By Carmo Noronha
(The article is a reflection on a system of sustainability in agriculture that Bethany Society has experimented with over the last decade. It does not seek to compete with other such systems which may be far more efficient, but it certainly does not support chemical based practices. The ultimate goal is soil regeneration through natural means, food security, climate resilience, quality and efficiency of food production, reduction of drudgery and inclusion. We are all in this together!)
Saw Aiom, a small inclusive Self Help Group from Mawkisyiem Village, Sohra, East Khasi Hills, Meghalaya has been selected for this year’s Chief Minister’s Award for implementing quality natural farming and livestock enterprises.
This success story did not come out of the blue! In 2019, the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH invited Bethany Society (a nonprofit organisation that provides technical aid to farmers) to showcase innovative practices that promoted climate resilient agriculture in Kenbah Malai village, East Khasi Hills District, Meghalaya. Model units of kitchen gardens were set up in the village using Integrated Natural farming Technology and the active involvement of and constant follow by the farmers from the village has resulted in over twenty households adopting this method of kitchen gardening. The village now plans to have a kitchen garden in every household by the year 2025.
Is it possible to continue to grow nutritious food for ourselves and our children while experiencing wild fluctuations in climatic conditions? A phenomenon experienced by us all, at regular intervals, in the last decade. Is it possible for agriculture to survive in the way we have known it? Are we moving towards an era of food insecurity?
It is with these questions in mind that we decided to experiment with the concept of Integrated Natural Farming developed around a homestead garden. The leading questions were : 1) Could this provide nutritious balanced meals to the population of Meghalaya which has been in the limelight for all the wrong reasons 1 when it comes to nutrition and wellness? 2) Was it possible to develop climate resilient communities and soils? The answer lies in the regeneration of living beneficial micro-organism communities in the soil through committed human communities.
Bethany Society decided to design for sustainability, based on the principles of Zero Waste and entitled the programme – building soils and communities community forests – our teachers
Forests have been the life force and custodians of wisdom for our ancestors and are ideal learning spaces for imbibing the principles of Zero Waste. In forests there is no concept of waste. Instead there are resources and cyclic systems. What is not required by one system is utilized by another system. There are bacteria and fungi and other beneficial micro-organisms which work on material that is surplus, populate the soil and make it alive and ready to prepare food for the plants. Feed the soil and not the plants is the “mantra” of natural food growers around the world.
Refuse, Reduce, Reuse, Recycle – this sequence is not to be tampered with and is a simple solution towards achieving zero waste! If the only curriculum designed from pre-school to college focuses on moderation, most problems could be solved through opportunities for communication, creativity, critical thinking and collaboration. This would lead to the development of a highly educated, life-long learner population, where content and textbooks are only at the service of problem solving. We should seek to learn more from the forest where its ecosystems function by the interaction of soil, trees, insects, birds and animals.
Equipped with these bacteria and fungi from the forest, our soils can be enriched to develop climate resilient agriculture and food security solutions at the door step of the homestead. The system can handle all organic matter such as weeds, vegetable and fruit waste, dry leaves and grass and convert it into food for other organisms. The widely practiced linear system of ‘use and throw’ needs to be discarded and a new system should be developed. The principles of Ethics, Efficiency and Economics should form the backbone of the new system!
The living soil factory
So how does this system work in a sustainable manner? It revolves around a livestock unit. For reduced space availability, (50-100) chickens work very well. An ideal size would be 10 feet by 15 feet. A trench 2 feet deep is dug and into this is added all discarded waste such as waste food, weeds, leaves, charcoal powder, wood shavings and saw dust from carpentry shops, kwai husk, coconut husk, and soil. This is infused with Lactic Acid Bacteria, produced from rice wash (which is generally thrown away many people) and fungi and bacteria from the forest. The aim is to mimic the forest floor. After about three weeks, the covered unit is ready to welcome the chickens. Waste food, mixed with ten percent commercial feed and natural farming concoctions is prepared for the chickens. Clean water supply infused with Lactic Acid Bacteria is vital.
The chickens and beneficial micro-organisms are the heroes of the system. They will demolish anything that is edible and their strong limbs, turn the floor and aerate the material. This converts the discards not required in one system into living soil for growing food. The droppings of the birds, which are odourless, add invaluable nutrients to the soil. With proper monitoring and feeding, compost is ready for use within three to six months. The unit can produce 10 tons of compost every six months.
Food security
This living soil infused with a community of micro-organisms, is now available for a community of humans, to produce food for a community of children. The colour, crunch and taste of daily fresh vegetables is food for the body and soul! The compost can be sifted and fed to worms for producing designer compost for high end users. . The un-sifted matter goes back into the unit or sold as mulch for vegetable and flower beds. Fresh eggs and chicken are sources of protein for improved nutrition! It’s a non-stop factory of soil production producing rich compost and fattened birds. Within five months chickens weigh between two to four kilograms. A small mushroom unit uses straw collected after the harvest to further improve nutrition and enhance income.
Raised vegetable beds are designed for vegetable production for promoting conservation of soil and moisture. This also promotes “no-till” farming, so humans can enjoy leisure while the system does the work! Raised beds of one foot height, can produce a continuous harvest of fresh vegetables and salads. If dried eggshells or dried banana skins are powdered and mixed with wood ash and added to the compost, 27 nutrients needed by plants are supplied. A daily dose of liquid manure early morning or late evening, produces even better results.
The “key-hole” garden is another innovation which combines all the systems into one. It is a composting cum food production system which uses organic discards and converts these into food for vegetables in a key-hole shaped unit raised three feet above the ground. This unit produces a continuous harvest of vegetables and compost.
This is a model bringing together the principles of Refuse, Reduce, Reuse and Recycle, Zero Waste and the Ethics, Efficiency and Economic Model of Climate Resilient Agriculture and enterprises.
Pest management
An overnight an attack of pests on beautiful green leaves, vegetables and fruits just ripening can deflate and frustrate many enthusiasts and large scale farmers. In the absence of organic solutions, it is perhaps understandable that farmers see the use of pesticides as the best solution. There are no simple solutions, as is the case with humans contracting illnesses despite taking all precautions. Natural farming follows the principle of plant positive and not pest negative. Constant vigil to ensure quality soil and observing pest attacks is essential. Spreading broken egg shells around plants and being regular in spraying with the liquid manure reduces pest attacks. Bamboo vinegar diluted 1:1000 works very well as do many of the organic inputs traditionally used by farmers over the years.
Conclusion:
There are no end to end solutions and in a learning space there are continuous Learn, Unlearn and Relearn Practices. Did we learn from the programme? Yes, we did and it does provide a glimmer of hope. Has it produced enhanced and quality food? Yes, say the farmers! But, we still have a long way to go to ensure sustainable solutions!
However, if you do need to grow your own fresh vegetables and use the compost for your flowers using the system and contribute to cleaning Shillong, contact 9436119808, visit our counter in Lady Veronica Lane and/or take a short course. All inputs have been taken through open source.
Our chickens have taught us that Shillong can be the cleanest city in the world – all we need to do is ‘Feed the Chickens’
This initiative with Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH has led to more than one thousand families practicing the technologies!
The writer is Executive Director, Bethany Society, Shillong and can be reached at [email protected]
Disclaimer:
The views expressed in this article are personal and do not represent Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH as an organisation.