It was in 1987 that Raghavendra Rao
and Shylaja Rao met Masanobu Fukuoka, the patron saint of natural farming.
Fukuoka, author of One Straw Revolution, a book that served as a
principal catalyst of alternate thinking for young minds across the globe, had
come on a visit to their university—the Salim Ali School of Ecology and
Environmental Sciences in Pondicherry. The Raos
were among the first batch of students, studying for an MS in ecology. And
during that decisive moment of contact with Fukuoka, they quietly resolved that
one day they would have an organic farm of their own.
After spending 15 long summers earning a livelihood and also conserving
resources to realise the dream, they began cultivation on their farm of 27
acres, Oasis, in Nakkanapalli village of Kuppam in Andhra Pradesh, in July 2003.
To begin with, the Raos have restricted organic farming to just 4 acres on
Oasis,
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"impractical." Although they plan to grow a variety of fruits later ("a
polycultural orchard") they are confined to musk melons for now, but grow a good
number of vegetables that include cucumber, radish, spinach, okra, capsicum,
baby potatoes, jalapenos, baby corn, bitter gourd, cherry red tomatoes, ridge
gourd, zucchini, french beans, chilli sweet banana and drumsticks. "The normal
impression about organic farming is that you are going back a 100 years, but
it’s not so, especially if you are trying to make it commercially viable. It’s
actually a blend of natural principles of ecology and modern technology. This
makes it a very knowledge-intensive activity," says Rao.
The example set by the Raos has had its impact on the villages in and around
Oasis where farmers still grow paddy, which is water-intensive, in a
drought-prone area. "They have watched us in the last couple of years and feel
confident to shift to natural farming. We’re already teaching them rainwater
harvesting. We also want to get the younger generation to be involved so we’re
planning summer eco-camps for children," say the Raos.
According to the Raos, growing one’s own seeds is an activity that most
farmers in the area have forgotten. Seeds are the defining aspect of organic
farms. The Raos make their own seeds and store it. "We allow fruit or vegetables
to ripen on the plant naturally and then collect them. The workers on the farm
initially thought we were fools to not pluck them, but now they understand. It’s
really surprising that villagers have forgotten the primordial activity of
seed-making, they have become accustomed to buying it at a seed shop," the Raos
lament. This is one area where the couple want to create awareness.
Oasis is in the drought-affected district of Chittoor. There has been no
decent rain here in the past four years. Very often, the entire year’s rain
comes down in one or two sharp and short spells. So conserving water is vital.
One has to dig as deep as 400 feet to hit water below the ground. The Raos have
landscaped their farm in trenches and bunds. They are staggered from the highest
point of the farm to the lowest point to facilitate rainwater harvesting. In
addition, drip irrigation is essential to save on water. The local farmers are
also learning these methods of water conservation from the Raos.
The quality of their produce has been approved by IMO Control, a Swiss-based
certifying agency which is accredited by the Union ministry of commerce. In
fact, Oasis was the first organic farm to be certified in AP. The Raos use no
chemical pesticides but go in for natural alternatives like neem cake and
pest-repelling plants like tulsi and marigold.
Contact the Raos at: Oasis Farm, Nakkanapalli Village, Gudipalle Mandal,
Chittoor District, AP. Tel: (08570) 256433, (0)98490-95005.
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—Sugata Srinivasaraju
Courtesy outlookindia.com
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