Ice Factory !

Somewhere Subbu got this idea from his friend. Earlier I had asked him to come with suggestions on starting small business at the farm for sustenance. He seemed to have also discussed with the farm workers Kandan and the two ladies. He also met a friend who is already doing ice business.   So when i poked him yesterday he came with this proposal. He was so obsessed about this idea that he did not allow me to intervene for quite some time.

"Sir, let us keep one ice factory. We can make ice sticks, block ice and distribute. It requires only a small investment of 2 to 3 lacs. Only 3 machines are required. All job with machines. Can give job to 3 people including one night watchman. Small vendors will come and pickup on their own vehicles. They will go out in three routes. Cover all shops, schools...  Rasna juice, color ice, milk ice.... We have water. we are not selling water, but only ice.  Sir we have electricity. Only a shed is required to be constructed. This investment includes that....."

Hmm. I tried to counter argue. I said we should not "deviate" from stated objective. Anything that we start should be related to agriculture directly otherwise we will loose money.  He said he visited the Lemon Farm nearby and found all the trees have gone dry beyond any recovery. Otherwise we could have made pickles.  He is on the ground zero. He knows what is possible, not possible and what is moving. What are likes and dislikes of villagers.

Ice !! That is what is in his mind.  We have good tasty water. What else is required.  But investment is not small. So I told, let us think more on this further. get more ideas.   But the thought that school children will be sipping ice from sticks is mesmerizing.  Especially in Summer.

But he was still sticking to ice factory. Perhaps he has a point.  He insisted I discuss with Madam (my wife).  I dred that conversation with my lady. It can back fire. I need to prepare the ground for conversation.

Meanwhile I told Subbu that our priority is vegetables, then more vegetables, greens, distribution, organic shoppe, perhaps a cow, milk and then eco tourism.

But he wants ice factory. That is do-able.  "Sir if only you were here, we would have started so many things...."

Farm Update in Visuals - 27th Aug, 2017

Subbu is back in action.  Everyday we speak.  Together what we decided is this  - "Let's Go forward."

Now that we have backup plans in place for water, I told Subbu that we must do something to earn to make this a sustainable even if that is in small sale. Not that we have not attempted in the past, but this year is special in the sense that we have now water security for the first time.   We hope we can continuously grow now.  For marketing in my mind i have the original plan of inviting small vegetable peddlers or sell these vegetables in Nanguneri Town through known people.  In the long run, we may move the produce to further distance or sell through online.

The Windpump is working fine. Subbu had recently replaced a worn out bearing with new and sturdier one purchased from tirunelveli.   Grease is packed.  Only wind is low.  Diseal generator and  pump are working and is very handy.  Only that it consumes around 2 liters (Rs. 60/- ltr) every hour, but provides an assured volume of water for irrigation.   Electricity (single phase) is there, but I need to invest on a pumpset and accessories.  Subbu and team are very strongly asking for it as they calculate that using electricity will work out cheaper than diesal.    That is going to be a huge investment (another post later).  The cost of accessories (pipe, wire) outweighs the cost of pump itself as per preliminary quote obtained.

As promised already, Subbu had created raised mud bars for vegetables.   The choice i left it to him.  No.  he did not listen to my wish list and took his own call. He wants to grow cucumber. He says it is selling Rs. 400 a bag.  I thought myself "what will happen during the harvest time?" everyone will now be sowing cucumber. This is the stupid cycle the farmers go through every time.

I believe he had already sown bringal, cucumber etc.... seeds purchased from Valliyoor.  It must have got germinated by now. These photos are one week old as Subbu's phone was held for repair. Neverthless I am happy that some of the patches that were earlier showing less growth have not been tilled, manured and raised bars are made.  Almost slowly every inch of space of the farm should be growing something or other in coming days. That is the wish.... Praying for one more rain.

The traditional irrigation method.  I cannot influence these guys. They just follow
the same old methods.  Note that the mud is still very dry. Just only one rain had come in the past.  

The shed visible is the generator shed - recently constructed

Good shape of Amla tree

The old coconuts  planted last year have grown. The new ones are sprouting.

Farm Status - 8th August, 2017

What you perceive from what I write about the activity that is happening in the farm is different from what actually is happening.  It is like you create an image in facebook for youself while your actual personality that your family knows about you is different.  It will be interesting and less stressful if both of these are kept in sync. i.e.,   write what you do.  But that is difficult.

Subbu was earlier assigned some duty to also be care-taker of my house in Palayamkottai. That became vacant recently and Subbu had cleaned it up with helpers, locked it. We decided we will wait for good tenants. Earlier experiences were not so good. Ultimately we ended up spending huge
money white-washing after the tenant vacated paying peanuts every month.  The wait was worth it.  A decent family had come and seen. Subbu went couple of times to Palayamkottai to show the house as key was with him. Hopefully the new tenant will shift-in by 15th of this month.

Meanwhile at the farm, there are a few developments. I was speaking to Subbu today who was resting after participating in a temple festival in his village.

1) Now that electricity is there, we wanted to buy a single phase electric deep borewell pump set. It should cost around 22K. Currently we are using a spare one from Subbu's family that is connected to the generator. I have to return this back.  But the sour point is the cost of wire. It will be more than this and therefore the total cost of ownership will be too much. No choice.  Subbu had been waiting for electricity for past 2 years. Now he is restless. He promises we can do full fledged farming once we get the pumpset. Hope so. He also added that he is on the look out for old pumps and good condition wire. These days many are giving up farming and it should be possible to get good ones. that will reduce the cost by half. Hope so we get something in coming days.

2) Wanted to refurbish the windpump properly and set it right so that it works for long time.  It is because of the windpump that we are surviving. It is because of this that tomorrow also we will survive.

3) Subbu is fully convinced that pouring oil (dieseal) and running the show is costly.  Now a days he doesnot even start the generator.  This is good news.  Even to my conciousness I was feeling guilty that I am deviating from natural resources to oil and power.  But that is not to be.

The good old windpump is more adorable. It is proving to be champion. I can say this with authority, because now I have tried dieseal generator and electricity.  The electric power however will be cheaper if it comes through subsidy. personally i will try to reduce its consumption in near future as I know that it is coming from nuclear power.  I must replace this with indigineous concentrated solar power generator. My experiments on that is shelved for time being because of domestic issues. My wife is against me spending time on it as my son is appearing for his SSLC exam this year.....She wants no distraction if not my attention.

4) My alternate business - I have asked Subbu to visit Valliyoor and prepare sprinkler stand. Asked him to prepare a small plot to experiment with few lentils.  He has forgotton what i said few days back. This area needs more work from me.  I visited my own website and found it is not working. I blocked it long back and keep renewing it. But I have to develop a website for advertisement of farm produce. Long term plan. But shortly I need to do something....

5)    I have spent lot of money on purchasing the nursary trees and growing them. But how many of survived and what types ?  I remember sapota, jasmine, citrus trees are growing well.  we need to repeat them only.  In terms of marketable lot what is that i have ?  Only Sapota and jasmine.  Others I have to grow.  I have to try my hands on millets to begin with.

Dire need to start a new Initiative, an alternate business.

Currently the mood in the farm is sober. Still the first rain has not come in two years.  There is complete drought.  People are suffering. I was in general talking over phone to few of villagers who frequent our farm in search of some work.   I do keep creating some work. But it costs to pay the wages.

With this background,  was talking to one of the woman.  Enquired how she is managing her household.  In village when a women especially a widow with  two children have to manage the life  it is very difficult because the options are very limited. They are far and few. In her case she has a cow and some piece of land. It is dry though. Well is also dry. Her sons are studying.

Not long ago, there was an SOS call from her. I promptly helped with some money. That was 3 months back. No call after that.

Last few days back she called to thank me for the timely help. Her son had met with a bike accident and was fractured. Her father was not nearby. She had to manage alone, get him admitted. Now it is healing.

And she went on...after some persistence to narrate what happened she told this........which was very heart breaking.... Said she had attempted to borrow some Rs.1000/- from an old man in that urgency. In return that guy asked for her chastity.  She was so angry and felt helpless, which is when she seemed to have called me for help.

I further understood that molestation is commonly done by people who lend money. They use the helplessness of these hapless mothers.  Something must be done. I cannot leave people whom i know in distress.

I MUST start a small business. I have decided.

Since past few days,  every morning I am discussing with Subbu on starting something in the farm that can employ few people.  I have the fenced farm, electricity, generator and space. Why can't we put them to use?  This small business should provide employment. Must be village based, organic and value add so that we can sell.

May be lemon pickles, Dolls from palm leaves, spices, condiments - whatever is possible. I asked him to explore for new few days, visit the local stores observe what is selling etc.....

I gave assignment to Subbu to make ready the sprinklers which was brought last year. Let us create a vegetable bed. I will sow "manathakkaali", "Sundakkaai" and "moor milagai" to begin with.  We can grow them, sun dry, salt, pack and sell.

I will renew my site www.radhamuralifarms.com and start developing some web pages to attract the customers.  May be try some avenues to book orders. We can also target the well-to-do brahmins who visit nearby town every now and then for some or other festivals.

An idea is born......Let's hope

Pond Mud as manure to the farm

Govt has permitted the farmers to take a scoop of pond mud.  This is like fertilizer.  Especially there are few ponds near our farm (now dry) which will have bird droppings. These are from migratory birds.

Subbu had applied for permission to local village officer. I think it went upto taluk office and came back sanctioned.  He said he took 40 farm loads to his farm.  For myself 10 tracktor loads.  There is no cost for this mud. But the tractor expense is around 300/- per trip.  We also need to spend for labor for spreading this mud.

Hmmmmm.