Wednesday, November 13, 2013

Positive Changes Everywhere

Biofach India is coming to Bangalore this weekend and the organic crowd are gearing up to showcase, talk, network and host a spectacle for the interested public in town. With more and more green mela's and events picking up pace on organic food and sustainability, this year is going to see a healthy mix of families, experts, entrepreneurs at the event. I for one am waiting to meet, network and get some good gyan about the greener side of life.

The other day walking down levelle road, I walked into 'The Glasshouse' one of Bangalore's newest lounge bar's- snazzy restaurants and was pleasantly surprised to find empty racks at the entrance which will be used for Hydroponic vegetables. "That will start very soon!", said the eager manager to me, their breads are yum by the way I tried out the pumpkin seed and sun dried tomatoes ones and going back for more soon. Hydroponic farming is growing plants/ veggies/ ornamental in sustainable water requirements without soil. The entire concept of merging a cosmopolitan atmosphere, food and being environmental friendly was so nice! This is one place I am definitely checking out in a couple of week's.

Next couple of days are going to be exciting with fun activities and talks like 'Nature on My Plate' presented at Biofach India in Bangalore. There are going to be interactive sessions, talks, activities and session between Bangalore's Kitchen Gardeners, organic enthusiasts of the city, educational activities for kids and an entire pool of organic brands, consumers, produces, supply chains telling is who is doing what and what the benefits are. Yes I am definitely looking forward to this one!

Monday, October 21, 2013

Celebrating the Growth of Organic Goodness

The Bhoomi Utsav programme held in Bangalore
Bhoomi College held its first Bhoomi Utsav this October celebrating sustainability, organic food & health, education and awareness on social activities in Bangalore. The world of sustainability and going green is emerging into a profit making enterprise which has picked up lot of steam over the last 1-2 years. Being brand conscious in the organic world is emerging as a trend and people can be seen visiting their favourite stalls showing brand and product loyalty.

A Hundred Hands - NIMHANS initiative
Writing about kitchen gardening and urban farmers in Bangalore gives me a feeling of the green good that is being done out there and having started my own terrace garden made me realise how natural it is to have one. An expert told me sometime ago, "We take away green to build homes and buildings so it only makes sense to give back by growing it on and around our terraces. We come to realise how much we benefit". All these years of seeing my mother getting indoor plants in the house and growing ornamental flowers, it never quite hit me back then.  

After speaking to many people who love their gardens, have hectic lifestyles and observe the positive benefits of gardening - It is indeed therapeutic and popularly defined as  'stress-buster, patience, calming and happy". Being an impatient  person myself gardening is a great way of spending time with the environment, we pay more attention to the weather, check on our plants and veggies and start observing the butterflies and squirrels that come visiting.
Zentangle - A meditative art form

I also read recently about the Organic Revolution coming to the city in November this year - Biofach - An International Organic Trade Fair which brings together everyone from organic fields - farmers, investors, experts, business and over 35 speakers addressing the forum. Farmers and buyers will have an opportunity to meet and interact directly this year will see buyers fro overseas. The farm2fork concept will be re-emphasized at the forum which I am looking forward to hear at various educational activities and events planned on the 14th and 15th of November at Palace Ground in the namma Bangalore.

The world of organic, heirloom seeds and bringing back what was always ours which got lost but making its way back into our minds are opportunities and opening the world of understanding the harmonious balance between the environment and ourselves. Even an  online organic information directory  presents education and understanding of the need for organic consumerism for enthusiast's like me.

Looking forward to hearing, learning more of the green world.  

Friday, September 27, 2013

Take on Life

Post composting and gardening life is a lot greener than before. I harvest basil, mint and beans on a regular basis and await a tomato to be plucked from my terrace garden. Composting turned out to be a lot more tedious than I thought but once I started I just could not stop. You see garbage turning into black compost in no time at all and with the help of some de'grade compost and dry leaves the process is a lot faster. Nature makes you learn how everything goes back to the soil and with a little push from our end pollution and waste is generated into far richer elements.

On another topic in a city like Bangalore, different things taking place everywhere. People are becoming more and more accepted in the city and more willing to open their eyes to reality. Coming from a family that has been slightly ahead of the times and encouraged me to pursue what I want not not of what is expected you realise how different your upbringing can be to people around. With most Indians society dictates what they should do and stay within the realm of things taking most command of the situation which is unrealistic and unnecessary not to mention intrusive. Society fails to understand that change is constant and keeping up with this can be a challenge yet a success if they want the people they love within to succeed.

Whether it is accepting a person's choice to marry someone they love outside the community or pursuing higher studies in a foreign land or even premarital sex all three are common habits observed with the present generation. The last 20-30 years has seen so much change in its time that the last 100 years before covered in the same amount. This of course allowed societies to take their time and move ahead in a trickle. With the progress of technology, information and various external influences today the present generation can always be in a fast-forward mode but what about those who pause every now and then?

The most probably answer that I can think of is effective and persuasive communication which can help in many ways. Support systems in forms of people and most of all trust with one another. Honesty may never be the best policy to go forward hey this is the real world, but trust we must if we are to be together. 

Wednesday, September 4, 2013

Bangalore Celebrates World Kitchen Gardening

World Kitchen Day was celebrated with gusto which saw hoards of Bangaloreans flocking to JP Nagar to check out the organic side of life. From wannabe gardeners wandering around looking for seeds and soil, to crowds loving the purchase of healthy organic products. Lots of exclamations of “Ooh’s and Aah’s” and “How nice!” could be heard, followed by dozens of questions, quite overwhelming for the organic sellers.

Sunday indeed saw a happy crowd as they bounced from stall to stall buying, learning, listening and being
pro-green on this green day. OFYT brought its 6th edition to the city with newer faces, products and fun-filled activities for families to enjoy.

What struck this time was it was not a crazy mad rush to buy organic products and seedlings, but families and young couples wanting to be clued on how they can eat, live, go to work and exist in a better, cleaner and environmentally inclined world. And they were getting all the answers right here. Stalls for every kind of audience possible, from buying compost pots from daily dump for the busy workaholic who doesn’t have the time, to getting the right nutrition from grains and Millet's for an older crowd.

A kids corner in one section was filled with board games and colourful pictures teaching the how’s and why’s of gardening along with crossword puzzles of knowing your veggies, painting spots and small displays of biodiversity know-have’s of gardening like worms and compost, display of organic vegetables and fruits was completed with a sapling given away to each child who participated. A wonderful educational workshop as a stepping stone teaching kids about the natural world and goodness of gardening. Other products included Mystic Hues beautiful pottery designs to funk up your balcony with colours and Muddy Waters which sells ceramic landscape gardening designs that gives terraces and balconies a beautiful earthy feel, lots of foodie products such as Vaathsalya, The Wheatgrass Farm and organic hand baked cupcakes coming in vegan style at OFYT called Taantraa filled with various khatta meetha flavours. The millet drive Earth360 was full power with a tasting of multi grain porridge which ran out quickly and in no time saw people purchasing their starter kit’s along with helpful recipes. 
Fun ways of reducing, reusing, and recycling at home was shared by Malleshwaram’s experts answering all questions and a small demo on composting held a good crowd  entertaining enthusiasts with “Wormi words of wisdom” had them listening intently and enjoying themselves.
Besides the compost, gardening equipment and various products, Bangalore organic kitchen gardeners enjoyed a salad party at the back, “We exchange seeds, knowledge and meet new people, bit of a get together with fresh greens from everyone’s home thrown in”,  said an enthusiastic city farmer.

An lovely moment was when a couple were showing their small son the worms used for composting, “We don’t compost but we would like to start, we want our son to learn about gardening and being healthy” his mom said. Gingerly trying to touch vermicomposting worms, he watched fascinatingly as they wriggled deeper into the soil.

OFYT is created by Dr. B.N. Vishwanath Bangalore’s organic agriculturalist and Bangalore's city farmers and saw one its biggest turnouts in JP Nagar on Sunday 25th August, 2013.

Monday, August 19, 2013

Veggie Delight at Lal Bagh and More in the City

Lal Bagh in Bangalore came alive with an array of colours, flowers, shops and home-grown veggies in the annual Horticultural show from August 7th-15th. The Garden CityFarmers and Organic Terrace Gardeners had their very own stall displaying vegetables and fruits of top urban farmers in the city. There were huge brinjals ripening to gorgeous yellow, sweet chillies making your mouth water (making you imagine hot bhajjis’s), beautiful looking squash, strawberries, Israeli oranges, onions, beetroots, and different tomato species. Fresh herbs like oregano, mint and lemongrass and healthy greens of lettuce and bhindi could be seen. 

This is the first time GCF has participated in the annual horticulture show in Bangalore and they wish to reach out to Bangloreans showing them that they grow their kitchen vegetables at home in an organic manner. Tiny labels were seen on all the veggies and fruit plants identifying each one and OTGians were found chatting about organic food and helping the public out with questions.  GCF also encourage people to join them on their facebook group start their own gardens through inspiring work and enjoy the soul-satisfying and healthy experience of growing vegetables and greens at home 

Bangalore is seeing a whole environmental oriented lot who encourage and educate people about the benefits of fresh veggies, hold workshops and help beginners starting out on their green patch. GCF is an NGO which educates people about kitchen gardening and urges urban folk to grow organic gardens in their home spaces which are chemically-free and also reduce the food miles of what they eat.  

Their upcoming event ‘Oota from your Thota’ (food from your garden) is going to be held on the 25th of August where most of the city's farmers and veggie lovers are going to be along with loads of stalls selling produce, gardening equipment, compost and encouraging people to somewhere. “We hope that people see that growing is an easy and an engaging hobby and resources are ready if they wish to start” said Laxminarayan a top terrace gardener from GCF.  

Quick lessons on growing –
You can use any container that has 6-8 inches of depth for common veggies    
 like beans, beets, lettuce, tomato, onion, chillies. Herbs will do best in window 
 boxes or plant them in between your veggies! 
 For the soil – An equal mix of vermicompost, compost, red soil and sand is ideal 
 Water your plants everyday and spend time checking them, they will return back the time and effort in the form of delicious produce!
Plant your seeds in ample sunlight – Make sure your veggies get at least 8 hours daily
Most used veggies in the city – Chillies, tomatoes, brinjals, spinach and all kinds of sopu (greens)

Veggies that tastes delicious in food:
Drumsticks in sambhar   
All sopu (greens) go well in dals
Tomatoes are best in chutneys  
Mint and lemongrass can be added to tea

For those who wish to start off you can visit The Nurserymen Cooperative Society, Lalbagh, KH Road Telephone (+91 80 26576733) and get started on your garden and join the OTG group on facebook

https://www.facebook.com/groups/OrganicTerraceGardening/  
http://gardencityfarmers.org/

Monday, July 15, 2013

Gardening is Great

The last 6-7 months were a bit crazy with falling sick and recovering, post-recovery rushing back to college in Ahmedabad and finally back to Bangalore. Now in good health and spirits with namma Bangalore ever ready with its heavy dose of awesome weather and good company.

My tray of Basil, Methi and Marigold
The research topic that I chose as part of my study course was 'Kitchen Gardening and its Sustainable Benefits'. And I must say growing your own veggies and plants is super simple. Just sparing a bit of time everyday, some watering and care and voila, you are on the green side. You can have a balcony, terrace, a small ledge or just a couple of pots and yes that is enough to start off.

I found there are a number of gardeners and urban farmers in Bangalore who love their greens and go to lengths to make sure their eating habits are organic and healthy. Inspiring individuals who take time out of their daily routine, relish food straight from their garden and love the healthy way of life. 

One of the first people I met was Dr. Vishwanath Kadur; Bangalore's foremost organic expert who grows almost all vegetables and plants on his terrace. "There is not one fruit or vegetable that you cannot grow, you can grow everything on your terrace! The health benefits are many, not only is gardening an excellent hobby but an active way of understanding how nature works and responsible for growing our food" he says. A pioneer in his field and founder of Organic Terrace Gardeners in Bangalore. I look forward attending his workshop on organic gardening this month which he conducts on a regular basis.

Vani Murthy's compost
Vani Murthy was next in question, and what a person! She is often called the 'compost queen' and said, "I grow what I eat and eat what I grow. Gardening makes me enjoy little things, we formed a team of close friends in the society and do everything together! This is what gardening has done, it also gives me balance of mind". Going through her different compost methods from 'bokashi' to vermi and traditional compost, I can say confidently her plants are happy and healthy!

Nagamani from Malleshwaram gave me some of her bounty; spinach saplings and fresh thyme and I nearly pinched myself with glee!
   Harvesting almost a kilo and a half of her veggies daily from tomatoes
   to brinjals, fresh herbs and all types of greens. "I love experimenting
   with my dals now, their even tastier now" she said happily. What was
   impressive was a save of Rs. 40-45 on a daily basis and ensured tasty
   food for her family. Her terrace also acts as a natural coolant to the
   house. What can I say? Wow.

Pumpkin at Green Thumbs
One of the places which blew me away was Green Thumbs Mini Farms an organic farm off Sarjapur road owned by Anand Maddur. I felt like a kid let loose in a candy shop! With all kinds of veggies like pumpkin, lady finger, chillies, brinjal, spinach to fruits like banana and chickoo, I went a bit berserk. A farm with a unique experience which allows people to grow their vegetables the organic way. "This is the best thing to do on weekends after a hectic work week. it allows me to unwind and relax" said the organic techie. What a weekend getaway!

Me going berserk
Speaking to another garden enthusiast Aparna George who said, "It is important my kids get the right nutrition, which made me question our eating habits". With composting and a garden full of yummy varieties of lemon she sports the 'I care about my city' sticker from Daily Dump (educational portal on composting) 

Some people like Anusuya Sharma who was awarded the Srishti Sanman for organic terrace gardening say, "I don't garden for the purpose of harvesting any fruit, I do it because I enjoy greenery and have grown up amidst plants so it only comes natural for me to have a garden". It was 5 degrees cooler and I almost got lost in her terrace which resembled a mini forest. What an feeling, that too in the heart of a city!
 
Jayram from The Green Path was one of my latest visits and is a busy person with a green business to run, but answered all my questions patiently. A delicious meal of beetroot and ragi roti along with dal and sambhar makes me go back to his green establishment which also grows sugarcane and banana on the terrace. Strange for a non-vegetarian like me to indulge in veggie food, but that is what organic food does to you. I returned home with bagfuls of red, brown rice bought from his store Era Organics.

Vishwanth's water plants



Vishwanth who is nicknamed 'rainman' harvests not only rainwater but has a near zero carbon footprint with electricity running on solar,  compost toilets in his house and uses plants to filter all greywater. "It is so simple, if we are productive we can create the food cycle in our own houses without any waste leaving our house" He also grew rice on his terrace at one point for 3-4 years and harvested 180 kilograms. A person who simply uses sustainability in the right way - saving everything.

I keep looking for interesting people to meet, understanding traditional practices which we need to bring into cities and tracking food miles, from farm to fork. Urban gardening which is so common in some parts of the world only makes sense in present food inflation and water scarcity times.It is an area which can change our attitude for the better and treat the environment with respect.

Saturday, March 16, 2013

Looking back at 2012



The 2012 Delhi gang-rape was by-far the most widespread issue which closed down 2012 and shook the streets of the city including rest of India for many weeks. Looking back at what happened it still stuns me to the core of what happened to a student and what's at stake working women like us and the necessary action that needs to be taken against this serious, serious issue.

Being in a country which has gone so far in areas of education, research, science and global thinking what is troubling is that the streets of India are still unsafe for women till this day. Where our nightclubs and restaurants not to mention our netas are constantly supervised by 2-3 policemen who regulate law and order, bringing crime down and ensuring protection of women in a patriarchal male-dominated society in the era of 2013, this one brutal incident an perhaps be the beginning of India Awakening to the issue of violence against women.

The blackout in north India which left over 700 million people without electricity for hours in the summer of 2012 is another picture of electricity and power management in India. Touted as the worst power cut the country has faced resulting in social and economic losses in just a few hours.

Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) one of the largest organisations in the areas of communication, knowledge and resource pool released its book 'Excreta Matters' on a national level talking about the impact of human waste and solutions to India's sewage problem which is getting out of control and polluting our food and water resources, Sunita Narain again shows the country and the world that India is capable of in managing her resources right and well deserved credit to this brave and unique information  

The United Nations (UN) has announced 2013 as the International Year of Water Cooperation, understanding how water is treated in the world, dealing with a growing global population, demand and privatization of this precious commodity is already running into high conflict in our country and her neighbour's. The need for a framework and regulatory body in each state has reached a stage where the country has no choice unless it wants to cope with water wars in the coming future.

There are many issues which I feel are important to address and talk about, educate, and turn into action. As a country we have come a long way in technology and development but when it comes to human development, welfare and environment we are despicably behind and taking up these pressing issues is the only way of moving forward as a truly developing nation.