LEARNING BY DOING

As a part of NRM on organic farming through vermi compost, we had an on farming orientation program at Orbenga, Tetartoli & Rokedega village where, the farmers of RAI & BUDHU TOLI village of FUDI PANCHAYATA, KHUNTI SCIAF PROJECT were participated and privileged to learn on things with the help of biological process and specially work with living organisms or in other words we can say that it involves large scale application of bio-systems for economic and efficient bio-processing of material to produce value added bio-products where, earthworms producing a byproduct called vermi Compost. Also they very much privileged to made a vermi bed there by their own during the practical exercise and know more about the key benefit of Vermi compost: -

 Increased microbial activity in the soil.

 Improved water holding capability in the soil.

 Higher nutrient levels and availability of those nutrients to the plant.

 Increased decomposing of residuals.

 Increased Humus levels.

 Less compaction leading to better aerated soils.

Decrease in plant and soil susceptibility to pest and disease.

Also privileged to learn about low cost SRI cultivation of Paddy, Diversification of Crop through Maize and Arhar in Kharif Season apart from Paddy as a main crop and many more...

Warm Welcome by Orbenga Community 

Sharing of technology on SRI by Orbenga farmers with demonstrating Cono weeder 

Farm Pond at Orbenga

Farmers of Rai & Budhu Toli are trying their hands with Cono Weeder in SRI field at Orbenga village

Sharing on Crop Demonstration of Maize and Arhar at Rokedega

For the first time in Rokedega...

Last month Mr. Nelson, H.O.D Has visited Orbenga, Tetartoli & Rokedega villages of Palkot area on 29^th & 30^th of August. During his staying, he visited the NRM works and interact with community people to know the change brought through this intervention. 

Farm Pond at Rokedega village ensuring the irrigation for 6 acres of Lands with double crop for the first time 

Farmers of Rokedega having Tomato at their field with line showing for the first time in kharif season

Farmers of Rokedega have done Maize and Arhar as main crop in Kharif season for the first time 

Jaivik Pathshala...

Jaivik Pathshala...

Farmers in our target villages are vulnerable due to fragile ecosystem, lack of access to inputs, lack of appropriate technology and lack of access to market. Conventional farming has been followed for more than two decades, which usually has deleterious effects on the soil fertility due to imbalance and improper use of agrochemicals leading to a gradual soil decline as well as in the agriculture productivity coupled with the increase in the cost of crop production only. Taking the above mentioned problems into cognisance, Agrarian Prosperity Program, Palkot initiated organic farming in its target area as it is environmentally sound, resource-conserving, economically viable, socially supportive and commercially competitive.

Organic farming is the agriculture system which aims at cultivation of the land in a way so that the soil is kept dynamic with living organism and in good health, with keeping environment clean, maintaining ecological balance and providing stability to the production level without polluting soil, water and air. Organic farming promotes sustainable food production, eliminates the use of costly agrochemicals thereby reducing the cost of agriculture production and hence, affording the opportunities to earn more. Furthermore, innovation in farming system, especially the diversification into high value commodities and value-added possessing activities may bring improvements in the productivity of farm household. So based on this above concern, Agrarian Prosperity Program organised an On-farm Orientation training program for women farmers, where 21 women farmers participated and privileged to learn on things with the help of biological process and specially work with living organisms, in other words we can say that it involves large scale application of bio-systems for economic and efficient bio-processing of material to produce value added bio-products where, earthworms producing a by-product called vermi Compost. Also they very much privileged to made a vermi bed there by their own during the practical exercise and know more about the key benefit of Vermi compost: -

      Increased water holding capability & microbial activity in the soil.

      Higher nutrient levels and availability of those nutrients to the plant.

      Increased decomposing of residuals.

      Increased Humus levels.

      Less compaction leading to better aerated soils.

      Decrease in plant and soil susceptibility to pest and disease.

Smoke free low carbon Lifestyle…

 This is the story about Smt. Muni Devi, a 50 years old woman is living in Rokedega village. Rokedega is remote village surrounded by forest and mountain. People of this village are mostly dependent on forest and agriculture produce. They use to have earthen chulha for their cooking and have to collect fire wood from forest and cow dung in a daily basis. The major problem with traditional Chulha (oven) is smoke inside the house created by burning wood, dung and crop waste as it requires lot of woods for cooking. It often causes acute respiratory, ear, and eye infections. While using she was feeling breathlessness, chest discomfort, and headaches but had no option for her to take any alternative. One day she came to know about smoke less chulha in a community meeting through Agrarian Prosperity Program and made a request along with other community women. Now on receiving the smokeless chulha, she was so delighted to have the advantages like: -

• Conservation of Firewood
• Provides smoke free hygienic cooking atmosphere
• Reductions in Health hazards
• Reductions in cooking time
• Helps avoid deforestation

The installation of smokeless chulha was innovations introduced to enable rural people of Daupani. The village women usually spent about 6 hours everyday in collecting firewood (for cooking and for selling), which could be reduced by introducing some improvisations. A majority of villagers usually cook on a two brick Chulha (earthen burner), which over a period of time is responsible for lung disease and blurred vision. The smokeless chulha technology (through APP project it has been provided to the community members at a cost of INR 2000 with beneficiary contribution of INR 100) has contributed to the villagers using less firewood, besides having salutary effects on their health and eyesight. More importantly, the time saved can be utilized by them towards increasing their economic gains. At present people under this project are more or less dependent on the forest for income and use. In case of continuing with the traditional oven for few more years will further reduce the vegetative cover in the degraded rocky hillocks and also deteriorate health of the women and children to a great extent

On asking she shared: - I use to go to the forest for collection of fire woods, cow dung, which consume a lot of time. Also while cooking my house was full of smoke like others in our village, but since I used the smoke less chulha, I am feeling healthy as there is no smoke at all and I like it very much as I can cook rice with one or two wood, where I can save my wood, my time of collecting wood from forest, spending in other works. So thank you very much to APP for giving such materials.

Water… Builds Life Better…

Water… Builds Life Better…

It was impossible but we made it possible this year with Agrarian Prosperity Program, say the villagers of Dahupani. They have successfully got the crop yield. Well, this not about regular cropping but they have done it for two times in a single year. This is quite amazing because previously they used to manage it for only a single time. The reason had to depend only on rainwater. But they have the desired water facilities for irrigation.

Last year the farmers of Dahupani had made up their minds to make some alternative arrangements to provide irrigational water facilities to their dried cultivable land. Apparently they decided to share their concern to APP in this regard. Firstly, they made a very good survey at the village level to find out a suitable location and source for irrigational water and they concluded to go for spring well repair and renovation to fulfil their irrigation requirement as well as the cleanliness of the water which is also a good source of drinking water.

Since the villagers are very much focused to make some difference at their village, they actively contributed time and labour to complete the canal Construction work. The village development committee had finalized the water management plan, which was fairly acceptable to all the farmers. Multiple cropping was just only a dream for the farmers of that village, which is possible now because of their participation with APP. Today 10 to 15 poor farmers having 10 acres of lands are in a stage where they can think and plan for the future of their children.

"Yesterday’s dream became the reality of today."

Agrarian Prosperity programme

400 farmers will go for SRI farming during the season