Showing posts with label rains. Show all posts
Showing posts with label rains. Show all posts

Tuesday, 31 December 2019

Farm Status 31-Dec-2019

It has been a long pending work to update this blog.   I am not sure when and where I left.  but I just  simply got myself lost in time. And facebook. And politics threatning the country. Once a gap forms, it takes effort to get back to this routine. 


One of the reasons for this procrastination is, not knowing where to re-start after the gap.  Some of you may be thinking nothing is happening in my farm because of no information.  It is partially true. Though nothing spectacular was happening several good things were happening too. 


The other reason of not updating is ofcourse is to blame Subbu for not providing enough photos or news about farm.  His camera phone is in horrible condition with broken touch screen. Subbu and his entire family have defunct phones. All of a sudden his Oppo phone went bad. His wife phone also went bad.  Screen became dark, may be broken. He tried his best travelling to Valliyoor and Tirunelveli towns.


No hope of repairing due to frequent technology change. Villagers are deeply affected. He is barely able to attend phone with his dark screen. He went through several such issues.  It is because of this, he was unable to send any pictures for several months now. Only upon repeat followup, he uploaded some pictures (camera is working) from his phone blindly.  I am also not sponsoring him any new phone or camera which i used to do earlier. I am just waiting for him to buy a new phone himself.  And he has several excuses for not prioritising this.


He often keeps it switched off also (to avoid his irate customers in cable business). Subbu himself had issues in his own cable TV business. Recently due to rains and thunder lightning, some transmitter box got repaired. Only the company (Sun Network) can give replacement worth 45K. He went all the way to Chennai and got it after few days of stay.


Subbu has now three children growing fast. He had purchased an old car (for 60K) and enjoying shuttling in that. He went Tirupati. He was working for his monther-in-law to build her house and so on...... Overall he is enjoying his life.


Let me summarise the current status of farm as follows.


a) Farm is going good as per my own standards. As usual for my spouse, it is a white elephant or a liability and nothing seems to be happening. She may not be knowing several of small developments I better not discuss to invite more warth.  They are reserved for a future only when things frutify. Ladies donot appreciate efforts.


b) Last month I invested on new fruit trees. Useful fruit bearing trees were purchased from Ramji Nursery, Nagarcoil. I left it to Subbu to make a choice. I also spoke to nursary in charge. For purchasing,  I had to compel Subbu to get going with this initiative, because there is heavy rain in the farm.  He always excuses for heavy sunshine or heavy rain. But Only during these two months, ground will be wet and is a right time to plant trees.


Now they are planted in and around the white cement tank, a not so fertail patch. It is better to dot every space with some trees. My earlier hope of growing vegetables is kept aside mainly due to lack of interest from Subbu and Kandan.


I hope trees are the only visual filler that can show productivity over time. Trees will also be easy to maintain for Kandan with his frequent absentia.  The seasonal crops or vegetables, unless carefully grown and sold, will not be appreciated. They also require lot of labor and supervision and crop maintenance.  I am encouraging them to plant few vegetable crops for their own use (to engage them).


c) Paramu, the carpenter friend had his family issues. His son who is teenager ran away with a girl another teen ager.  Both from same village, same caste.  It has become police case. He is depressed and down due to that. I have asked subbu not to depend on paramu for any work. This time, I compelled Subbu to make a cement platform under the windpump tower to install the water amplifier frame which is kept aside for several months now.  Now it is in its place and is working. (I cannot appreciate unless I see a photo)


d) At the farm, there had been heavy rains and almost floods. The wall of adjascent pond was raised by local farmers. Now due to more water, our farm is flooded.  The walls of underground toilet sink which was nothing but a mud pit without reinforcement is broken. I asked subbu to first fence it. Once water is less, we can attend to rebuilding it. It is not much used.  Now after a week, it is dry.


I need to speak to Subbu for two things to be done this week.


a) Secure the electric wire which is not so well supported by pole. The wire that extends inside the farm from gate to the generator room is having a loop that is very low.


b) Build the proper pit for the toilet, that which got damaged in rains.







Wednesday, 22 April 2015

Farm Update 22-April-2015

There had been heavy rain for a day in the farm. today is very sunny as per Subbu.  I asked if we got enough water into "our pond".  He said the pond is full and fishes are not visible. They tried to catch them but with no success.  I told him to drag the net or buy a fishing rod.

Anyway I am happy. The farm must be rejuvenating with different life forms. I am scheduled to visit next week myself.  It must be visual treat.

Meanwhile Subbu is busy building the long pending shade roof for resting.  The earlier one which stood for 4 years had fallen few months back.  From then I have been planning to build a new one. Except for a small room near the gate, there is no shade for workers.

Finally the iron pipes have been purchased from Vailliyoor, a nearby town.  Costing Rs 45 to 60/- per KG of iron depending on thickness, the pipes were purchased with reasonable thickness to withstand weight. They are not new pipes.  To keep costs minimal he had gone for scarp pipes. That is good from environment recycling point.

Earlier we thought of going for stone pillars, but we could not get them as there is police raid going ON for many months in this part.  There is BAN on movement of any vehicle carrying stone, mud or sand.

The following material goes into making a large shade roofing.

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

The entire focus is also put into cleaning the farm devoid of unwanted grass etc.  He has hired two ladies on part time for cutting weeds.   Subbu wants to make sure the farm look more tidy before I come.  I did want to intervene and draw other priorities, as I donot want to disturb the spirit and flow.

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