Go Natural

Organic food has lately become a buzz word. In Bengaluru, we have dedicated restaurants dishing out treats made of organic ingredients; stores selling bountiful organic groceries, vegetables or ‘nati tarkari’. But do you know that not all organic is natural but all natural is organic? Sounds profound?

Having made the choice to go organic and natural, I decided to delve a little deep into the ‘what’, ‘how’ and ‘why’ of it. My conversation with Mr Sivanath, a farmer who practices ‘natural farming’, educated me further. So here are some truths, facts and wisdom.

Meet the man

Meeting us at the gate of Sivanik Farm was this unassuming, smiling first-time ‘natural’ farmer Mr Sivanath. Having been in the Merchant Navy for many years, Sivanath moved to the Telecommunication world, but he soon got tired of listening to others’ instructions. He decided to retire and exited the Telecommunication industry at the age of forty five. But the entrepreneur in him took over and he plunged into the world of farming! 

The Journey
The whole journey started in 2013 when he bought the 10 acre plot near Hosur. Hailing from a non-agricultural background, Sivanath did his homework well. He read a lot of books; spoke to agriculturists and the engineer in him devised a feasible plan. Armed with his project plan, he was raring to go. But life always has the habit of throwing a googly at you, when you least expect it. His intention was to ‘manage’ a farm, but he ended up toiling on the farm, literally!

The first challenge came in the form of ensuring water for the farm. He got a geologist who identified 3 points on his land but gave no assurance about getting water! After spending 36 hours on the farm sleeping in his car, he finally managed to get the bore well company to arrive and start the work. At 48 hours he hit gold. He got water. But his struggle didn’t end there. The next was labor.

Right from their attitude to beliefs, Sivanath faced all labor issues which would be a nightmare for any HR professional.  He struggled to make them understand that crops can grow without UREA and DAP! Every stage of farming posed a number of hurdles. But his positive attitude, willingness to learn from his errors has ensured that his farm is running and ready to give its first harvest.

Natural Farming

My first question to him was whether there is any difference between  organic and natural. According to his studies, in conventional organic farming, there are external elements which are used to control and stimulate various phases of plant growth. But in natural farming you do not control anything, but only facilitate.

Sivanath practices the “Zero budget Farming’ method propagated by Subhash Palekar. Here, without adding anything from outside, the plants grow and produce.  It means all the nutrients needed for the growth and production is available around the plant itself. There is no need to add anything from outside.

Soil is a living platform, but the excessive use of chemicals / pesticides destroy all the natural microbes and earthworms. This renders the land useless in no time. In natural farming, soil is nurtured and stimulated. Sivanath uses jaggery, red gram, cow dung and cow urine and supplies it to the plants through drip irrigation. This stimulates the microbes and earthworms which are deep in the ground to come to the surface and do the work that they have been doing for billions of years. This solution is called” jeevamrutha”- the one that gives life. The engineer in him has automated majority of the process. To supplement the electricity, he has also put huge solar panels  which are capable of running his water pump and also provide electricity to his little farm house.

In natural farming you grow a combination of vegetables,  fruits and leguminous plants. This mixed cropping method ensures enough soil nutrients and the leguminous plants fix nitrogen in the soil. He has planted toor, drumstick, papaya, guava, marigold, pomegranate and mango. But how does he ensure that insects are kept at bay? To avoid insects Sivanath has planted marigold plant which serves dual purpose- it is medicinal in nature and attracts all the insects, thus protecting the rest of the crops. Apart from this he also uses a mix of neem, cow urine, garlic and chilli for pest control. To ensure supply of saplings and their quality, he has started his own nursery.

Like any farm, you will find cattle, chicken, dogs and other animals at Sivanik farm.  The cattle he owns are of native breed and serve a major purpose. Here is the wisdom: The cattle not only provide him adequate dung for manure but since they are native breed, the good bacteria in their gut is extremely good and suitable for the lands and crops. Also, they are sturdy enough to withstand our climate. This dung is also used to generate biogas for his kitchen and the leftover waste from biogas plant becomes manure for the crops. 

In fact a natural farm has a very unkempt look compared to the regular ‘neat’ symmetrical farms we are accustomed to. The reason is that, all the weeds that are weeded are left in the same place. Repeated weeding, adds more layers. Soon, they become thick enough to block the sunlight, preventing further growth of weeds. So naturally it becomes a weed-free land!

Now, Sivanath is waiting for his first harvest. He has invited an international accreditation body to certify his farm. But was he never deterred? He says that it was his sense of social responsibility has kept him motivated. He wants to demonstrate that you can grow, eat and live a natural way of life! He hopes that his efforts and experience can help those who take up farming. So here are some tips he shared.

 10 tips to be a ‘farmer’

1. Buy land that is feasible – If farming is a hobby for you , then a 2 acre plot would be great
2. Read and talk to lot of people who are already in the ‘field ’before you pick up that plough
3. Be ready to get your hands ‘dirty’
4. Go natural- It’s the way of life
5. It’s not a one man/woman show- you need labor and help. Especially if you come from a non- agricultural background
6. Hone your interpersonal skills to deal with government official&
7. Ensure you have enough funds
8. High IQ - Agriculture is the most intelligent job. You deal with living beings, weather             other elements which need to be nurture 
9. Perseverance, patience and more of that
10. HR skills - will come in handy while dealing with labor

I came back with a profound sense of respect and happiness. Respect for our farmers who toil tirelessly and happy that I chose to go natural; probably a tad wiser too. May your tribe increase, Mr Sivanath!