcoil and transporting them.
c) Explaining and initiating building of a verticle windpump at the farm based on POC done back in Pune.
d) Team building. Had lunch in the farm prepared by the staff.

This mountain on the way to the farm is being eaten away by vested interests

Cooking at the farm.  Simple food for workers


First time I am seeing flowers of Lemon

The trees are gaining height. One day this tree will form canopy over
the seats

This one has recovered from bug attack. With no chemicals used.

Seeing the success of Coconut tree growth, I have brought few more (25) of desi variety. Now we have
all kinds of varieties,  hybrid,  red, tall, short as specimens.


Look at how some unidentied bug has cut the leaves uniformly. pehaps it would have eaten when it was tender

Lemon is fruting


The good old windpump working. Subbu in foreground



Few redbanana trees near the wind pump tower has survived. They are very tall and looks wild.
Has strong survival tendancy. I asked subbu to multiply this as we got these with great difficulty
from Tirumurthy farm.

This is the reality. With no water.  Just managing only the border trees.

The base of windpump.  This is bore hole from where water is sucked. There are water leaks due to pipes becoming old

The vettiver to the side has well grown and flowered. It is becoming dry. Donot know what next or what to do with the vettiver which has not established. Ideally I wanted this to be transplanted to the pond. But there is no water nor
interest now.

Beautiful combination of bogan villa in the fence

Fence on left and few red banana trees that has escaped drought on right.

Some bird has laid eggs on pine tree. Subbu said this is wild dove. Small eggs at chest level. Daring !

Hope to gree these after we get power supply.

Jasmine plants. This is the only productive commercial crop that I have.  It grow well with less water

Jasmine closeup


One corner of the pond. Rarely I have taken photo from this angle. To the right is eastern fence side. Not fertile soil. Here is where we need to plant Neem and eucalyptus.

On the infertile soil there are two Banyan trees that are planted. Heartening to see
they are growing.

One corner of plot.  Waiting for rain.  Ploughed and soil loosened.




Having lunch with friends in farm, cooked there