Organic Farming is the ‘in’ thing. Everyone is talking about it and many want to become an Organic Farmer themselves. Even movie stars are into it now. There are separate racks in stores for organic produce and even certain beauty products are being labeled as organic now. There are multiple ‘free’ organic farming webinars being offered on social media on a daily basis. Though not very common, but still business models are being sold based on organic farming. Art projects are being developed based it (though I wont call them Art projects). Even I have used this term in my … Continue reading “What is Organic Farming Anyway”
Tag: Organic Farming
Organic Farming for Mitigating Climate Change
Thanks to Greta Thunberg, people around the world have been woken up to climate change crisis. Some critics have already termed it as just a passing fad and some have also harshly criticized the demands of climate strike group as lop sided and even French media has warned that her radical ways could end up depressing a generation. Despite the criticism, we can not ignore the passion and effort of a young 16 year old, which for sure has brought about a much needed disruption in the collective slumber of the world. Along with climate activists there has also been the rise of … Continue reading “Organic Farming for Mitigating Climate Change”
How to Save Tomato Seeds for Planting Next Year
This winter has been a bad phase for our garden. Almost 70% of our produce has either been eaten away or destroyed by monkeys. Only root vegetables like radish, carrots, turnips etc have been spared by the monkeys. All kind of beans have been eaten away. In some cases the young leaves too have been eaten in all types of bean plants not allowing them even to grow. Cabbage heads have been half eaten and then left. Tomatoes, Eggplants have not only been eaten , they have also been plucked and thrown around in the garden. Monkey attacks have become … Continue reading “How to Save Tomato Seeds for Planting Next Year”
How to Grow Brinjal in Containers
Fire roasted brinjal (or eggplant or aubergine) smashed with chopped onions, chilies and a little mustard oil is a dish that is smoky, sweet, gooey, meaty, hot and above all irresistible. It is an absolute favorite here in my part of the world. In fact eggplant is one of the most used vegetables in Odia cooking. Its goodness can really be enjoyed to the fullest if it is organically grown and is of indigenous variety. Brinjal being a perennial vegetable in tropical weather, it can be planted any time and it can be enjoyed throughout the year. In this post … Continue reading “How to Grow Brinjal in Containers”
How to Prepare Garden Soil for Organic Vegetable Garden
Sometime back one of our readers wrote to us about his ridge gourd plant that he was growing in his backyard vegetable garden. And he wanted to know if there is any special way to prepare garden soil for farming in the backyard. I am making this post to help him out on preparing a raised bed garden. And I am sure this will be useful to many others who want grow organic vegetables in raised vegetable beds. In organic farming and especially in natural farming as made famous by Masanobu Fukuoka we follow a ‘no till’, ‘no dig’ method of farming. … Continue reading “How to Prepare Garden Soil for Organic Vegetable Garden”
Benefits of Gardening : Infographics
One of our reader Peter Kimzey of Yo Innovation came up with an infographics on benefits of gardening and shared with us. We liked it and after some minor changes that we suggested the infographics looked really good. So we decided to share it with you. Thank you Peter for this beautiful and informative image. If any of you would like to share anything useful here do let us know by dropping a mail at [email protected].
Update on Urban Farming Training
In April this month we announced our Summer Course on Urban Farming on facebook and got a overwhelming response. And our first course on Organic Urban Farming Training commenced in May 20017. Our course was designed with the following objectives. Sensitize participants on the problems with the food we eat today and the food and nutrition gap we are facing now. Make participants aware of all major aspects of Organic Urban Farming which are Choosing Containers and preparing them Preparing potting soil Choosing appropriate vegetables Preparation of organic fertilizer and soil conditioners Composting and recycling techniques Water management Soil management … Continue reading “Update on Urban Farming Training”
Amrut Jal for Plants – Preparation and Usage
In an earlier post I wrote about how to prepare and use Panchagavya. Panchagavya is an excellent pest repellent, foliar spray and fertilizer for your plants. In our garden we use it mostly as a foliar spray and pest repellent. That is because the recipe of Panchagavya calls for a wait period of 18 days, but it can be stored for 2 months time. Hence it is convenient to make one batch of Panchagavya every two months and use small quantities as a pest repellent. For fertilizing the plants we use two other cow dung based solutions. Namely Amrut Jal and … Continue reading “Amrut Jal for Plants – Preparation and Usage”
How to Grow Okra in Pots Organically
Okra (Bhindi in Hindi and Bhendi in Odia) also known as ladies finger is a very generous plant. A single plant produces one to three fruits daily over a period of 50-60 days. Six to Eight okra plants are enough to meet the vegetable needs for a family of four for a single meal. On top of that Growing Okra in Pots Organically is completely hassle free. Ladies finger is a native African plant and is a close relative of hibiscus. Okra flowers have beautiful color and look similar to hibiscus flowers. Its leaves also have a nice star shaped design. Hence a … Continue reading “How to Grow Okra in Pots Organically”
Growing Long Beans in Containers
Yardlong beans, asparagus beans, Chinese long beans are different names for what is commonly known as long beans. This is a tropical and subtropical climate vegetable which is a favorite vegetable in Asian countries. The bean pods generally grow around 12-20 inches and are tender, crisp with a beautiful texture. You can eat it stir fried, pan fried, steamed and in curries. You can even eat it raw. But in raw form it tastes best when you grow it in your own Organic Terrace Garden. One of the very interesting aspect of this plant is that it grows quickly and fruits … Continue reading “Growing Long Beans in Containers”