Showing posts with label rain. Show all posts
Showing posts with label rain. Show all posts
Friday, 3 December 2021
Farm status in Visuals Nov'2021
It is raining crazy throughout southern peninsula. Subbu has sent these photos. The one with water are around his house. Others are our farm. There is knee deep slush and no one can even walk or ply tracktor. It is clay soil
Friday, 16 December 2016
Some Update 16-12-2016
There had been a spate of things past 2 months that kept me away from the blog.
Demonitisation was one very major event that happened affecting all the 130 crore population of India starting 8th November. I was in no mood to write anything since then as I was busy tracking news items literally every hour that is still changing. More about that later.....
The farm is in good shape. Subbu is at his best. After a long spell of dry weather, the farm had received little showers 10 days back. Using that the farm had been ploughed. Without telling me, Subbu had gone ahead and purchased 400 nursary plants of Jasmine teaming with other farmers in neighbourhood from the city of Nagapatinam. I guess he had planted them.
There is no rain now. The rain season that was supposed to be ON is no where to be seen. There had been two cyclones hitting southern peninsula, but they crossed shore around Chennai, north of the farm at 600 kilometers.
Farmers are at cross roads and are anticipating drought this year. This is 3rd consequtive year without rains. It is a challenge.
I want to take this challenge. I told Subbu to work out a scheme as follows;
a) Go to nearby market and observe.
b) Due to demonitisation (removal of 86% of currency from the market by the Government), there is scarcity of cash. Agriculture / farmers are dumping at the yards at throw away prices as they cannot afford. But this is temperory. very soon, with this bitter feedback they will restrict cultivation. which means the price will sky rocket.
c) look for opportunity what vegetables that can be grown at this season which others are not growing.
d) Let us employ few who are out of work due to demonitisation. Let us create some jobs.
e) Let us grow something. If it fails also ok.
I have not spoken to him for few days now.
Demonitisation was one very major event that happened affecting all the 130 crore population of India starting 8th November. I was in no mood to write anything since then as I was busy tracking news items literally every hour that is still changing. More about that later.....
The farm is in good shape. Subbu is at his best. After a long spell of dry weather, the farm had received little showers 10 days back. Using that the farm had been ploughed. Without telling me, Subbu had gone ahead and purchased 400 nursary plants of Jasmine teaming with other farmers in neighbourhood from the city of Nagapatinam. I guess he had planted them.
There is no rain now. The rain season that was supposed to be ON is no where to be seen. There had been two cyclones hitting southern peninsula, but they crossed shore around Chennai, north of the farm at 600 kilometers.
Farmers are at cross roads and are anticipating drought this year. This is 3rd consequtive year without rains. It is a challenge.
I want to take this challenge. I told Subbu to work out a scheme as follows;
a) Go to nearby market and observe.
b) Due to demonitisation (removal of 86% of currency from the market by the Government), there is scarcity of cash. Agriculture / farmers are dumping at the yards at throw away prices as they cannot afford. But this is temperory. very soon, with this bitter feedback they will restrict cultivation. which means the price will sky rocket.
c) look for opportunity what vegetables that can be grown at this season which others are not growing.
d) Let us employ few who are out of work due to demonitisation. Let us create some jobs.
e) Let us grow something. If it fails also ok.
I have not spoken to him for few days now.
Friday, 13 November 2015
Rain, Rain only Rain
It has been raining like Dog in the farm for the past few days. Not only here but the entire Tamil Nadu is drenched. Due to a low pressure in the atmosphere or some cyclone, there is continuous water flow. Some more rain is predicted by Met man.
As far Subbu, he is not getting the manpower. Currently all are busy sowing in various fields. Even obtained, there is rain and water logging to do any useful farm work. We should wait for water to recede. I can only give lecture over phone on organic farming, energy independence and power generation in captivity. I asked him to send photos of the farm with water. Even for this he is unable to venture out.
There has been serious causalities in this part recently due to lightning strike. One should not venture in two wheeler in country side, lest you become the lightning arrestor.
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Reports The Hindu Paper as follows
Rain lashes Tamil Nadu; schools, colleges closed
Updated: November 13, 2015 12:04 IST
Heavy rainfall brought daily life to a grinding halt across Tamil Nadu, as seven districts announced holidays for schools and colleges.
Tirunelveli, Chennai, Tiruvallur, Kanchipuram, Tiruvannamalai and Vellore districts have announced a day’s holiday for schools and colleges, while Kanyakumari’s District Collector has announced a holiday for schools.
Many parts of Chennai were marooned under water after a torrential downpour since Thursday night.
Puzhal recorded the highest volume of 21 cm rainfall on Friday. The weather stations in chennai and Meenambakkam recoded 15 cm and 12 cm respectively following a thunderstorm.
According to the IMD bulletin, the trough of low at mean sea over south Andaman sea and neighbourhood now lies over south Andaman Sea and adjoining southeast Bay of Bengal. It is likely to develop into a low pressure area over southeast Bay of Bengal and neighbourhood during next two days
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Friday, 17 October 2014
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.
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. |
Sunday, 28 September 2014
Rain Rain and Rain !
There is very heavy rain pouring over our farm since 3 PM today !. Subbu called me to convey this good news. Next 10 days there is no work of watering. I felt joy after many months. Now I fully understand what a joy the rain would bring to every farmer.
I guess this is the North East monsoon setting in. As per metrological report, the South West Monsoon has already receded, officially. While the entire India is looking dry, the rains have started in peninsular India. We are in Rainshadow region, the south west monsoon, blocked by a range of montains (white line in the picture). Whereast the north west monsoon is free to reach the place. Hence we are confined only to 4 months of rain in a year.
I guess we need to act fast from now onwards.
a) We have the rainwater storage tank excavated and kept ready. Need to observe water logging areas and create furrows for guiding the water to the pit.
b) Need to scatter the navadhanya (Nine grains) seeds as much as possible to enrich the soil with biomass. The process is as follows; Purchase a kilo or two of each of the seeds from different categories such as oil seeds, millets, food grains, green cover etc, mix them and spread on the field. Then 45 days later when the plants grow, before the flowering stage, till the soil to smash them. The organic matter will decay and create a richness to the soil.
c) Need to source local vegetable seeds
d) Need to identify one or two millets in large quantity for small commercial scale farming. Millets are in demand and I guess we can start experimenting with them first.
****
I guess we need to act fast from now onwards.
a) We have the rainwater storage tank excavated and kept ready. Need to observe water logging areas and create furrows for guiding the water to the pit.
b) Need to scatter the navadhanya (Nine grains) seeds as much as possible to enrich the soil with biomass. The process is as follows; Purchase a kilo or two of each of the seeds from different categories such as oil seeds, millets, food grains, green cover etc, mix them and spread on the field. Then 45 days later when the plants grow, before the flowering stage, till the soil to smash them. The organic matter will decay and create a richness to the soil.
c) Need to source local vegetable seeds
d) Need to identify one or two millets in large quantity for small commercial scale farming. Millets are in demand and I guess we can start experimenting with them first.
****
Wednesday, 13 August 2014
Farm Update 13-Aug-2014
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| Rainfall History for 10 years near my Farm |
The rain is not likely to come untill October. Therefore we have 1.5 months to go. That is a challenge and I should endure this, I should demonstrate survival on a dry land.
Wind Water pump is working fine. Daily we are able to get between 2000 liters to 5000 liters of water. It is enough to maintain the trees kept around the fence. Water is poured in alternate days per plant.
I have asked the team to go at full hog planting all vegetables around the tower in small sections. This is basically to test the whole system, learn and generate more seeds. All these are indigenous varities. Brinjal, tomato, ladies finger etc. There is also some millets sown to experiment.
The water pressure is enough to create sprinkler system to start i guess. I have asked subbu to purchase a sprinkler of brass make, get that welded to a tripod and start using for vegetable plots. The problem is the sprinkler guns are not available in Valliyoor. One has to go to Tirunelveli and for welding to go to valliyoor. This is scheduled for tomorrow. Meanwhile there is also one idea. Of attaching a shower head to the flexible tube and using it to spray water to the tender plants.
Meanwhile the large water storage tank (Fish tank) is completed in its construction. The bottom concrete for a thickness of 6 inches was prepared manually and poured last wednesday. The brick walls are in place. There are two support slanting structures on each side at a spacing of 10 feet to support the 25 feet side, just as in a dam to hold the wall tight. The tank appears to be elegant as per Subbu and is large with 25 feet x 10 feet x 5 feet dimension. The inside wall will be cemented today/tomorrow. The outside wall will be left as is (with bricks visible). If required a red color can be given. No white washing, I told subbu. The tank should slowly merge with background with growth of moss around. That should look beautiful.
The excess water from windmill should be stored in this tank. Hopefully this should help during drought months.
At pune there is a workshop scheduled to be conducted by Subhash Palekar, a noted natural farmer on the topic "Zero budget Natural Farming" I will try and attend the same.
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