tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-91811438648937334212024-03-16T14:05:40.320-05:00Regenerative agriculture and InnovationDr.Thimmaiah (Tim)http://www.blogger.com/profile/17720178886375882586noreply@blogger.comBlogger63125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9181143864893733421.post-56954711518486371312024-02-11T13:07:00.001-06:002024-02-11T16:13:10.859-06:00Economic barriers to Carbon farming<p>Farmers in the United States are starting a new journey.
This journey is about carbon sequestration, a way to help our planet by drawing
down carbon dioxide before it can harm our atmosphere. This significant shift demands farmers to balance environmental stewardship with their livelihoods,
incorporating practices such as cover cropping and crop rotation. <a href="https://ag.purdue.edu/commercialag/ageconomybarometer/weakening-commodity-prices-depress-farmer-sentiment/" target="_blank">A recent report from Purdue University </a>tells us more about what farmers are thinking
regarding this change.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">This report unveils that approximately 10% of farmers have
engaged in discussions about regenerative agriculture and carbon sequestration,
a figure that has remained relatively stable in recent years. Given the threat
of climate change, one might question why broader adoption hasn't occurred.
Challenges include the financial return on investment, the learning curve
associated with new practices, and the logistical hurdles involved, which can
be overwhelming.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">To grasp the farmer's perspective, it's essential to put
ourselves in their shoes and recognize their dual role: feeding the population
and sustaining their families. Due to the buzz around regenerative agriculture and
carbon markets, farmers are introduced to initiatives by companies offering
payments for environmental services, such as carbon capture on their lands, an
important step in the fight against global warming. As stewards of land,
farmers are always interested in such programs the financial analysis often
reveals that the offered incentives fall short of compensating for the
additional costs involved. <o:p></o:p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_BXlLrv1faP1kbWZ7dxJraZsECEY89-ld-uIDQvSO0NjgHk-yV7FtBNNqLdRSpAMbBukT0KS4r2nFfahnIYICI-udzUnfzs5MuepLmATRdZeAlHM6E2Uu2-FSL62SQaPn8e-aod5fQbETdUfdw3b3Umxrk7tSfBwY2XNd_0IyvR_unOcPO3jtkvYt3Wk/s2199/pexels-pixabay-235725.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1650" data-original-width="2199" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_BXlLrv1faP1kbWZ7dxJraZsECEY89-ld-uIDQvSO0NjgHk-yV7FtBNNqLdRSpAMbBukT0KS4r2nFfahnIYICI-udzUnfzs5MuepLmATRdZeAlHM6E2Uu2-FSL62SQaPn8e-aod5fQbETdUfdw3b3Umxrk7tSfBwY2XNd_0IyvR_unOcPO3jtkvYt3Wk/w640-h480/pexels-pixabay-235725.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> <span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span> </span>Source:www.pexels.com</span></td></tr></tbody></table>
<p class="MsoNormal">The Purdue report indicates that the majority of farmers
were paid less than $10 for each ton of carbon captured, with a minority
received up to $30 per ton. Considering that an average acre of farmland
sequesters approximately one ton of carbon dioxide—with organic farms
potentially reaching up to three tons—the current pricing for carbon credits or
offsets fails to offset the expenses and efforts required to implement
regenerative agricultural practices.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Farmers are eager to contribute to environmental
preservation, but the financial equation must balance for the adoption rates to
rise. The journey towards a more sustainable agriculture system is complex,
necessitating support structures that align economic viability with ecological
responsibility. As we navigate this path, it's crucial to foster a framework that
empowers farmers to be at the forefront of the fight against climate change,
ensuring their efforts are both recognized and rewarded<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>Dr.Thimmaiah (Tim)http://www.blogger.com/profile/17720178886375882586noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9181143864893733421.post-59227926051973570582024-02-06T10:45:00.012-06:002024-03-16T14:05:08.666-05:00What Is Dirt Really Worth?<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">In the magnificent tapestry of our world’s history, there
lies an ancient wisdom, deeply woven into the cultural fabric of ancient
India—a wisdom that not only nourished the body but also nurtured the soul.
It’s a wisdom rooted in the sacred understanding of soil, a wisdom that
transcends mere scientific knowledge and touches the very essence of our
existence.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">During the Vedic period, which dates back several millennia,
the soil was regarded not as an inert material but as a living entity, a mother
to humanity. In this ancient time, the health of the soil was intrinsically
linked to human well-being. Just as humans require rest and rejuvenation, there
were sacred periods in the agricultural calendar when the soil itself was
allowed to rest, to recover, and to regenerate.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">The <i>Vedas</i>, some of the world’s oldest written
texts, delve into the profound mysteries of existence. The <i>Rig, Yajur,
Sama</i>, and <i>Atharva Vedas</i> provide detailed insights into the
creation, the purpose of human life, and our duty towards both humanity and the
environment. In the ancient <i>Atharva Veda</i> (12.1.12), Earth is
depicted as a mother, and humanity as her offspring. This starkly contrasts
with the modern perception of soil as mere “dirt” to be exploited, a mindset
that has contributed to our current climate crisis.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;">
</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Soil is more than the ground beneath our feet; it’s a dynamic
entity providing essential ecological services. It filters, buffers and
transforms elements between the atmosphere and groundwater, nurturing the food
chain and serving as a source of water for humans, crops and animals. The <i>Atharva
Veda</i> even categorized soils—much like modern science does
today—differentiating them into brownish (<i>bhabhru</i>), black (<i>krishna</i>)
and red soils (<i>rohini</i>). Ancient Hindus understood which soils were
suitable for cultivating various crops, displaying an impressive knowledge of
soil management.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; background-color: #fffefc; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-synthesis: none; line-height: 28px; list-style: none; margin: 30px 0px 0px; outline-offset: -7px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; text-rendering: optimizelegibility;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfB9R02d0F32L87kO-9I90oFgpNfgj-cdsmGbLt3uhKZRQjc9Yae4tbfKPXWEsylOaOZjbbgEOBSZ1Iiq_9Wc8Csz8son0kXqHsRmn7uY8oAsd9FghcbtHgi6qxXwfnd59mrIJS3rh1aOCW48RIttsDW7unORoW-sv0OZih4Z8Dggto_5ffe5GlYqinfI/s2432/IMG_20160714_203606553.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2372" data-original-width="2432" height="344" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfB9R02d0F32L87kO-9I90oFgpNfgj-cdsmGbLt3uhKZRQjc9Yae4tbfKPXWEsylOaOZjbbgEOBSZ1Iiq_9Wc8Csz8son0kXqHsRmn7uY8oAsd9FghcbtHgi6qxXwfnd59mrIJS3rh1aOCW48RIttsDW7unORoW-sv0OZih4Z8Dggto_5ffe5GlYqinfI/w386-h344/IMG_20160714_203606553.jpg" width="386" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> <span> </span><span> </span> <span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span>Agnihotra, an ancient Vedic practice for healing</span><br /></span><p></p><p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; background-color: #fffefc; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-synthesis: none; line-height: 28px; list-style: none; margin: 30px 0px 0px; outline-offset: -7px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; text-rendering: optimizelegibility;"></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Land preparation was deemed paramount, as detailed in <i>Atharva
Veda</i> 12.1.4-6. It emphasized the significance of preparing the land
correctly, highlighting that proper preparation could transform even seemingly
poor soils into “gold-bearing soils.” Terracing, to prevent soil erosion and
harness water for crops, was also a practice well understood and implemented.
Soils were revered and treated with profound respect, with prayers uttered
before stepping onto the sacred ground. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Farming wasn’t just a utilitarian task; it was a sacred
ritual to invoke the blessings of nature, fostering harmony and coexistence.
Hindus recognized lunar influences on crops, animals and humans, integrating
lunar rhythms into both spiritual practices and agriculture. Farmers during
the Vedic period used the moon rhythms for both spiritual practices and in
agriculture.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">This sacred approach to agriculture can still be witnessed in
Bali, where temples dot every rice field, and over 40 rituals accompany the
journey from sowing to harvest. One remarkable ritual, known as Nyepe, is a
“day of silence” when the rice flower transforms into a seed. The entire island
observes this silence, a mark of respect for the rice plant’s transformation,
for it is considered akin to a human being.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">What can we glean from these ancient Hindu practices? It’s
the understanding that sacredness in our actions begets sacred outcomes. The
climate crisis we face today is not merely a result of external factors but a
reflection of our inner climate. In the profound wisdom of our ancestors lies
the keys to a regenerative future, where science and spirituality coalesce to
nourish both the soil and the soul, ushering in a new era of harmony and
sustainability.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Source: <a href="https://www.hinduismtoday.com/opinion/what-is-dirt-really-worth/" target="_blank"><span style="color: black;">HinduismToday</span></a></span><o:p style="font-size: 12pt;"></o:p></span></p><br /><p></p>Dr.Thimmaiah (Tim)http://www.blogger.com/profile/17720178886375882586noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9181143864893733421.post-69379177986398870622023-12-31T21:18:00.006-06:002023-12-31T21:18:53.084-06:00 Innovative Defenses: The rise of RNAi-based solutions in agricultural pest management<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #374151; font-family: verdana; font-size: 16px; white-space-collapse: preserve;">In a significant leap forward for sustainable agriculture, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has embraced the future of biopesticide technology by registering Greenlight Biosciences' new active ingredient, Ledprona. This innovative solution against the notorious Colorado potato beetle (CPB) symbolizes the EPA's commitment to advancing sustainable agricultural practices and addressing the challenges of climate change and pest resistance.</span></p><p style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: rgba(69,89,164,.5); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 transparent; --tw-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; border: 0px solid rgb(217, 217, 227); box-sizing: border-box; color: #374151; font-size: 16px; margin: 1.25em 0px; text-align: justify; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">The Colorado potato beetle, with its distinctive bronze head and black-and-yellow-striped wings, has long been a farmer's nemesis. Known for its voracious appetite for potato plants and other members of the nightshade family (Solanaceae), this pest has developed mechanisms to metabolize toxins, including those found in chemical pesticides. This adaptability has made the CPB a formidable opponent in the agricultural sector since spreading from the Southwest U.S. in the 1850s.</span></p><p style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: rgba(69,89,164,.5); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 transparent; --tw-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; border: 0px solid rgb(217, 217, 227); box-sizing: border-box; color: #374151; margin: 1.25em 0px; text-align: justify; white-space-collapse: preserve;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: 16px; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgx6_S9zoJ8xsrh0afYfldhM1boKmR9fH7_tK5ZWvmilZ3p4i2Xg469mgSv4jZVVb6UTEGwz7UfMVQxByPFfB6vKq5gLDCBEpRc-TnsZFfVCo_j8DczrLHg91-VSnTUJ5omCW9q0F0w-seioEIyxDpUSNmmPPunyOdbecHBSowSLokJmZI2slGVtIfZc8/s1280/colorado-1530312_1280.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="853" data-original-width="1280" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgx6_S9zoJ8xsrh0afYfldhM1boKmR9fH7_tK5ZWvmilZ3p4i2Xg469mgSv4jZVVb6UTEGwz7UfMVQxByPFfB6vKq5gLDCBEpRc-TnsZFfVCo_j8DczrLHg91-VSnTUJ5omCW9q0F0w-seioEIyxDpUSNmmPPunyOdbecHBSowSLokJmZI2slGVtIfZc8/w640-h426/colorado-1530312_1280.jpg" title="Source: www.pixabay.com" width="640" /></a></div><span style="font-size: 16px;"> </span><span style="font-size: 16px;"> </span><span style="font-size: 16px;"> </span><span style="font-size: 16px;"> </span><span style="font-size: 16px;"> </span><span style="font-size: 16px;"> </span><span style="font-size: 16px;"> </span><span style="font-size: 16px;"> </span><span style="font-size: 16px;"> </span><span style="font-size: 16px;"> </span><span style="font-size: 16px;"> </span><span style="font-size: 16px;"> </span><span style="font-size: 16px;"> </span><span style="font-size: 16px;"> </span><span style="font-size: 16px;"> </span><span style="font-size: 16px;"> </span><span style="font-size: 16px;"> </span><span style="font-size: 16px;"> </span><span style="font-size: 16px;"> </span><span style="font-size: 16px;"> </span><span style="font-size: 16px;"> </span><span style="font-size: 16px;"> </span><span style="font-size: 16px;"> </span><span style="font-size: 16px;"> </span><span style="font-size: 16px;"> </span><span style="font-size: 16px;"> </span><span style="font-size: 16px;"> </span><span style="font-size: 16px;"> </span> <span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Source: www.pixabay.com</span><p></p><p style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: rgba(69,89,164,.5); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 transparent; --tw-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; border: 0px solid rgb(217, 217, 227); box-sizing: border-box; color: #374151; margin: 1.25em 0px; text-align: justify; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 16px;">The introduction of Ledprona, a sprayable RNA interference (RNAi) product, marks a new era in combating the CPB. Its unique mode of action targets a gene essential for protein production, vital for the beetle's survival, effectively silencing it without genetically modifying the organism. This innovation represents the first commercial application of a sprayable double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) pesticide, offering a more effective and environmentally friendly alternative to conventional pesticides.</span></p><p style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: rgba(69,89,164,.5); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 transparent; --tw-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; border: 0px solid rgb(217, 217, 227); box-sizing: border-box; color: #374151; font-size: 16px; margin: 1.25em 0px; text-align: justify; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">The journey to this groundbreaking discovery began in the 1860s when farmers first used Paris green to combat the potato beetle. However, the beetle's legendary resistance to insecticides, including modern chemicals like neonicotinoids, has necessitated the exploration of alternative methods. Mechanical methods, such as plowing trenches or using flame-throwing equipment, have been tried but proved inefficient and difficult to scale.</span></p><p style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: rgba(69,89,164,.5); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 transparent; --tw-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; border: 0px solid rgb(217, 217, 227); box-sizing: border-box; color: #374151; font-size: 16px; margin: 1.25em 0px; text-align: justify; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">The efficacy of RNAi lies in its specificity and minimal environmental impact, as RNA degrades easily. This technology stems from a natural response to viruses, where cells initiate a defense mechanism against double-stranded RNA (dsRNA), leading to the destruction of the virus's genetic material. Harnessing this response, scientists have developed RNAi pesticides that introduce dsRNA specific to the target pest, causing it to self-destruct at a molecular level.</span></p><p style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: rgba(69,89,164,.5); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 transparent; --tw-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; border: 0px solid rgb(217, 217, 227); box-sizing: border-box; color: #374151; font-size: 16px; margin: 1.25em 0px; text-align: justify; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Companies like GreenLight Biosciences are at the forefront of this technological revolution. With the recent opening of its RNA manufacturing plant in Rochester, New York, GreenLight is positioned as a leader in RNAi pesticide development. Its product targeting the Colorado potato beetle is a testament to the potential of RNAi in controlling pests that have developed resistance to traditional pesticides.</span></p><p style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: rgba(69,89,164,.5); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 transparent; --tw-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; border: 0px solid rgb(217, 217, 227); box-sizing: border-box; color: #374151; font-size: 16px; margin: 1.25em 0px; text-align: justify; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Researchers caution that while potato beetles can develop resistance to RNAi, the technology should be used in conjunction with other pest management tools to minimize or delay this risk. The advent of RNAi is a game-changer for the agricultural industry, offering a more targeted and environmentally sustainable approach to pest control.</span></p><p style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: rgba(69,89,164,.5); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 transparent; --tw-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; border: 0px solid rgb(217, 217, 227); box-sizing: border-box; color: #374151; font-size: 16px; margin: 1.25em 0px 0px; text-align: justify; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Despite these advances, the development and application of RNAi pesticides must be approached cautiously, ensuring that they do not adversely affect non-target organisms. The environmental stability of dsRNA and its formulation in pesticides are critical aspects that require careful consideration. However, its development and deployment represent a harmonious blend of scientific innovation and environmental stewardship, promising a more sustainable future for agriculture. As we embrace these new technologies, the focus remains on balancing efficacy with ecological integrity, paving the way for a more responsible approach to pest control</span></p>Dr.Thimmaiah (Tim)http://www.blogger.com/profile/17720178886375882586noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9181143864893733421.post-37228003067148295602023-11-08T18:56:00.002-06:002023-12-09T12:51:02.951-06:00Pesticides on the plate: Uncovering the risks in our food chain<p> <span style="font-size: 12pt; text-align: justify;">In the current landscape of food production, a disconcerting
trend is emerging among major manufacturers—a trend that directly undermines
the health of consumers, especially children. A recent report from As You Sow,
a non-profit organization focused on shareholder advocacy, paints a stark
picture: an industry-wide failure to reduce pesticide levels in foods, with
implicated companies averaging a grade of 'F' for their efforts, or lack
thereof.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://static1.squarespace.com/static/59a706d4f5e2319b70240ef9/t/65497d04278bac5f9ef575e5/1699314959356/AsYouSow2023_PesticidesScorecard2023_v4_FIN_20231102+%281%29.pdf" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1650" data-original-width="1275" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5Q7aNeQEDUZux0QEZ-PCrRGW2ameEPqoH1ZGKSocyfw6rUfaO4k3kRJYcowcoTfvMOBgOBzHh-uNe04dirkuogXAQBdROGYJvZAa5NxumOFXUVkDVj-rV21bVF210sMP_qp3iUBAhGZbuBkcvYGPHPOm213ri6Oe-JOieQbHKLpjWdQS7OY4n8oi0f8o/s320/Layout%201_page-0001.jpg" width="247" /></a></div><span style="font-size: 12pt; text-align: justify;">The report, titled "</span><a href="https://static1.squarespace.com/static/59a706d4f5e2319b70240ef9/t/65497d04278bac5f9ef575e5/1699314959356/AsYouSow2023_PesticidesScorecard2023_v4_FIN_20231102+%281%29.pdf" style="font-size: 12pt; text-align: justify;">2023 Pesticides in the Pantry:
Transparency & Risk in Food Supply Chains</a><span style="font-size: 12pt; text-align: justify;">," reveals a troubling lack
of progress, despite previously set goals for pesticide reduction by 2025 and
2030. This stagnation, in the face of mounting risks, is alarming experts who
are concerned about repercussions that extend far beyond the soil. Children are
particularly at risk, and studies suggest that the issue begins even before
birth, with certain pesticides detected in breast milk and umbilical cord
blood.</span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Further alarming discoveries are highlighted by several
studies, which show that some of the most common fruits and vegetables, like
berries and apples, carry high levels of pesticides. Even substances like the
insecticide acephate, which has been banned, are still present in concerning
quantities, highlighting a significant gap in enforcement and oversight.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">As climate change exacerbates these issues, the report
emphasizes how increased soil temperatures and superstorms lead to the dilution
of pesticides' effectiveness and their spread into waterways. This results in
the use of greater quantities of these chemicals, perpetuating a cycle of
increased exposure.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">The food industry's response, as evaluated by As You Sow's
stringent 2023 standards, has been disappointing. Even brands that previously
showed promise have seen their grades fall as the criteria became more
rigorous. <b>A few companies, such as General Mills and ADM, have fared slightly
better, yet the overall picture remains grim.<o:p></o:p></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Despite these daunting challenges, As You Sow advocates for a
shift towards regenerative agriculture practices—methods that not only enhance
soil health and resilience but also have the potential to mitigate some of the
damage already done.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">However, this push for change meets resistance. Companies are
slow to adopt these new practices. While some progress has been noted in the
development of strategies and third-party audits, significant areas of concern
remain. These include the hazardous impacts of neonicotinoids on pollinators
and the lack of farmworker protections in the face of pesticide use. The
corporate pace of change is lagging behind the urgency of the situation,
prompting advocates to demand more decisive action.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">For consumers feeling powerless amid these systemic issues,
there is recourse through personal choice. By pivoting towards organic and
locally produced food from farmers who embrace sustainable practices, consumers
can lower their pesticide exposure. Demanding greater transparency, they can
press for the systemic change that appears so elusive when left to the industry
alone.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">This unfolding narrative around pesticide use and food safety
is not just a mere report card on corporate progress—it is a critical
engagement in the larger battle for a sustainable and healthful food system<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>Dr.Thimmaiah (Tim)http://www.blogger.com/profile/17720178886375882586noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9181143864893733421.post-30559654246119907392023-10-12T12:31:00.007-05:002023-10-22T20:25:18.630-05:00 Drones, the silent aviators revolutionizing agriculture<span style="font-size: 12pt; text-align: justify;">The advent of technology in agriculture, particularly the
emergence of drones or Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), has ushered in a new
era of farming. As agricultural landscapes burgeon and complexities mount,
drones are becoming indispensable tools in augmenting crop management and
enhancing overall efficiency.</span>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Agricultural drones are redefining how we perceive and manage
our farms. At their core, these UAVs function as aerial observers, meticulously
monitoring crops, and gauging their health, growth rate, and overall vitality.
These drones operate akin to scouting crop consultants. They proffer
detailed insights into soil conditions, crop health, yield predictions, input management, phenotyping ensuring optimal growth and
health of the crops.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">An exciting feature of these high-tech marvels is their
employment of multispectral and hyperspectral sensors, capable of perceiving
light wavelengths beyond human vision, such as infrared. This not only allows
drones to furnish a detailed snapshot of crop health but also enables them to
detect the otherwise invisible "glow" of thriving plants. This
provides farmers with an unprecedented understanding of the true health of
their crops.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHuI7TyAj7rGVMN9_Qtalg-EXjoiVpdJh_u2jCFA04N1aMJWIXel6MCOHsQzCY4di7bIeR5XxGJAvOnSOcuRKYs8IRR4wg8ldFvNfTVeoPsGAO0RGa7xqt7bRFXQmVqZlkugh5YfQCC9PWipX1hsW9h9RG2R_QuJOY1m-VA8HNWfVVtmdqdxg-lMmdNyY/s1280/dji-4223416_1280.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="853" data-original-width="1280" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHuI7TyAj7rGVMN9_Qtalg-EXjoiVpdJh_u2jCFA04N1aMJWIXel6MCOHsQzCY4di7bIeR5XxGJAvOnSOcuRKYs8IRR4wg8ldFvNfTVeoPsGAO0RGa7xqt7bRFXQmVqZlkugh5YfQCC9PWipX1hsW9h9RG2R_QuJOY1m-VA8HNWfVVtmdqdxg-lMmdNyY/w640-h426/dji-4223416_1280.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span>Source: www.pixabay.com</span></td></tr></tbody></table><b><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Types of Drones</span></b><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">The diversity in drone design offers a spectrum of
functionalities. <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Fixed-Wing Drones</b>,
resembling small airplanes, are adept at covering vast areas and are primarily
harnessed for mapping fields and spotting issues like pests or inconsistent
irrigation patterns. In contrast, <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Single-Rotor
Drones</b>, mirroring helicopters, are known for their precision, commonly
deployed for specific tasks such as crop monitoring or soil analysis. <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Multi-Rotor Drones</b>, renowned for their
agility, are ideal for short-range tasks, capturing detailed aerial imagery, continually monitoring crop health and used for seeding and spraying of crop protection inputs.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Drone Applications<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Drones in agriculture are not just limited to crop
monitoring. They are extensively used for land imaging, capturing detailed
aerial visuals of farmland, assisting in topographical surveying, and
facilitating effective land management. Their prowess extends to evaluating
soil quality, moisture levels, and nutrient content, guiding irrigation and
fertilization strategies. In livestock farming, drones offer the capability to
monitor and enumerate livestock, refining overall herd management. They are
also harnessed for tasks as varied as irrigation assessment, precise spraying
of chemicals, collecting soil and water samples, and swift troubleshooting. Trials are underway on using drones for pollination. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Advantages of using
drones in Agriculture<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">The adoption of drones brings forth a myriad of advantages,
such as time efficiency through the provision of real-time data, enhanced
safety by accessing hazardous areas, improved data quality through
high-definition imagery, and significant cost savings by optimizing resources.
Moreover, from an environmental perspective, drones ensure accurate application
of pesticides and fertilizers, thereby curtailing environmental impact.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Challenges<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">However, the path to fully harnessing drones in agriculture
is laden with challenges. Regulatory hurdles in many countries impose strict
norms on drone operations, potentially hampering their full potential. The high
initial investment required for top-tier drones may be daunting for small to
medium-sized farmers. Moreover, the vast amount of data generated during flights
demands specialized expertise for processing and interpretation. Factors such
as limited battery life, weather sensitivities, the need for technical
proficiency, potential safety concerns, and integration issues with other
agricultural technologies are other notable challenges.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Drones are poised to be pivotal players in the agricultural
landscape of the future. They offer unprecedented insights into farmlands,
ensuring farmers are better equipped than ever before. As we navigate the challenges
and embrace the benefits, drones promise a more sustainable and productive
future for agriculture.</span></p>Dr.Thimmaiah (Tim)http://www.blogger.com/profile/17720178886375882586noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9181143864893733421.post-88635793272036099662023-08-19T10:31:00.011-05:002023-08-22T19:37:13.783-05:00Transcending 'Net-zero' targets to a 'Climate positive' paradigm<p><span style="font-size: 12pt; text-align: justify;">We're witnessing a
relentless and increasingly severe and extreme weather events, like hurricanes,
heatwaves, and wildfires, playing out with unrestrained intensity. In this
crucible of an ever-intensifying climate crisis, the urgent and emphatic call
for reducing greenhouse gas emissions echoes louder than ever before. The need
to take immediate action to reduce emissions responsible for climate change has
reached a level of urgency never seen before in human history.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: 12pt; text-align: justify;">Yet, within the
confines of this momentous struggle against the relentless onslaught of climate
change, it becomes increasingly evident that being merely "net-zero"
is an insufficient response. The time has arrived for a paradigm shift, a shift
from the comfort of "net-zero," and a resolute commitment to attain
"climate positive" outcomes. The concept of net-zero, though
commendable in its intentions, often falls short of the audacious ambition
demanded by the true magnitude of our climate crisis.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><o:p><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: 12pt; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPo0n7kYcId6wSO7RwLeobITsffULAj28UMSsQOJT4H2lK1Sy1YlBslys_M_l4YZkRQkrg5NVIfzUSGoijBaIWrDRCljrthJdjshCZQy2H3-R2sLqfMe05lVlLWbjOpBe8TGAYK-3UIaCKi8iLGs5-_WxTQlm-8bL5Y5k2uGJEB1FIUAGOVE2attlo3f0/s2200/pexels-pixabay-259637.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1467" data-original-width="2200" height="401" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPo0n7kYcId6wSO7RwLeobITsffULAj28UMSsQOJT4H2lK1Sy1YlBslys_M_l4YZkRQkrg5NVIfzUSGoijBaIWrDRCljrthJdjshCZQy2H3-R2sLqfMe05lVlLWbjOpBe8TGAYK-3UIaCKi8iLGs5-_WxTQlm-8bL5Y5k2uGJEB1FIUAGOVE2attlo3f0/w640-h401/pexels-pixabay-259637.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span>Source: www.pexels.com</span><br /><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Net-zero, in its
essence, embodies a delicate equilibrium—a process of offsetting emissions with
the removal of an equivalent amount of greenhouse gases from our beleaguered
atmosphere. In other words it’s a linear approach ‘a ton out and a ton in’.
While this approach represents a step in the right direction, it carries a
conspicuous limitation—it preserves the status quo of emissions. It's akin to
the act of treading water; a survival mechanism that maintains our current
position, but it does not propel us towards the distant shore of environmental
recovery.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">The imperatives of
our escalating climate crisis beckon us to transcend this state of equilibrium.
We must aspire to reach for something more profound, more ambitious—a state of
being known as "climate positive." To be climate positive is to
venture beyond the minimal requirements dictated by legislation or the adoption
of measures designed to construct a facsimile of environmental responsibility.
It entails a conscious commitment to actively contribute to the restoration of
our planet's fragile ecological equilibrium. It represents an acknowledgment
that our duty extends beyond merely avoiding harm; we must endeavor to actively
continue doing well that can result in incremental improvements in planetary
health.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">For corporate
entities, in particular, the clarion call resonates with particular poignancy.
Embracing a climate-positive stance necessitates not only the reduction of
emissions but also active engagement in initiatives that transcend compliance.
It calls for investments in sustainable practices, the widespread adoption of
renewable energy, resolute efforts in reforestation, and the deployment of
advanced carbon capture technologies that eclipse mere regulatory compliance.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">In essence, this
constitutes a seismic paradigm shift—a transition from a posture of defense to
one of offense in the battle against climate change. It signifies a recognition
that businesses and individuals can be transformational forces, catalyzing
meaningful change rather than passively mitigating their environmental impact. </span><b style="font-size: 12pt;">The imperative to move beyond the confines
of net-zero and into the realm of climate positivity is not merely a moral
obligation; it represents an existential imperative.</b><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> The inexorable forces
of climate change respond not to half-measures or well-intentioned gestures but
to bold, resolute actions that tilt the scales decisively in favor of our
beleaguered planet.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">As humanity grapples
with the stark reality of climate change, embracing the ethos of climate
positivity emerges not merely as an aspirational ideal, but as a thunderous
clarion call for a radical transformation. It signifies a commitment not merely
to staunch the bleeding wounds of our ailing planet but to nurture it back to
vibrant health. It proclaims, in unequivocal terms, that greenwashing and
superficial actions are no longer acceptable currencies in the realm of environmental
responsibility.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">In the grand
narrative of climate action, it is high time to alter the script—to cast aside
the notion of net-zero, with its connotations of equilibrium-seeking, and
embrace the audacious concept of climate positivity. In doing so, we aim not
for a return to the status quo, but for a future in which our planet thrives,
rejuvenates, regenerates and flourishes, for generations to come.</span></p>Dr.Thimmaiah (Tim)http://www.blogger.com/profile/17720178886375882586noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9181143864893733421.post-79736789577833343642023-08-17T18:28:00.003-05:002023-08-17T18:28:22.238-05:00Biodynamic Agriculture: A regenerative symphony of farming<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/yyO9SyeO4ww" width="578" youtube-src-id="yyO9SyeO4ww"></iframe></div><span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> <b>Biodynamic Agriculture: Farming in Service of Life</b> ( Short Film)</span></div></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Imagine a world
where the land, plants, animals, and humans dance in harmonious rhythm,
creating a symphony of life. In the heart of this enchanting harmony lies
Biodynamic Agriculture, a transformative approach that transcends mere farming
and becomes a profound connection to the very essence of nature itself. Three
years ago, a captivating short film titled "Biodynamic Agriculture:
Farming in Service of Life" was released, leaving a trail of awe and
inspiration that continues to reverberate in the hearts of many. It's a tale of
rediscovery, a journey back to the roots of traditional knowledge systems and
the embrace of nature's wisdom. I had an opportunity to participate in this
wonderful short film.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">In the orchestration
of Biodynamic Agriculture, the land is not just a canvas for crops; it's a
vibrant entity, a self-sustaining organism interwoven with the delicate threads
of the ecosystem. This holistic perspective, a cornerstone of biodynamic
farming, extols the profound interdependence of soil, plants, animals, and
humans. Each note in this symphony contributes to the grand harmony of life.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Gaze upwards, and
you'll find the moon, planets, and stars composing their celestial melodies.
Biodynamic farming doesn't just look to the Earth for guidance; it turns its
gaze to the cosmos, aligning its rhythms with celestial cycles. Planting and
harvesting are guided by the moon's dance, and planetary alignments become
cosmic cues for nature's symphony. It's the belief that these celestial rhythms
infuse vitality into plant growth, painting the landscape with a vibrant brush.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Biodiversity takes
center stage in this captivating composition. Biodynamic farms cultivate
ecosystems that mirror nature's intricate patterns. Polyculture fields and
graceful crop rotations choreograph a dance that minimizes pests, diseases, and
soil degradation. It's a ballet of balance where every step enhances
biodiversity, nurtures life, and harmonizes the landscape.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">The essence of
life's elixir is found in the preparations—elixirs that bring vitality to the
soil and awaken the symphony of microbes. These concoctions, crafted from
specific herbs and minerals, enriched with nature's melodies, are applied in
delicate measures to orchestrate the dance of microorganisms. It's a poetic
alchemy that weaves life into every fiber of the land.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">A remarkable serenade
of closed nutrient cycles resounds through biodynamic farms. Here, the refrain
of self-sufficiency echoes as organic matter is tenderly returned to the Earth,
weaving an intricate web of interconnectedness. The farm becomes a stage where
nature's grand opera unfolds, a testament to the cycles that sustain life.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">In this symphony of
agriculture, biodynamic preparations emerge as soloists, their melodies guiding
the soil and plants towards resplendent vitality. The cadence of plants,
minerals, and animal parts harmonize to awaken a crescendo of health and vigor
across the land.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">This orchestration
aligns seamlessly with the notes of regenerative and sustainable farming. It's
a melodic ode to enhanced soil health, nurtured through structured nurturing
and enriched by vibrant microbial diversity. The harmony extends to the realm
of sustainability, where the virtuoso of closed nutrient cycles plays its part
in the symphony of Earth's longevity.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">As the seasons
change, the melodies of biodynamic farms resonate with nature's rhythm. The
virtuosity of diverse crops and companion planting becomes a chorus that
supports biodiversity and bolsters pollinators, rendering the landscape a
vibrant tapestry of life.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Biodynamic
agriculture, a masterpiece that transcends conventions, introduces cosmic and
spiritual principles to the canvas of cultivation. It's a holistic masterpiece
that weaves threads of interconnectedness, healing the tapestry of the Earth
while composing notes of sustainability and resilience. In the face of
challenges and skeptics, this symphony of soil health and biodiversity stands
as a triumphant crescendo in the realm of regenerative farming. It beckons us
to embrace the harmony of life and dance to the rhythm of nature.</span></p>Dr.Thimmaiah (Tim)http://www.blogger.com/profile/17720178886375882586noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9181143864893733421.post-27407525450916726692023-07-24T12:46:00.006-05:002023-07-30T19:23:59.395-05:00Nature-based innovations for climate-resilient rice production<p style="text-align: justify;">Rice, a versatile crop grown in diverse agro-ecologies, is
vulnerable to environmental shifts, especially due to its substantial water
requirements. The water foot print of rice is very high. About 3000 to 4000 liters of water is required to produce a kilogram of rice in flooded rice cultivation methods. However, advancements in sustainable farming practices, such as direct
seeded rice, the System of Rice Intensification (SRI), Alternate Wetting and
Drying (AWD) methods, and dryland or rainfed rice cultivation, are offering
hope in mitigating methane emissions from conventional rice farming. Adopting these eco-friendly innovations, alongside appropriate seed varieties, holds the
key to ensuring a greener and more resilient future for rice cultivation.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEissmWmMUtdUGx-isqWsMR3K95QB2SWpCYBuwruizLL-5fd3nK3HZsIIAAvdsfW5hx9ywEpDID9WGylky1Cr5RmYUrUP4oF905MS30oKiVFoCkNoTZd1aDcg9YmrP2knY6_b347Uer8YK2Kyx7hOaTtjK2BtWBhvWU_dvxUeMLBZiYCjigUxI7t5tvbXoI/s4608/Rice%20cultivation.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4608" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEissmWmMUtdUGx-isqWsMR3K95QB2SWpCYBuwruizLL-5fd3nK3HZsIIAAvdsfW5hx9ywEpDID9WGylky1Cr5RmYUrUP4oF905MS30oKiVFoCkNoTZd1aDcg9YmrP2knY6_b347Uer8YK2Kyx7hOaTtjK2BtWBhvWU_dvxUeMLBZiYCjigUxI7t5tvbXoI/w640-h426/Rice%20cultivation.JPG" title="Rice cultivation in Bali, Indonesia" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Rice cultivation in Bali, Indonesia</div><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">The adverse impacts of climate change, characterized by
erratic weather patterns and extreme events, pose a direct threat to rice
cultivation worldwide. Unpredictable rainfall, prolonged dry spells, and the
ingress of seawater in coastal areas disrupt conventional farming practices
involving waterlogged conditions, jeopardizing yields. Moreover, intensive rice
cultivation has exacerbated methane emissions, contributing to greenhouse gas
buildup. To preserve rice as a sustainable and climate-resilient crop,
transformative approaches are urgently needed. Some of the practices that can
reduce methane emissions are:</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b>Direct-Seeded Rice</b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Direct-seeded rice (DSR) is a promising alternative to
traditional flooded rice cultivation methods. In DSR, rice is sown directly in
moist fields, reducing water usage by up to 35% compared to puddled fields.
Weed control is achieved through the judicious application of herbicides,
leading to substantial labor and cost savings. DSR also boasts faster maturity,
making it an attractive option for regions with erratic rainfall patterns. In
India, some state governments are offering INR 1500 to INR 4000 per acre to
farmers for switching to direct-seeded rice cultivation.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b>System of Rice Intensification (SRI)</b><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">The System of Rice Intensification (SRI) is a revolutionary
farming method that offers an eco-friendly alternative to conventional rice
cultivation. SRI emphasizes a set of agronomic practices designed to optimize
plant growth and productivity while minimizing environmental impact. Some of
the key components of SRI include:<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li style="text-align: justify;">Transplanting young and single seedlings at the 3-leaf stage
with wider spacing to promote robust root systems.</li><li style="text-align: justify;">Maintaining intermittent soil moisture through carefully
controlled irrigation, avoiding continuous flooding.</li><li style="text-align: justify;">Incorporating organic matter into the soil to enhance its
fertility and water-retaining capacity.</li><li style="text-align: justify;">Weeding through mechanical or manual means to minimize
herbicide usage.</li></ul><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">SRI not only reduces methane emissions by up to 60% compared
to traditional flooded rice fields but also enhances water use efficiency and
promotes soil health. However, successful implementation of SRI requires the
selection of appropriate rice varieties that respond well to these methods and
the use of appropriate machinery for scaling operations. </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Please check my blog on <a href="https://www.regenerative-agriculture.net/search?q=Bali">Sustainability in Bali: Through the lens of perennial wisdom</a></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV3_sWa-aRo42bRbnIkGzSosQ_vZ7Bjo2RN5Ne9gu6Ybq9Kz-bOMAN65vq-bbFRBR8bUtPkhf5as5bLtpUvJcaHyoIbLccTPTFmZTpa_ArM6Zni2fhLYulAcjiQ0b1SHjYRXXMdV2ffvVsdDcp5KBKbXFSWofrj8cBtDNTB4MAU_Yw5z6qfxOfkp0byew/s5312/SRI%20Bali.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2988" data-original-width="5312" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV3_sWa-aRo42bRbnIkGzSosQ_vZ7Bjo2RN5Ne9gu6Ybq9Kz-bOMAN65vq-bbFRBR8bUtPkhf5as5bLtpUvJcaHyoIbLccTPTFmZTpa_ArM6Zni2fhLYulAcjiQ0b1SHjYRXXMdV2ffvVsdDcp5KBKbXFSWofrj8cBtDNTB4MAU_Yw5z6qfxOfkp0byew/w640-h360/SRI%20Bali.jpg" title="Farmer Suweden growing rice adopting SRI method" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Farmer Suweden growing rice adopting SRI method in Bali</div>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b>Alternate Wetting and Drying (AWD) Methods</b><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Another effective approach to reducing methane emissions is
the implementation of Alternate Wetting and Drying (AWD) methods. Unlike
continuous flooding, AWD allows for periodic drying and re-flooding of rice
fields, maintaining an aerobic environment that suppresses methane production.
By alternating the water level in the fields, AWD significantly reduces methane
emissions while still supporting healthy rice growth.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b>Dryland or Rainfed Rice Cultivation</b><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Recognizing the challenges posed by water scarcity and
irregular rainfall patterns, dryland or rainfed rice cultivation methods offer
viable solutions. In these systems, rice is grown without continuous flooding,
relying solely on natural precipitation or limited irrigation. These methods
not only save water but also contribute to lower methane emissions.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b>Selecting Appropriate Seed Varieties</b><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Adopting eco-friendly rice cultivation practices
necessitates choosing suitable seed varieties that respond well to SRI, AWD,
dryland, or rainfed conditions. Scientists and agricultural experts are
continuously developing climate-resilient rice varieties that thrive under
varying water regimes. By selecting high-yielding, drought-tolerant, and
submergence-resistant varieties, farmers can ensure sustainable rice production
in the face of changing climatic conditions.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Climate change poses significant challenges for rice
production, demanding innovative and sustainable solutions. Embracing
eco-friendly technologies such as the System of Rice Intensification (SRI) and
Alternate Wetting and Drying (AWD) methods, alongside dryland or rainfed rice
cultivation, is crucial in reducing methane emissions and conserving water
resources. Additionally, the selection of appropriate seed varieties enhances
the resilience of rice crops in the changing climate. By collaborating closely
with researchers, farmers, seed companies and policymakers, rice producing countries can achieve a greener and
more sustainable rice revolution, safeguarding its agricultural heritage for
generations to come.<o:p></o:p></p>Dr.Thimmaiah (Tim)http://www.blogger.com/profile/17720178886375882586noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9181143864893733421.post-32458055241735202342023-06-29T21:16:00.003-05:002023-10-21T16:49:18.203-05:00Webinar on "Regenerative Agriculture - A beacon of hope for restructuring food and agriculture systems"<p><span style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Agriculture is facing numerous
challenges, from soil degradation and water scarcity to biodiversity loss and
climate change impacts. Regenerative agriculture holds the potential to not
only address the pressing issues faced by modern agriculture but also create
significant value for businesses operating in the sector.</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ecosystem restoration:</span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Soil degradation is a major
challenge plaguing conventional agriculture. Decades of intensive farming
practices, including excessive pesticide and fertilizer use, have stripped the
soil of its fertility and biology leading to reduced yields and diminished
ecosystem health. Regenerative agriculture, on the other hand, focuses on
restoring and enhancing the health of the soil through a set of ecological
practices and integration of livestock supporting circularity. By implementing
practices such as cover cropping, crop rotation, and organic fertilization, animal
husbandry, regenerative farmers can improve soil structure, increase
water-holding capacity, and enhance nutrient cycling. These measures not only
lead to healthier crops but also promote biodiversity and mitigate climate
change through carbon sequestration.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Resilience:</b><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Climate change poses a
significant threat to global food production. Extreme weather events, shifting
precipitation patterns, and rising temperatures disrupt agricultural systems
and jeopardize food security. Regenerative agriculture helps building
resilience in farming systems. Practices like agroforestry, conservation
agriculture, and holistic grazing, alternate wetting and drying system of rice cultivation help to mitigate
climate change impacts by enhancing water retention, reducing soil erosion, and
promoting carbon sequestration. By implementing regenerative practices, farmers
can adapt to changing climatic conditions and ensure the long-term
sustainability of their operations.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Creating Value for Businesses:</b><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Regenerative agriculture not only
addresses environmental concerns but also creates value for businesses,
including those in the consumer packaged goods (CPG) sector. Consumers today
are increasingly conscious of the environmental and social impact of the products
they purchase. By embracing regenerative agriculture, CPG businesses can
differentiate themselves in the market by offering sustainable and ethically
sourced products. Companies that integrate regenerative practices into their
supply chains can enhance their brand reputation, attract environmentally
conscious consumers, and drive customer loyalty. Additionally, regenerative
agriculture can help businesses reduce their carbon footprint, comply with
sustainability regulations, and build resilient supply chains in the face of
climate-related disruptions.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Several leading CPG companies
have already recognized the potential of regenerative agriculture and are
actively incorporating it into their business models. For instance, General
Mills, Nestle, PepsiCo and others has partnered with farmers to implement
regenerative practices, resulting in improved soil health, reduced chemical
inputs, and increased yields. AB InBev, a major beverage company is investing
in regenerative farming projects, supporting farmers in transitioning to
sustainable practices and ensuring a stable supply of ingredients. These
companies are not only reaping the benefits of regenerative agriculture but
also inspiring others in the industry to follow suit.</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="359" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/u7UqYxtquvo" width="603" youtube-src-id="u7UqYxtquvo"></iframe></div><br /><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p></p>Dr.Thimmaiah (Tim)http://www.blogger.com/profile/17720178886375882586noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9181143864893733421.post-83951915968175307752023-06-29T13:17:00.005-05:002023-06-29T13:23:12.134-05:00From Suspicion to Trust: The VCMI Claims Code and the Future of Voluntary Carbon Markets<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> <span style="text-align: justify;">In the global effort towards
climate change mitigation, voluntary carbon markets (VCMs) have emerged as a
potential game-changer and a glimmer of hope. These markets offer a unique
opportunity to bridge financing gaps, facilitate corporate transitions to Net
Zero, and support countries' sustainable development objectives. However, the
major challenge for VCMs has been the integrity </span><span style="text-align: justify;"> </span><span style="text-align: justify;">and transparency of carbon credits.</span></span></p><p><span style="text-align: justify;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img data-original-height="1414" data-original-width="1000" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhXcDhL3p0Kl2wOfRz-Kg0PXrfZ5JIJuHAJLfIGSQEdRdeuSpQYmS0x4CCuPnvorEiki_5y4iXjuPMJBtNRCzXOtNCmBVIjx8j4HmkFfo0rpqYr_abRJzS2Hmj-gWsD9gpD5HCjDtnBXZRH_DH9T3pfwxg4Tv-meF7p_-U_oAoRh7-OTg-S-nH0G0Era4M=w259-h400" title="Source:https://vcmintegrity.org/" width="259" /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small; text-align: justify;">Source:</span><span style="font-size: x-small; text-align: justify;">https://vcmintegrity.org/</span></div> <span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><br /><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="text-align: justify;">On 28</span><sup style="text-align: justify;">th</sup><span style="text-align: justify;"> June, 2023 the
</span><a href="https://vcmintegrity.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/VCMI-Claims-Code-of-Practice.pdf" style="text-align: justify;">Voluntary carbon markets Integrity Initiative (VCMI) launched its Claims Code</a><span style="text-align: justify;"> that
aims to address the critical need for integrity in voluntary carbon markets. The
Voluntary Carbon Markets Integrity Initiative (VCMI) is an international non-profit
organization with a mission to enable high-integrity voluntary carbon markets
(VCMs) to deliver real benefits to environment and avoid hype and claims
regarding net zero emissions. After two years of extensive research and
stakeholder engagement, the Claims Code published a comprehensive framework for
companies, individuals, investors, and governments to navigate the complexities
of carbon credits and make credible claims regarding their climate commitments.</span></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The Claims Code emphasizes the
need of going beyond business-as-usual practices. Carbon credits should be
generated through activities that truly benefit host communities and increase
overall greenhouse gas mitigation, rather than merely substituting existing
actions. By adhering to high integrity rules, VCMs can earn the trust of
stakeholders, attract investments, and unleash their full potential.<span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> <span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> <span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span></span></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The Claims Code operates through
a four-step process, ensuring compliance with foundational criteria aligned with
the long-term goals of the Paris Agreement. The four steps are;<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify; text-indent: -0.25in;"></p><ol><li><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> Companies
must disclose their greenhouse gas emissions,</span></span></li><li><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span> </span>Set
science-based reduction targets</span></span></li><li><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span> </span>Demonstrate
progress towards those targets</span></span></li><li><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> Advocate
for ambitious climate regulation.</span></span></li></ol><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Additionally, companies can make
VCMI Claims in three tiers: Silver, Gold, and Platinum, each requiring the
purchase and retirement of high-quality carbon credits based on the percentage
of remaining emissions ranging from 20 to 100 percent.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">To uphold the credibility of
claims, the Claims Code has set stringent requirements for carbon credit use
and quality. Only credits meeting the ICVCM Core Carbon Principles and VCMI
Assessment Framework could be utilized, ensuring they contribute to global net
zero goals and drive market integrity.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Third-party assurance plays a
vital role in substantiating VCMI Claims. Transparent reporting and disclosure
of key information are necessary to validate compliance with the Foundational
Criteria and Claim-specific requirements. By providing this assurance,
companies can bolster their climate ambition and build trust with stakeholders.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Looking ahead, the Claims Code
will continue to evolve, with the development of additional modules, guidance,
and provisions for specific sectors and geographies. As VCMI expands, it aims
to complement comprehensive climate policy and regulations, emphasizing that
voluntary action alone is insufficient to combat climate change. The launch of
the VCMI Claims Code marks a significant step toward unlocking the
transformative power of voluntary carbon markets. By fostering transparency,
credibility, and accountability, this framework has the potential to shape the
future of climate action, accelerate the global transition to Net Zero, and
ensure a sustainable future for generations to come.</span><o:p></o:p></p>Dr.Thimmaiah (Tim)http://www.blogger.com/profile/17720178886375882586noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9181143864893733421.post-36124727533518706172023-06-24T14:33:00.007-05:002023-07-01T11:42:26.743-05:00 Webinar on "Turning Trash to Cash : Assessing waste based opportunities"I had the privilege of sharing my insights and perspectives on the tremendous potential of food waste valorization. With an astonishing 2.5 billion tons of food waste generated globally each year, it is clear that we face a significant challenge. However, within this challenge lies a remarkable opportunity to not only reduce the negative impact on the economy and environment but also to generate new revenue resources. This webinar aimed to explore the possibilities and shed light on how we can harness food waste to create a sustainable and profitable future. <div><br /></div><div> Food waste is a pressing issue that affects countries worldwide. The sheer magnitude of food waste raises concerns about its social, economic, and environmental implications. Globally, we witness the loss of valuable resources such as water, energy, and labor that go into producing, processing, and distributing food. Moreover, the decomposing food waste in landfills releases greenhouse gases, contributing to climate change. Addressing this crisis requires innovative approaches and a shift towards a circular economy mindset. </div><div><br /></div><div> The concept of food waste valorization revolves around finding value and purpose in what was previously discarded. It involves transforming food waste into valuable resources through various processes, such as recycling, repurposing, and upcycling. By adopting these strategies, we can divert food waste from landfills and create a positive impact on both the economy and the environment. </div><div><br /></div><div> One of the key highlights of this webinar was the exploration of revenue generation possibilities through food waste valorization. Instead of perceiving food waste as a burden, we can view it as a potential resource for new business ventures and revenue streams. By adopting innovative technologies and approaches, we can unlock the latent value within food waste. </div><div><br /></div><div> During the webinar, I delved into case studies and success stories where organizations and entrepreneurs have effectively utilized food waste valorization to their advantage. From the production of biogas, biofuels, and fertilizers to the creation of sustainable packaging materials and food additives, the potential applications of food waste valorization are vast. These success stories demonstrated that by embracing circular economy principles, companies can simultaneously reduce waste, enhance sustainability, and generate economic benefits. </div><div><br /></div><div> The webinar focuses on answering critical questions surrounding food waste valorization. Can we truly transform food waste from an environmental liability into an economic asset? How can we incentivize businesses and individuals to adopt food waste valorization practices? What are the technological advancements and strategies required to drive the widespread adoption of food waste valorization? These questions were addressed through engaging discussions, expert insights, and real-world examples, providing participants with a comprehensive understanding of the opportunities and challenges associated with food waste valorization.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="320" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/0XWNUGo1Mwo" width="581" youtube-src-id="0XWNUGo1Mwo"></iframe></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div>Dr.Thimmaiah (Tim)http://www.blogger.com/profile/17720178886375882586noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9181143864893733421.post-79616028703285254602023-06-21T19:38:00.003-05:002023-06-21T19:38:31.917-05:00How technology is helping farmers grow more food with less chemicalsI had the pleasure of engaging in a captivating conversation with Matt Blois, the reporter from the renowned Chemical and Engineering News journal. From the moment our discussion began, it became abundantly clear that Matt possessed a remarkable talent for extracting information from experts with finesse and flair. He graciously provided me with the freedom to express myself in the manner I deemed most fitting, resulting in a dynamic and invigorating dialogue that spanned the course of an entire hour. Our exchange was nothing short of enthralling, leaving me both intellectually stimulated and invigorated. I am delighted to share the fruits of our conversation. Click the link "<a href="https://cen.acs.org/food/agriculture/technology-helping-farmers-grow-food/101/i15"> How Technology is Helping Farmers Grow More Food with Less Chemicals</a>."
Dr.Thimmaiah (Tim)http://www.blogger.com/profile/17720178886375882586noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9181143864893733421.post-17723276775260513242021-05-20T12:19:00.006-05:002021-05-20T20:54:29.181-05:00Soil Organic Matter (SOM): How to measure ?<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span face=""Verdana",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I often encounter a common question on
measuring soil organic matter (SOM) while discussing regenerative agriculture.
It’s followed by another query on the relationship between soil organic carbon
(SOC) and SOM. let me try to clarify such confusion in this article.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span face=""Verdana",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Soil organic matter contains plant and animal
tissues at different stages of decomposition. It comprises carbon, hydrogen,
oxygen and small amounts of nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium and other elements.
Depending on how old the organic matter is it is categorized into passive and
active types. Passive SOM consists of materials that are several decades old
while residues in active SOM are few years old. </span><span face=""Verdana",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span face=""Verdana",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Broadly SOM fractions can be divided into 3 types.
The interaction of plants and microorganisms produce byproducts during
decomposition plus root exudates and sugars referred to as dissolved organic
matter. It’s a continuous process that keeps happening every moment. Dissolved
organic matter contributes to less than 5% of the total soil organic matter
composition. The second type is fresh, decomposing plant and animal tissues called
particulate organic matter. Depending on the soils it contributes up to 25% of
SOM. Humus is the next category that is dark black or brown organic matter that
is formed in the soil due to the decaying plant and animal residues. In fertile
soils humus constitutes up to 50% of SOM and is the stable organic matter. </span><span face=""Verdana",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwo_9GHUYbJ9ROae5OX3ceg20VbACpn11Oajwks9iOB4KUDht3BCHjL27HtYQW7LrRIY0JV7iSCyrjGXwYUUyKgSihYb3jLz98f5v1dMLGJv01Nz21dpZ6lG6iIiEUFzAZje6xJGc7M6s/s2048/20190217_073645.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1048" data-original-width="2048" height="306" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwo_9GHUYbJ9ROae5OX3ceg20VbACpn11Oajwks9iOB4KUDht3BCHjL27HtYQW7LrRIY0JV7iSCyrjGXwYUUyKgSihYb3jLz98f5v1dMLGJv01Nz21dpZ6lG6iIiEUFzAZje6xJGc7M6s/w640-h306/20190217_073645.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><span face=""Verdana",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span face=""Verdana",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Soils with high organic matter offer several
benefits for farmers and ranchers like,</span><span face=""Verdana",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 9.0pt; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 0in 9pt; text-align: justify;"><span face=""Verdana",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">-</span><span face=""Verdana",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span><span face=""Verdana",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Improves
aeration, water holding capacity, infiltration and prevents runoff. </span><span face=""Verdana",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 9.0pt; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 0in 9pt; text-align: justify;"><span face=""Verdana",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">- </span><span face=""Verdana",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Nutrient
storehouse for crops and provides essential nutrients over time (cation
exchange capacity CEC)</span><span face=""Verdana",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 9.0pt; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 0in 9pt; text-align: justify;"><span face=""Verdana",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">- </span><span face=""Verdana",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Enhances
soil microbial activity and diversity and provides nutrition for billions of diverse
microorganisms. </span><span face=""Verdana",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span face=""Verdana",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> Soil carbon is often mentioned during discussions
on carbon sequestration, carbon offsets, regenerative agriculture and climate
smart agriculture. Interestingly carbon is called the ‘king of elements’. The
term carbon is derived from Latin ‘carbo’ meaning coal. In the human body
carbon is the second most abundant element after oxygen. Soil carbon is that
carbon component of organic compounds that is measurable. It is difficult to
measure soil organic matter directly in the lab, hence laboratories measure and
report soil organic carbon. In other words, s</span><span style="font-size: 16px;">oil organic carbon is the measurable part of SOM.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span face=""Verdana",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Soil Organic Carbon (SOC) plays a vital role in
sequestering carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and addressing the climate
crisis. Farm management that facilitates building soil organic carbon in
agricultural and pastoral lands over a period helps to significantly reduce
atmospheric carbon dioxide. It's important to know how to measure SOC and estimate SOM, without measurement it would be difficult to identify the gaps for
scientifically improving farm management. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span face=""Verdana",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Let me discuss how to measure SOC and estimate SOM
in a hectare of farmland. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span face=""Verdana",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The first step is to collect the soil samples
following the standard procedures using a soil probe or auger and dispatch it
to a nearby lab for analysis. From the lab report check on the total organic
carbon percentage that will be used for calculating soil organic matter. On an
average it has been found that about 58% of the mass of organic matter in soil
is carbon. While estimating the percentage of Soil organic matter (SOM) from
Soil organic carbon (SOC) a conversion factor 1.72 is used (100/58 =1.72).</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span face=""Verdana",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> Let’s presume SOC is 2.5% of a farm. SOM is calculated as follows;</span><span face=""Verdana",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span face=""Verdana",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">SOM (%) = SOC (%) x1.72</span><span face=""Verdana",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span face=""Verdana",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">
= 2.5x1.72</span><span face=""Verdana",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span face=""Verdana",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">
= 4.3%</span><span face=""Verdana",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span face=""Verdana",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">In this example the soil organic matter is 4.3%. </span><span face=""Verdana",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span face=""Verdana",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The SOM (%) can be converted into weight for a
given depth and area. It helps to estimate organic matter in tons per hectare
of soil. From the soil analysis data, bulk density and soil organic carbon
values are required for estimation. The calculation is simple.</span><span face=""Verdana",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span face=""Verdana",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">SOC in tons of carbon per hectare = SOC x bulk
density (tons per cubic meter) x depth (meters) </span><span face=""Verdana",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span face=""Verdana",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Let’s consider a hypothetical soil analysis data
comprising SOC (2.5%), bulk density 1.1 grams per cubic centimeter and soil
depth 10 centimeters. It’s important to convert SOC% to decimals(0.025), bulk
density into tons per cubic meter (1.1 tons/cubic meter) and depth in meters
(0.1 meters) per hectare (10,000 square meters) </span><span face=""Verdana",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span face=""Verdana",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">SOC tons/hectare = (0.025) x (1.1 x 0.1 x 10,000)</span><span face=""Verdana",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span face=""Verdana",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">
= 27.5 tons of carbon/hectare (t C/ha)</span><span face=""Verdana",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span face=""Verdana",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Further SOM per hectare can be deduced using the
above conversion factor of 1.72. The amount of Soil organic matter would be
27.5 x 1.72 = 47.3 tons of organic matter per hectare.</span><span face=""Verdana",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span face=""Verdana",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Estimating SOM every year or at
least once every 2 years to assess the management practices adopted in the
farm is vital in regenerative agriculture. It helps to course correct some of the practices that are contributing to
the loss of soil organic matter from farms and ranches. Soil organic matter is
the lifeline of the soil, farmers need to take utmost care in preventing its loss. Growing leguminous cover crops, crop rotation,
cultivating perennial forage crops, application of compost, agroforestry and
silvi-pastoral systems, reduced tillage, contour planting and several
regenerative agriculture practices that are appropriate to the region help in
building soil organic matter and sequester carbon.</span><span face=""Verdana",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>Dr.Thimmaiah (Tim)http://www.blogger.com/profile/17720178886375882586noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9181143864893733421.post-82011580442802171152021-02-15T16:01:00.001-06:002021-02-15T16:01:58.831-06:00Low-cost solutions to tackle climate crisis? Let's start with our own kitchen wastes<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">When we think of climate change, some of the solutions that come to our
mind are shifting to green technologies in industry, agriculture, transportation,
energy coupled with legal binding climate enabling policies at national and
international level. These macrolevel
solutions no doubt are vital to address climate change. However, the moot
question is what you and I can do to mitigate the current crisis. Some of the
steps that we can take is to reduce the wastage of water, food, drive electric
car, use energy efficient gadgets and more. But it’s not enough to reduce the
carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">We, the human species are responsible to a large extent to the current climate crisis.
The way we live, eat and act matters a lot. Rehumanizing
the connection between humans and nature is becoming more important in the
current context. No animal produces as much wastes as human beings generate. Lets take the example of household wastes. What
do we do with them? Conveniently we dispose our wastes into a trash can, which gets
into a larger trash can that gets picked up by the city municipality which further
gets into landfill, a much larger trash can. Landfills have a limited capacity
to hold wastes, eventually it gets filled, after few years new landfill
sites are identified and the same process continues. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">If you have visited landfills, they are not pleasant
sites. Whenever we drive pass landfills immediately we turn on the air recirculation button to avoid the stench getting inside the car. Landfills liberate several gases and the liquid that comes out of degrading wastes
(leachate) is toxic to environment and pollutes water bodies. In addition,
landfills are the breeding ground from rodents and animals. Most of the
problems in the landfills are due to the biodegradable wastes that we throw in
the trash cans. The common household biodegradable wastes are food wastes,
vegetable and fruit peels and garden wastes. Instead of throwing these wastes
they can be transformed into sweet smelling compost. It doesn’t require compost
turners or special bins. If you have a small garden you can bury these
wastes in the garden during spring and in winter you can compost in any container
in your garage or outside.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Personally, I manage my household kitchen wastes and try to motivate my
friends to manage their wastes. I would like to share a story of my friend Mr.
Shreyas Nayak who lives close to my residence in Fairfield, Iowa. Shreyas and his
wife Reena got interested into turning wastes to wealth and they share their
experience.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family: verdana;">Household Kitchen Waste composting
journey- Experiences of Nayak family in Fairfield, Iowa</span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Our journey
on composting our kitchen waste started in May of 2020.This was after
the first COVID-19 lockdowns and gatherings of up to 10 people were
allowed. We invited Dr. Thimmaiah to a barbeque on our deck wherein we
decided to try making rice pancakes (dosa) on the grill. It was a super
duper successful effort and we enjoyed the gathering.</span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidbKVnBLAuzk-qRMpIgeM0xwEGzCYSg4a6I70iG8TI1jkxV3HKTdTrETfAAiLRHWGUN3g8VkHgtc__kpjwKM4jug7FeCyrGdEalkzySdUOLoo15HeiMeuM3ovvGsZaVpLchwpHXgYfRic/s211/Shreyas+and+tim+1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><img alt="Shreyas and Thimmaiah" border="0" data-original-height="206" data-original-width="211" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidbKVnBLAuzk-qRMpIgeM0xwEGzCYSg4a6I70iG8TI1jkxV3HKTdTrETfAAiLRHWGUN3g8VkHgtc__kpjwKM4jug7FeCyrGdEalkzySdUOLoo15HeiMeuM3ovvGsZaVpLchwpHXgYfRic/w224-h266/Shreyas+and+tim+1.JPG" width="224" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;"><b>Shreyas and Thimmaiah</b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEVzRDEsaBd4sxLdEGnPMgH5eqhTEHeIxJiIirFbEYyOtLY6LWScxW32m1UKhxmKp3D4luZqU5H29lKWuS32wPRoNFlkbkvjX3VKXAVzMpyFCZrzLclzYQagVOBPjZixtXwSlDUtcw1v0/s983/Shreyas+and+tim+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><img border="0" data-original-height="574" data-original-width="983" height="229" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEVzRDEsaBd4sxLdEGnPMgH5eqhTEHeIxJiIirFbEYyOtLY6LWScxW32m1UKhxmKp3D4luZqU5H29lKWuS32wPRoNFlkbkvjX3VKXAVzMpyFCZrzLclzYQagVOBPjZixtXwSlDUtcw1v0/w354-h229/Shreyas+and+tim+2.JPG" width="354" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>Making rice pan cakes (dosa) on the gril</b></span>l</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> <span> </span><span> </span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /><br /></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="text-align: justify;">In between
our fun, frolic and experimentations, Dr. Thimmaiah walked over to our vegetable garden patch to inspect the quality of our soil. He immediately
identified the lack of organic material in our soil as the reason for our poor
crops the previous 2 years. Shrey – you need to increase the organic
content of this soil, he said. How do we go about that, we asked. For </span><span style="text-align: justify;">the next 1 to 2 years, you have to put all your kitchen waste in this patch of
soil, he responded.</span></span></div>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">And that is
how our endeavor to prevent our kitchen waste from entering the Iowa landfills
started and it has now become an obsession.</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8bOM3d5wE2Y-8_XYksjU_mmWCFvZLzNb59Nrrp-rvJ3-nHnNu__8N5zRSK0gvjtZg-3PkpOPqgA2TAqBX3ynLETOcwseSijCWesn6wwExYCn6LZrcmbW_8id8GU8kS5ZszuDMQOCok0M/s869/Picture3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="869" data-original-width="735" height="362" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8bOM3d5wE2Y-8_XYksjU_mmWCFvZLzNb59Nrrp-rvJ3-nHnNu__8N5zRSK0gvjtZg-3PkpOPqgA2TAqBX3ynLETOcwseSijCWesn6wwExYCn6LZrcmbW_8id8GU8kS5ZszuDMQOCok0M/w271-h362/Picture3.jpg" width="271" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: x-small;">Collecting kitchen wastes in a container</span></b> </td></tr></tbody></table><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">We selected a
couple of containers, with tight lids on them, to store all our kitchen waste
of a few days (usually a week or so). These included all vegetable and
fruit peels, cut off unusable pieces of bread and other foods gone bad. It really included everything you can literally think of including
coffee and tea grounds, juices and milk products gone bad, paper napkins, etc ,
but excluded plastic, metals, aluminum and other non-biodegradable products.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Once we’ve
collected enough waste, say in about a week or so, we would go to our vegetable
garden patch and dig a hole about a feet or so deep. Drop in all the
kitchen waste and cover it back up with soil completely (the one that came from
digging the hole). </span></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em;"><tbody><tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzEF1LNyvlffRj5ggy06Os8CJu-7dBvApMt4iSfVQnN2Q8W1w6XfnWjtyDftN3gJrvnU1Trr4FoTsZOC_t4M8h-sMq3JHHn6seC6XDrhBeojoQcb1BC3EgaJt9xrWnZ8sqntlhkXi6Awc/s961/Picture4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><img border="0" data-original-height="728" data-original-width="961" height="191" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzEF1LNyvlffRj5ggy06Os8CJu-7dBvApMt4iSfVQnN2Q8W1w6XfnWjtyDftN3gJrvnU1Trr4FoTsZOC_t4M8h-sMq3JHHn6seC6XDrhBeojoQcb1BC3EgaJt9xrWnZ8sqntlhkXi6Awc/w292-h191/Picture4.jpg" width="292" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption"><b><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;">Digging a shallow pit (1 feet deep)</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"></span></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: right; letter-spacing: normal; margin-left: 1em; orphans: 2; text-align: right; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7UbxujGLoAGVS5R2lZKT02qqyQ6EsFVfQhK_W4qr2IJ13WrMczoDnH40GCiK-yEySH4TI-XMV0AP_8SCGGewGtThMh9srxpp4BrKgln3wbzQyAwFloWQhopUA7zwBgKVEOgQV7FqB-Bs/s1063/Picture5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><img border="0" data-original-height="711" data-original-width="1063" height="189" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7UbxujGLoAGVS5R2lZKT02qqyQ6EsFVfQhK_W4qr2IJ13WrMczoDnH40GCiK-yEySH4TI-XMV0AP_8SCGGewGtThMh9srxpp4BrKgln3wbzQyAwFloWQhopUA7zwBgKVEOgQV7FqB-Bs/w311-h189/Picture5.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="311" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;"><b>Kitchen wastes in the pit.</b></span></td></tr></tbody></table>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="text-align: right;"> </span><span style="text-align: right;"> </span><span style="text-align: right;"> </span></span></p><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span></span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: right;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiarBk5hP0o0X4uhQOcVigRLp65ZY7INJ6Cp21tbyspnEW_TBjI1aC_i5zX5NTSV_A5QwWVvRLz4TLIv7gZU38i4wpuT8zao2VeS-rpdhWohvf4UKl3EesrD5_56tE5sj0r_vViN0-5uAc/s1128/Picture6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1047" data-original-width="1128" height="203" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiarBk5hP0o0X4uhQOcVigRLp65ZY7INJ6Cp21tbyspnEW_TBjI1aC_i5zX5NTSV_A5QwWVvRLz4TLIv7gZU38i4wpuT8zao2VeS-rpdhWohvf4UKl3EesrD5_56tE5sj0r_vViN0-5uAc/w292-h203/Picture6.jpg" width="292" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>Covering the wastes with soil</b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCAIHrRIGM4bAsHUFza_5bIVu5KEVEOBy70lUxJmCtojsY6SX-msDWK2LLjZ-HcufmvjOyfTjh7UrO1nmi7JGyzSCqsgpYI7WAJCIzpFsiUdTEeLBQj-Zq2lgXO9z72CU-eR9Numow3Pg/s1067/Picture7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: right;"><img border="0" data-original-height="807" data-original-width="1067" height="198" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCAIHrRIGM4bAsHUFza_5bIVu5KEVEOBy70lUxJmCtojsY6SX-msDWK2LLjZ-HcufmvjOyfTjh7UrO1nmi7JGyzSCqsgpYI7WAJCIzpFsiUdTEeLBQj-Zq2lgXO9z72CU-eR9Numow3Pg/w312-h198/Picture7.jpg" width="312" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>Wooden planks to prevent rodents</b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /></div> </div><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: justify;"> </span></div>
</span><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="color: black;">This felt
very fulfilling and mentally rewarding when we began and the joy lasted for
about 2 to 3 weeks. Then the trouble started. Living in Iowa which is
full of critters like ground hog, gophers, squirrels, raccoons, etc, one day when
we went to work on our patch, we realized that the critters had sniffed out our
waste and started digging out our composting waste. </span>So we had to
think about reinforcements to prevent the kitchen waste getting raided by the
critters.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Fortunately
we had some wood planks lying in the backyard. We figured that strong /
hard cardboard pieces would also do the trick. We started covering our
composting waste with wooden planks and laying some bricks on top of them to
prevent the critters from getting into the waste. </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheFu8E04krtFoRlKWrLYO8qm04yOihSwN5IUATSVIPD_-UMlKNDrXMY2Y_ffDalz0PdFzfIQdXn9U0FE75G7vOVq_TpHDWV70qOgYy6ZL5XtpYIdOiMFHUWMC5Mt4euwF3Y8ELKm5nJ0M/s772/Picture8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="579" data-original-width="772" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheFu8E04krtFoRlKWrLYO8qm04yOihSwN5IUATSVIPD_-UMlKNDrXMY2Y_ffDalz0PdFzfIQdXn9U0FE75G7vOVq_TpHDWV70qOgYy6ZL5XtpYIdOiMFHUWMC5Mt4euwF3Y8ELKm5nJ0M/w331-h240/Picture8.jpg" width="331" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>Vegetables grown from using wastes</b></span></td></tr></tbody></table></o:p></span><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">We were
diligent in the effort from May 2020 to November 2020 and could really tell the
difference it was making to our soil and our plants. The plants started
having thicker stems and providing us a lot more produce, not to forget a much healthier
produce than the past. Plus the land and the plants did not need as much
watering as the plants got a lot of their food/nutrients from the kitchen waste
buried in the soil.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><a name="_MailEndCompose">Middle of November or so, the ground started freezing up as temps went
below 32F here in Iowa.</a> We thought that it was
the end of our composting of kitchen waste till next spring. The next
batch of our kitchen waste that we had collected was about to give into our
garbage can and then onto the landfill but before doing that, we decided to
check with Dr. Thimmaiah if there were any other options available to us. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">As usual, Dr.
Thimmaiah’s brilliance shone thru. He said that we could compost our
waste in buckets inside our garage. The temperature in our garage ranges at
about 45F and Dr. Thimmaiah said that at that temp there should still be some
microbial activity to allow for composting of the kitchen
waste. At these cold temperatures breakdown of wastes is very minimum. </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="color: black;">He shared the
following pic with us on how he was doing it and that is all we needed to
embark on this journey. </span>Dr. Thimmaiah explained - Use a burlap bag in a bucket. Start with 1 to 2 inches of soil or compost. Add your kitchen waste on top and cover it up with 1 to 2 inches of soil or compost or potting mixture. Keep repeating to the top of the bucket.</span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgObhkIxj7k5SoD70-h__y41pn48l3TV4XjXuC4Gf6oU4DRmcvOAgd2OBrt97QcN_b16_-ezQ6JTuC1XELy7dAEE5BQ-aWiifbojjvQV_gbwN35wczjJj9Oi1Dk70xBAXPQXsE13hud4-E/s452/Picture9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><img border="0" data-original-height="383" data-original-width="452" height="271" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgObhkIxj7k5SoD70-h__y41pn48l3TV4XjXuC4Gf6oU4DRmcvOAgd2OBrt97QcN_b16_-ezQ6JTuC1XELy7dAEE5BQ-aWiifbojjvQV_gbwN35wczjJj9Oi1Dk70xBAXPQXsE13hud4-E/w298-h271/Picture9.jpg" width="298" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;"><b>Composting in a burlap bag during winter</b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></o:p></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsO70rH3BtcodU86MCUGhHPPRWXgNWQOdf6FreYAInM2p2nWa33Yk-aI3bUQckQ7jltSZ2S49Zd6LagEIq8RjXvvHxdbp8aLFr67-5cD2x4O2ucCdpfmoJJ7G47FYajiZt5qS59Uq3lfw/s1047/Picture10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><img border="0" data-original-height="666" data-original-width="1047" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsO70rH3BtcodU86MCUGhHPPRWXgNWQOdf6FreYAInM2p2nWa33Yk-aI3bUQckQ7jltSZ2S49Zd6LagEIq8RjXvvHxdbp8aLFr67-5cD2x4O2ucCdpfmoJJ7G47FYajiZt5qS59Uq3lfw/w325-h213/Picture10.jpg" width="325" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;"><b>Covering the wastes with compost or soil</b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;"><b><br /><br /></b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;"><b><br /></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;"><b> </b></span></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;"><b><br /></b></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;"><b><br /></b></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;"><b><br /></b></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">So, we used
one of our garbage cans for this effort.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvdkx5gZGFqWktI8ew_FgOAVUQJEVA3DTvyvzbv2IXBay-M0UbC8jnIDp7-WaRuI_9JIIyQv8LpNOWOMA0iW6b1X_-ce5PhnYL-aMYGuhnrHFixoG5mnrMlycrArIeLf61sbT3Whmt5FA/s983/Picture12a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><img border="0" data-original-height="783" data-original-width="983" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvdkx5gZGFqWktI8ew_FgOAVUQJEVA3DTvyvzbv2IXBay-M0UbC8jnIDp7-WaRuI_9JIIyQv8LpNOWOMA0iW6b1X_-ce5PhnYL-aMYGuhnrHFixoG5mnrMlycrArIeLf61sbT3Whmt5FA/w303-h214/Picture12a.jpg" width="303" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;">Composting in a garbage can</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpCT2CNeU4yRIdLLicUrkXj36jVfUkS8NeZtJjHGHLkreHoJqrOyDde7ThUvgz7GeTHS16ehgF202L_5Jpi92Rkyqms0DXqJb5mfQvBJ-BDpjLDfuswxvbBUUE28C_dEI4lzv5ITdX2Mw/s1047/Picture10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><img border="0" data-original-height="666" data-original-width="1047" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpCT2CNeU4yRIdLLicUrkXj36jVfUkS8NeZtJjHGHLkreHoJqrOyDde7ThUvgz7GeTHS16ehgF202L_5Jpi92Rkyqms0DXqJb5mfQvBJ-BDpjLDfuswxvbBUUE28C_dEI4lzv5ITdX2Mw/w318-h213/Picture10.jpg" width="318" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;"><b>Wastes covered with soil or compost</b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> <span> </span></span></o:p></span><span style="color: black;"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span><br /></span></span></o:p></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">We are glad
and surprised that because the waste is covered with the soil, there is
absolutely no stench at all.</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">So here we
are at the middle of February 2021. Since May of 2020 to present – there
has been no kitchen waste going into the landfills of Iowa from the Nayak
household.</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="color: black;">This has now
become such an obsession that we look forward to burying our kitchen waste into
the soil every week. We collect our waste for the entire week and bury it
in our soil on the weekends. </span>When we get
back into spring, March / April timeframe, we look forward to taking this
fertile soil and spreading it on our vegetable garden patch for another awesome
crop in 2021.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Myself and my
wife both have full-time jobs that require about 9 to 10 hours of commitment
each day. Apart from that we also spend
an hour or so meditating each day and then another hour or so working out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We also cook and eat at home most if not all
the time. If with such a schedule, we are able to accommodate composting kitchen
waste in our soil, we think most others should also be able to do it.</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Do take on this journey. It will be one of the most fulfilling
endeavors of your life.</span><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p></div></div>Dr.Thimmaiah (Tim)http://www.blogger.com/profile/17720178886375882586noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9181143864893733421.post-85215000967155194962020-12-13T22:32:00.015-06:002020-12-14T23:51:53.404-06:00 Millennial entrepreneurs venture into commercial regenerative agriculture in Indonesia<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Every year I had travel plans to advise 4 - 5 international
projects. The current pandemic restricted my travel, I could not travel out of the US during the current year. Interestingly, this
crisis led to innovative ways of consulting, thanks to technology.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Earlier this year, out of blue I received a call from Meraki Farms
based out of Jakarta, Indonesia expressing their interest in ecological
agriculture. They were keen to transition their conventional farms into
low-cost regenerative systems. Initially I had doubts about the commitment of
this group to take a U turn in their current farming practices. It was not
surprising for me because ‘regenerative agriculture’ is a buzzword
where people have their own thoughts and ideas. Some companies who apply
herbicides in their farms call their practice regenerative while others who use
chemical fertilizers with organic manures proclaim their practices as
regenerative. It made me to wonder how serious this group of millennials are to
take up this task.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I was equally keen to know how they found my reference. They told
me that they learned about my work in Bhutan online and were interested to
change their current practices and set an example in Indonesia. Some of the
common questions that popped up during the conversation were, could they manage
the farm commercially without using synthetic agro-chemicals, would the
production reduce, how to manage the pests and diseases. I told them that there
will be some hard work and unlearning process initially, however regenerative systems are
commercially viable compared to the conventional systems. I also shared my
experiences working in different countries designing low-cost techniques using
local resources that convinced them to firm up their decision for adopting regenerative systems in their farms.
The discussions that followed through convinced me that these nerds are
committed to change the current food systems through a solid business plan. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Meraki farms is a subsidiary of Pt Meraki Agro Indonesia founded
by 3 young entrepreneurs Mr.Ravi Sadarangani,Mr. Manish Nathani and Mr.Mohit
Pursani. The founders had a purpose to produce nutritious and quality food for
the growing population of Indonesia and rest of the world. Meraki
flourished through its successful business model producing quality fruits and
vegetables locally through the distribution network of a chain of major
supermarkets and exported through global food distributors. They began adopting
“all modern” systems of farming adopting conventional farming practices using
external inputs like synthetic fertilizers, pesticides and a set of
agro-chemicals for increasing the production and improving the visual appeal of the
produce.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIkTLXnVlpRc1ZA32jIgDoPoExgJTDCDsaqDfbdxWAuQ7_yYTpsqATE36pVQ5IEP5IVA27UxD9cWAWmsCkrfam_uFKD7Y3JPS-TZ2WaU48_gl39NQatG6dhw82pJWQFUP8FwMrQt6kjyo/s3981/DJI_0211.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1596" data-original-width="3981" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIkTLXnVlpRc1ZA32jIgDoPoExgJTDCDsaqDfbdxWAuQ7_yYTpsqATE36pVQ5IEP5IVA27UxD9cWAWmsCkrfam_uFKD7Y3JPS-TZ2WaU48_gl39NQatG6dhw82pJWQFUP8FwMrQt6kjyo/w640-h256/DJI_0211.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Commercial farming of cantaloupes and melons</td></tr></tbody></table><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">It was an epiphany of sorts for the team when they came to know
about a movement to revive a river in South India by Sadguru Jaggi Vasudev, a
yogi and an environmentalist. River Kaveri is considered as the lifeline of
farmers in Karnataka and Tamilnadu states of South India. It was a massive
movement calling for the communities and farmers to involve in protecting this
river through agroforestry projects that could prevent the erosion of topsoil
and the pollution due to agriculture activities.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Sadguru’s mission struck a chord with one of the founders and with
further research and brainstorming with the team and other experts in the
field, they decided to change their farming methods towards life-supportive
systems. Regenerative or biodynamic agriculture caught their attention. It was
a U turn from their existing farming practices to a gentler and more natural
approach that used natural resources to a large extent reducing dependancy </span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> on
external inputs over time. Their purpose shifted from monocultures and input
dependent approach towards creating a biodiverse and self-sustaining farm.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">It was my pleasure to sow the seeds of regenerative agriculture in
the minds and hearts of Meraki Agro team. My purpose was to teach them how to
be self-sufficient in all farm inputs required for crop production and
protection by understanding and mimicking nature. Simultaneously the focus was on transforming the farm into a commerically viable venture.
</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5NE-WDmj2M6AQVpiitwFclGTHl0-vKr0jk6sHG8-uu2fRzwjRLu6hc6bLCjeG3hhOQ2Ybgv9ybEHD25FJ92kHjLR_bpaR2PVpSDu2gadyU0uno0xjk1u0Zu9SSgF_omQPOSXzA7EWWqw/s1220/WhatsApp+Image+2020-10-15+at+10.46.25+AM.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1220" data-original-width="933" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5NE-WDmj2M6AQVpiitwFclGTHl0-vKr0jk6sHG8-uu2fRzwjRLu6hc6bLCjeG3hhOQ2Ybgv9ybEHD25FJ92kHjLR_bpaR2PVpSDu2gadyU0uno0xjk1u0Zu9SSgF_omQPOSXzA7EWWqw/w490-h640/WhatsApp+Image+2020-10-15+at+10.46.25+AM.jpeg" width="490" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Composting in progress</td></tr></tbody></table></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Regenerative agriculture is not about substituting chemical inputs
with natural or organic inputs. Its about creating systems within systems where
one interacts with the other. A symbiotic interaction of biotic and abiotic factors like soil, plants, animals, water and humans is necessary for creating a self-sustaining ecosystem. Its very important that all the farm
inputs are produced in the farm itself. Seeds, manures, bio-pesticides,
plant growth promoters are all produced within the farm using the natural
resources. Shifting monocultures to diverse polycultures. Simple techniques to
attract an army of beneficial creatures like earthworms, pollinators, predators
and nurturing an array of soil microorganisms are the foundation for a successful
regenerative systems. It may require some additional time and efforts initially but offers solace, freedom and liberates farmers from
dependance on external inputs. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEBbmn2nuCumHGFccP6HMfr4M3BfrVvWx97VNCN6JtdgaP7tCOtE1a5gbaHB86Jnq0RdYQT8jPpXhE34uecrs0HD72nsY1MLRzYgPSE_Qhwz1bz1En6mrQBpujMOhKl5c2SP6LZYjM3VI/s1280/WhatsApp+Image+2020-10-27+at+11.37.32+AM.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEBbmn2nuCumHGFccP6HMfr4M3BfrVvWx97VNCN6JtdgaP7tCOtE1a5gbaHB86Jnq0RdYQT8jPpXhE34uecrs0HD72nsY1MLRzYgPSE_Qhwz1bz1En6mrQBpujMOhKl5c2SP6LZYjM3VI/w640-h360/WhatsApp+Image+2020-10-27+at+11.37.32+AM.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Constructing a vermicomposting shed using bamboo</td></tr></tbody></table></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The receptivity of the founders and the managers of Meraki Farms
was inspiring for me to consult this project online due to travel restrictions.
In my regular consulting work I visit the farm in the beginning of the project
to visually have a feel of the place and technically assess various factors
that contribute to the success of the enterprise. This project was my first
experience to advise a farm virtually and was possible with the help of
technology. I used the drone videos of the farm, topography maps, soil and
water analysis reports to understand the farm and the surrounding areas. Since
the owners of this company were techy savvy millennial entrepreneurs it was
possible to get all the information required up to precision. Every
week we organized online meetings on crop planning, nutrient management and
approaches towards low-cost regenerative systems followed by discussions. I had
to schedule these meetings late night US time to suit the farm team in
Indonesia. The managers of the farms were keen to unlearn the practices that
they were trained in and were eager to relearn new approaches of regenerative
agriculture.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Meraki Farms commercially grows papaya, avocados, vanilla,
cantaloupes, watermelons, durians and bananas. Besides, they
integrate agroforestry systems using teak and bamboo. In all these
farms, crops are intercropped for instance, papaya are cropped with melons and
avocado’s with papaya. Timber trees and bamboo are planted on the fence that
serves as windbreaks and also provides biomass for soil rejuvenation.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikSaxSSJmRPetm8BaHGNA3gc05XgwgYE3V9M03iLLFMKNWULVBTHTG70lQwN0uBeUaWxehY6UCBh_ZAd2RVD3yr6VIipQVugj4ig33flxnQDJ7nhxO1uSDsJiqxJd3Ud8XZMg6M2W6OlA/s4000/DJI_0221.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2250" data-original-width="4000" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikSaxSSJmRPetm8BaHGNA3gc05XgwgYE3V9M03iLLFMKNWULVBTHTG70lQwN0uBeUaWxehY6UCBh_ZAd2RVD3yr6VIipQVugj4ig33flxnQDJ7nhxO1uSDsJiqxJd3Ud8XZMg6M2W6OlA/w640-h360/DJI_0221.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Meraki Farms</td></tr></tbody></table></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">In large scale commercial
farms like Meraki, reducing the cost of production is very important for
successful transition into regenerative systems. Ideally all
inputs required for production like seeds, manures, growth promoters, bio
pesticides has to be prepared on farm using the available natural resources.It requires some expertise in understanding local ecology and biodiversity for identifying the available resources and using them for producing different inputs for farming.Several weeds are important resources for producing plant tonics and pest managing formulations.
In the first couple of years some inputs may have to be purchased but over a
period the dependance on inputs needs to be curtailed. Unless a farm is
transformed into a self-sustaining organic entity the cost of production will
keep rising and the profitability of the farmer will dwindle. There is lot of discussions on regenerative food and agriculture,time has come to act by creating successful examples in differnt ago-climatic regions. I am confident
that millennials will be the beacons to clear the mess what the elders have
created in the past 5 decades of ‘degenerative systems of agriculture’</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><o:p> </o:p></p><br />Dr.Thimmaiah (Tim)http://www.blogger.com/profile/17720178886375882586noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9181143864893733421.post-24270466452833148252020-09-07T16:28:00.003-05:002020-09-07T19:16:17.527-05:00Edible Insects: Alternative protein source and potential market<p><span style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">The industrial ways of meat
production is unsustainable causing deforestation, soil degradation, pollution
of soil and water bodies. The animal feedlots cause severe human health issues for people living close to
these confined industrial animal production units. There are concerns on use of hormones, antibiotics and
other chemicals that has severe effect on human and animal health. Growing
population and rising meat consumption is driving disruptive innovations
for alternative protein sources. Entomophagy or consuming insects offers lot of
potentials to address the current concerns.</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span style="line-height: 107%;">Insects are historically
consumed as food in many cultures. The consumption of insects started about 7000
years ago<span class="fc2">.</span></span> The Bible mentions the food of John the
Baptist was locust and wild honey (Matthew 3:4). In Asia, Africa,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Europe, central and south America’s <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>several insects are eaten. About 2300 insect
species of 18 orders are consumed as food in 113 countries. Most of
them are harvested from wild, however few species are reared commercially. Insects
are common snacks in the streets Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia and several
African countries. The most commonly eaten insects are grasshoppers,
termites, crickets, larvae, beetles, bees and ants. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Insects as food is becoming a trend now, it’s
no more a poor man’s food. Edible insect industry is growing very fast in the
US and Europe. In addition to food, insects are used in pharmaceutical,
cosmetics, pet food and agriculture industry. The research and development on
edible insects is still in its nascent stage. Both fundamental research and its
application offers tremendous potential to address some of the current
environmental and humanitarian challenges. </span><span style="font-family: helvetica;">It may take a while for
insects to be consumed as food in the US and other countries where eating
insects is not a part of the local tradition. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Insects are made into powder, commonly referred
as flour that is used in snacks and nutrient bars. </span></span><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Insect flours has several
applications as feed sources for pets, fishes, livestock and poultry. Insects
can be reared using the biomass from the farm and recycled back as feed sources
for livestock and pets. It perfectly blends into the concept of circular economy and regenerative systems. Insects can be reared in a low-cost simple insect farm
to a highly sophisticated system with automation, sensors, robots and IoT.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Insects can also be used as
food additives. For example the dark red dye carmine is used for clothes, cosmetics
and food. The red dye of lac insect is used for cloth dying and beverage
industry.Likewise there are several applications of insects in healthcare and
industrial products.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>Use of insect waste products</b><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">While rearing insects their
droppings commonly referred as frass that also contains outer skeleton (exoskeleton) is generated in large quantities.
Frass has an application in agriculture industry as a manure. I was involved in
advising a company for using the frass in agriculture and realized that it
cannot be used directly in commercial agriculture. However with technical
tweaks the product can be redesigned to suit appropriate soil and crop conditions.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Insects offer several
solutions to address the current challenges of food and nutrition security. Rather than focussing on 30 major staple crops, entomophagy offers diversification of food sources that not only supplements protein but also reduces the
ecological footprints. However care needs to be taken on food safety concerns.
Some insects can have poisonous products in them. For example the giant African
silkworm has thiaminase that is considered as carcinogen. People experiencing
allergies after eating grasshoppers, crickets, cicadas and wasps are reported. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Entomophagy is a sunrise
industry. It perfectly fits into a decentralized setup where people rear
insects in their houses or backyards like kitchen garden, say, ‘edible
insect gardens’. Several companies are
now producing insects at an industrial scale that has a great potential with the
rising market for alternative protein sources.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="line-height: 107%;"><o:p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> </span></o:p></span></p>Dr.Thimmaiah (Tim)http://www.blogger.com/profile/17720178886375882586noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9181143864893733421.post-72648128720120998112020-08-30T20:22:00.002-05:002020-09-15T09:19:16.950-05:00Regenerative urban garden in Italy<p> <span style="text-align: justify;">Italy, known for its food and gastronomy still sustains their culture and traditions. While walking through the lanes and streets one feels the reminiscence of European novels dating back to few hundred years. The ancient architecture is restored and preserved for the future generations to visualize history in their surroundings. Certain provinces have restrictions on the use of certain colors of paint on their houses. During my morning walks it was a common scene to see the elders of the house busy cleaning the surroundings of the house. They look like a tribe of clean freaks!</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">In the past 2 years I had an opportunity to visit Italy 4 times. People are very friendly, I consider it as my second home. There is a growing awareness on safe, nutritious and local food. Large number of Italians are concerned about the rising popularity of junk food outlets in cities. However, several little towns have farmers markets where local farmers sell their produce. Farmers sell fruits, vegetables, breads and a variety of local food.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">This local movement of creating awareness in regenerative urban gardening was started by Ms. Michela Savia who came to know about my work in Bhutan and other countries after reading several articles on the internet. Michela is the proprietor of an Ayurvedic spa in Borgomonero near Milan. She along with a group of women were interested to learn low-cost farming methods utilizing the resources available locally and promote these practices to a large group of rural and urban farmers. Though organic agriculture or regenerative agriculture systems are becoming popular, farmers and gardeners are still dependent on purchased inputs like compost, growth promoting sprays and bio-pesticides. It defeats the very purpose of regenerative gardening.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Nature provides all the requirements for proper functioning of a healthy plant or animal. If we could mimic the forest ecosystems where every plant and animal cooperates and shares the resources. Moreover, the waste of one is the resource of the other. If the same principles are used in gardening farmers can be independent and self-reliant. For example, the fallen leaves, pruned litter, hedge clippings, weeds, food and kitchen wastes are disposed as trash. My workshops in Italy were focused on how to use the wastes in gardening as a resource. It was well attended by several people and now there are several examples of success by people who are adopting these simple low-cost practices in their gardens or farms.<o:p></o:p></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhorE9z9LiTKNvj7eD7HxpgpUBy0a05aqgLbXnK5MwkhJV6eoE750Sxk_6IA0o4ULJWnjyBBOa7i_Zo8FMFqgMmloOcnPRK501O1SKKMIXUUev_yRuM8DwVvGXDYkqPQ-gIeoDRvJkaUvA/s640/IMG_0238.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhorE9z9LiTKNvj7eD7HxpgpUBy0a05aqgLbXnK5MwkhJV6eoE750Sxk_6IA0o4ULJWnjyBBOa7i_Zo8FMFqgMmloOcnPRK501O1SKKMIXUUev_yRuM8DwVvGXDYkqPQ-gIeoDRvJkaUvA/w400-h300/IMG_0238.jpeg" title="Urban Compost" width="400" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhorE9z9LiTKNvj7eD7HxpgpUBy0a05aqgLbXnK5MwkhJV6eoE750Sxk_6IA0o4ULJWnjyBBOa7i_Zo8FMFqgMmloOcnPRK501O1SKKMIXUUev_yRuM8DwVvGXDYkqPQ-gIeoDRvJkaUvA/s640/IMG_0238.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;">Urban Composting</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizDh1dB_tRoqMFzLg6HwJjKVTMFCtkZDBXHChHr7rYGMVV33-i6e8mLUZdBT3NqspkrvaZo-ZHNhKyLMkc95S-fov1NAJb8iZwnpT7ti1JQGI2WeaXT9AwWSzUaFAGC9fScLO91lQieuE/s640/IMG_0143.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizDh1dB_tRoqMFzLg6HwJjKVTMFCtkZDBXHChHr7rYGMVV33-i6e8mLUZdBT3NqspkrvaZo-ZHNhKyLMkc95S-fov1NAJb8iZwnpT7ti1JQGI2WeaXT9AwWSzUaFAGC9fScLO91lQieuE/w480-h640/IMG_0143.jpeg" title="Manuring Apricot trees" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Manuring Peach trees</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgft6lSwcA0ZW-J94anrDPCBivZrn8qydcqhGiFAuN4YgwFHV4BHidYqNBktG54UtkJJJazHPOr41O4QijuusCzMnEeO2ETcsUTVJf4t-jo_9YEcEwKoQAfmqrS8IhUEfybdQnw5VK3XkA/s2048/IMG_1483.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgft6lSwcA0ZW-J94anrDPCBivZrn8qydcqhGiFAuN4YgwFHV4BHidYqNBktG54UtkJJJazHPOr41O4QijuusCzMnEeO2ETcsUTVJf4t-jo_9YEcEwKoQAfmqrS8IhUEfybdQnw5VK3XkA/w480-h640/IMG_1483.jpeg" title="Bountiful harvest" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Bountiful Harvest</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZhM32pH5jTUIlLB3WLNCoQo1EGA-1ni2Em5Sq_xZIujbagncoNOprKVjmBS6iTcmVRYUzp-PmNQdX_XUyOvFCOuLyPOjyPuX6hr8kYsJ4RgYp90l-eI5w6CNyuyXEvvq91Cnn45cwUPc/s2048/IMG_1572.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZhM32pH5jTUIlLB3WLNCoQo1EGA-1ni2Em5Sq_xZIujbagncoNOprKVjmBS6iTcmVRYUzp-PmNQdX_XUyOvFCOuLyPOjyPuX6hr8kYsJ4RgYp90l-eI5w6CNyuyXEvvq91Cnn45cwUPc/s640/IMG_1572.jpeg" /></a></div><br /><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p>Dr.Thimmaiah (Tim)http://www.blogger.com/profile/17720178886375882586noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9181143864893733421.post-43525949179203120172020-05-01T22:31:00.005-05:002023-07-11T09:04:08.626-05:00Biodynamic Agriculture: Farming in service of life<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span face=""helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif" style="background-color: white;">It was a pleasure to share my views and participate in a beautifully shot short film " Biodynamic Agriculture: Farming in service of life" by Kiss the Ground team. I appreciate the professionalism of the young team of film makers <span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Ben Cowan and Taliesin Black-Brown.</span><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> Thanks to Erin Sojourner for the introduction.</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: white; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span face=""helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span face=""helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif"><span style="background-color: white; white-space: pre-wrap;">Biodynamic agriculture has changed my perceptions towards life and environment. The deep ecological concepts facilitated me to understand the fundamental sublime creative principle of life that we see around us. Rudolf Steiner was a mystic and a clairvoyant who studied the eastern philosophies of life. He was very much influenced by the Vedic scriptures and mentions those concepts vividly. </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span face=""helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif"><span style="background-color: white; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span face=""helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif"><span style="background-color: white; white-space: pre-wrap;">Steiner reiterates the ancient wisdom of viewing nature as an organism that is harmonious, self regulating entity. Unfortunately the 16th century concept of " fallen nature' that considers nature as disorderly and chaotic changed the perception of humans towards nature. It was felt that humans have a reason to control the blind forces of nature. Manifest destiny and dominion of nature became the progressive paradigms during those period. The impacts of of such ignorance can be witnessed even today. </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span face=""helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif"><span style="background-color: white; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span face=""helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif"><span style="background-color: white; white-space: pre-wrap;">I was fortunate to get introduced to Peter Proctor from New Zealand in 1996 who became my 'guru' in biodynamic agriculture. Peter was a great human being who was passionate about biodynamics and its field applications. The deep spiritual underpinnings of this system of agriculture helps to understand the holistic integrity of creation. </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span face=""helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif"><span style="background-color: white; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span face=""helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif"><span style="background-color: white; white-space: pre-wrap;">In the past 20 years I have advised large scale projects in organic and biodynamic agriculture in 10 countries across Asia, Europe and the US. It's such a fulfilment to see the transformation that can be seen on soil, health of plants, quality of food and people who are engaged in farming. Food tastes good when it is produced in tandem with laws of nature. Food nourishes not only our body but also our thoughts. There is a old saying " As the food so our mind, as the mind so our thoughts, as our thoughts so our actions". All our actions are due the food that we consume. The quality of food determines the quality of our actions.</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span face=""helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif"><span style="background-color: white; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span face=""helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif"><span style="background-color: white; white-space: pre-wrap;">I would like to share this beautiful short film "Biodynamic agriculture: farming in service of life" and also a brief conversation during the premiere of this film. Hope you enjoy it !</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span face=""helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif"><span style="background-color: white; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span face=""helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif"><span style="background-color: white; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/yyO9SyeO4ww" width="320" youtube-src-id="yyO9SyeO4ww"></iframe></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span face=""helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif"><span style="background-color: white; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Biodynamic Agriculture: Farming in service of life</span></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span face=""helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif"><span style="background-color: white; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span face=""helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif"><span style="background-color: white; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span face=""helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif"><span style="background-color: white; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span face=""helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif"><span style="background-color: white; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/6sWJg1L1NMo/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/6sWJg1L1NMo?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span face=""helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif" style="background-color: white; font-size: x-small; white-space: pre-wrap;">Interview on Biodynamic Agriculture</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span face=""helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif"><span style="background-color: white; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span face=""helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif"><span style="background-color: white; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span face=""helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif" style="color: #030303;"><span style="background-color: white; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></div>
</div>
Dr.Thimmaiah (Tim)http://www.blogger.com/profile/17720178886375882586noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9181143864893733421.post-63849180154027678102020-02-16T14:42:00.000-06:002020-02-19T21:58:06.683-06:00Sustainability in Bali: Through the lens of perennial wisdom<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
</div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">During the past two years I visited Bali, Indonesia 7 times! Bali is a fine tourist
destination with its beautiful shores, splendid peaks, great cuisine and
culture. One can spend their entire life in Bali, there’s so much to explore
and learn. Balinese are wonderful hosts, they greet people “<i>Om Swasti astu</i>”
meaning, may health and wellbeing be upon you. It’s a common way of saying
hello when we meet people in the island.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: justify;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLhIBlvOInZ0pH7dROOjYpXysV1lMkTfJXmFDjuFatbal4VgNaw0RJDmZYgzVBLDVv0vFP_2_9jDy1WXgox6oFYxrjuJqToE6kXOmoD3MUEm2EBQ79zAuM7pd5yjt5W9ZMF7iz-5w9pkQ/s1600/with+Sweden.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="778" data-original-width="1600" height="307" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLhIBlvOInZ0pH7dROOjYpXysV1lMkTfJXmFDjuFatbal4VgNaw0RJDmZYgzVBLDVv0vFP_2_9jDy1WXgox6oFYxrjuJqToE6kXOmoD3MUEm2EBQ79zAuM7pd5yjt5W9ZMF7iz-5w9pkQ/s640/with+Sweden.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">With progressive farmer Mr.Suweden in Bali</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The
perennial Hindu philosophy of Bali is called ‘<i>Agama thirta’</i>. It can be summed
up as the grand narrative of the island, an incredible concept called <i>‘tri hita
karna’</i> means three actions for fulfilment. It’s all about human relationships
with fellow human beings, the environment and the divine. The human pursuit to
live in harmony with nature by being gentle and respectful to her during changing
times and situations. Life is a worldwide web where every species are
interconnected and each of them play an important role to regenerate nature
through their endeavors. '<i>Tri hita karna</i>’ guides a person to dig deep into their
consciousness to find the purpose and meaning for their life. It sets a inquiry in our minds; how can I add value to people and planet and influence
people to add value to the environment.</span></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"></span><br /></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: justify; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="font-family: "times new roman"; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding: 6px; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; word-spacing: 0px;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><div style="margin: 0px;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB_4jad7raAZiyxt2L23JS1oJVID6a8IbWL5UsmvHT54uLbHGyEj6Vkz8l0iM5xuciphr0grawcQc6Bjc5WRDRskWCrEM1RtBEhg4c1Jr3Ms1uJiGaUTqM3TpeKacxk_XrCIlW0YkkJOg/s1600/rice+terrace.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="778" data-original-width="1600" height="310" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB_4jad7raAZiyxt2L23JS1oJVID6a8IbWL5UsmvHT54uLbHGyEj6Vkz8l0iM5xuciphr0grawcQc6Bjc5WRDRskWCrEM1RtBEhg4c1Jr3Ms1uJiGaUTqM3TpeKacxk_XrCIlW0YkkJOg/s640/rice+terrace.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
</td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px; padding-top: 4px; text-align: center;"><div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Rice terraces in Bali</span></div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">In
Bali, I was advising the Government's Ministry of Education to develop a curriculum to
integrate Balinese Hindu culture with Agriculture in collaboration with Bali Schools Project. It was a great opportunity
for me to research the subject, meet people to understand their culture and
practices. Their understanding of nature and her personification was an
epiphany, a revelation that blew my mind. Agriculture in Bali is not just
planting seeds and harvesting the produce. It’s a sacred act, a collaboration,
a promise with nature that all human actions will be under the laws of nature.
It’s all about treating nature as we wish to be treated. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: justify;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTyFY7f7L2c76er3hWS7N8w0_xN-nJRJJvW5_ojelvxF_LKUZzB5BYQiBU7O4N2oIWQ35Ch3DA4EYZ6le30Y1YMCdHQ7Cju2gdSdw93ahKwkQ20Q-EESVd-pov3wDQjRAEPg4BSO_HB1Y/s1600/Bali+with+the+education+ministry+officials.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTyFY7f7L2c76er3hWS7N8w0_xN-nJRJJvW5_ojelvxF_LKUZzB5BYQiBU7O4N2oIWQ35Ch3DA4EYZ6le30Y1YMCdHQ7Cju2gdSdw93ahKwkQ20Q-EESVd-pov3wDQjRAEPg4BSO_HB1Y/s640/Bali+with+the+education+ministry+officials.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">With the officials of Bali Government </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Rice
is one of the major crop in Bali. They grow many tropical fruits,
vegetables and also coffee. Coffee plantations are close to my heart since I was born and brought up in a coffee estate. Coffee is intercropped with mandarins and bananas. They also have 'luwak coffee'. The wild civet cats are called luwak in Bali, they feed on the coffee beans and their droppings are collected, cleaned and roasted. It's a speciality coffee that is sold 10 times higher the price of a regular coffee. I call it " poo coffee" !! We live in an interesting world.</span></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif;">Every rice field has a small temple, it’s a sacred
place. Rice cultivation for Balinese is festival of life, a celebration of nature for her
kindness and generosity for providing bountiful gifts. It’s a miracle of mother
earth where one seed of rice multiplies to 10,000 seeds, a perfect interplay of matter
and energy. They practice about 40 rituals from the day when rice seed
is sown unto the harvest. The rice plants are cared as their
fellow beings, not different from their family members. Balinese farmers seek permission from mother earth before tilling the rice terraces and before
harvest. They adopt an ancient system of fair sharing of water
among all the rice farmers, it’s called as ‘Subak system’. All the members in
the village discuss how to manage the irrigation water so that all the farmers
benefit. I feel it’s the world’s oldest living democratization system of natural
resources to benefit the community. This echoes with the
thoughts of Buckminster Fuller,” A world that works for everyone and no one is
left over.”</span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
</div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: justify;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEbfH39pE0LlVXLb5Z0eyO-PRZyJebFHmDAUMxM3X0OpzZkseXcIPM9qSsQO_VMg9mPkbFFPfbBKDC2JkipUu-AAuiwlPvA6Zy84SUUw_oBVdArAAjML2TilIcLNjiOZHSuWVEhWozNZw/s1600/P_20160526_145051.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="768" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEbfH39pE0LlVXLb5Z0eyO-PRZyJebFHmDAUMxM3X0OpzZkseXcIPM9qSsQO_VMg9mPkbFFPfbBKDC2JkipUu-AAuiwlPvA6Zy84SUUw_oBVdArAAjML2TilIcLNjiOZHSuWVEhWozNZw/s640/P_20160526_145051.jpg" width="480" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Farmer Suweden with 5 feet high paddy crop</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; font-size: large; text-align: justify;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">I love meeting farmers and learn from their wisdom. Farmers are the best teachers of agriculture. I met farmer Mr.Suweden, the head of a farmers group in a village Jutiluwih
known for it's picturesque rice terraces. My purpose was to introduce the
‘System of Rice Intensification’ (SRI) in Bali that could reduce water usage in
rice cultivation by 50%. Mr Suweden agreed to experiment in one of the
rice terrace. He was surprised to see paddy plants reaching a height of 5
feet. He never saw such robust, tall rice plants. Through this simple technique
he could double the rice production. There is a need to promote SRI method of
rice cultivation in Bali to reduce the ecological footprint.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: justify;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjomxxc6BxBv24B3i7Pf9FrA0FfyOcWyvhxjqA1z_088wt1uUJuljVvyJ6if-gp6jLj0VQV0NlbmDA0FFPypTZLq_tatra-dAhOL_RuT2N73k7ZHZolNZAQnDZe0W4T0JEJrb5AA6ke_cU/s1600/With+Jim+Carey.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjomxxc6BxBv24B3i7Pf9FrA0FfyOcWyvhxjqA1z_088wt1uUJuljVvyJ6if-gp6jLj0VQV0NlbmDA0FFPypTZLq_tatra-dAhOL_RuT2N73k7ZHZolNZAQnDZe0W4T0JEJrb5AA6ke_cU/s640/With+Jim+Carey.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">With actor Jim Carrey planting rice seedlings in Iowa.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">I had an opportunity to
meet the renowned actor Jim Carrey to plant rice seedlings in Iowa ! Jim
is known all over the world for comedic and dramatic roles in movies. Little we
know about this great actor and his passion to support smallholder farmers. In
many countries women are predominantly involved in transplanting and weeding of
rice. They spend several hours standing in water logged paddy fields. Water
stagnation breeds mosquitoes and other parasites causing several diseases to
the farming community. Jim's Better U foundation promotes the SRI method of
rice cultivation in Asia and Africa. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: justify;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2J_KRZZSEdMWpZP8SiQd5DzOXEyo0dXvctKkkIcmg08nSulxiE-lhjS6V91tZv92HtiPERHfkjuYSFNR9dFXSnRX7Kh7TWOrX7A8oHjMYH_ISukEqFcj4zh2poYp7q2PG3W1g5Qbrh1w/s1600/Jim+carrey.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1047" data-original-width="1600" height="418" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2J_KRZZSEdMWpZP8SiQd5DzOXEyo0dXvctKkkIcmg08nSulxiE-lhjS6V91tZv92HtiPERHfkjuYSFNR9dFXSnRX7Kh7TWOrX7A8oHjMYH_ISukEqFcj4zh2poYp7q2PG3W1g5Qbrh1w/s640/Jim+carrey.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Having fun with actor Jim Carrey !</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; font-size: large; text-align: justify;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">The Governor of Bali, Mr. Koster is
keen to transform entire Bali into a green island and shift to regenerative
agricultural systems. I had a wonderful discussion with him and was invited to
speak at an event in Bali to connect the ancient culture of Bali with the
concepts of ecological agriculture. Besides I developed a course curriculum for
Bali Government by integrating their culture with agriculture. The Minister of Education, Province of Bali, Ms. Tia Kusuma Wardhani and representatives of Bali Schools
project Adam and Wayan Sutrisna were very supportive in evolving a new curriculum that is rooted in the values of Balinese culture and heritage. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-family: "Times New Roman"; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; orphans: 2; padding: 6px; text-align: justify; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><div style="margin: 0px;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh50zWqAgSRPRZVn-AHgaAs3L_nyZSWe7zIUf9DZAaoMpbjCalfvDbHnjXhvU1kX9cQEaBT8SfOsuJ0TcgDSGIViWB19595eyEXxEmO21ZNscJh6DTnywv7kadeWWQYYiYVwlN85pbTG4/s1600/With+Governor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="464" data-original-width="696" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh50zWqAgSRPRZVn-AHgaAs3L_nyZSWe7zIUf9DZAaoMpbjCalfvDbHnjXhvU1kX9cQEaBT8SfOsuJ0TcgDSGIViWB19595eyEXxEmO21ZNscJh6DTnywv7kadeWWQYYiYVwlN85pbTG4/s640/With+Governor.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
</td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px; padding-top: 4px; text-align: center;"><div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Meeting Governor of Bali Mr. Koster (Photo: Bali Post)</span></div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">There can be no better way of communicating sustainability and
ecological consciousness by connecting the people through their own traditions and culture.
Communication is all about connecting people to create a passion to influence others. When native
cultures are embedded into our communication, people own the knowledge and connect
to their glorious past and act consciously in the present. It has a great potential to impact communities leading to social change.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">
</span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif;"></span><span style="font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: justify;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ669LTaCQh4KNKxT8lN8JHJAYbMyrLYa5xqp3_9Q3DBOBVJyV28dW3ZxFqrUVYm969ynHDvm_g7aviPckQ07c_3stUUukoR5dIXMe1k2iUSHwVRc9OmuwCbbaxH26kdiOa604J6kBWF8/s1600/Tim+speaking.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ669LTaCQh4KNKxT8lN8JHJAYbMyrLYa5xqp3_9Q3DBOBVJyV28dW3ZxFqrUVYm969ynHDvm_g7aviPckQ07c_3stUUukoR5dIXMe1k2iUSHwVRc9OmuwCbbaxH26kdiOa604J6kBWF8/s640/Tim+speaking.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Speaking on Connecting Agriculture with culture</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Sustainability is better understood through native cultures and perennial philosophies. It's an amazing experience of unlearning, learning and relearning. Schools, Universities, developmental agencies and foundations need to integrate culture into their pedagogy and communication strategies. Traditional knowledge systems have their depth and width in their concepts and approaches since these thoughts and experiences evolved over a millennia. They are ancient, time tested, scientific and replicated over
the years by several generations. Bali is a great place to learn and understand deep sustainability through their perennial wisdom and culture. </span><span style="font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">" <i>Om swasti astu</i>"</span></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
Dr.Thimmaiah (Tim)http://www.blogger.com/profile/17720178886375882586noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9181143864893733421.post-26532102683000748372020-01-06T20:44:00.001-06:002020-01-07T21:46:06.443-06:00Crop Insurance and Organic Agriculture in the US<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; text-align: justify;">Irregular
weather patterns are becoming regular, posing a great risk for crop and
livestock production. During the last few years variable weather patterns were
observed globally affecting food production. Flooding, droughts, fires,
hailstorms, heat waves are becoming a common norm. The current bush fires in
Australia and its impact in neighboring New Zealand is a testimony of the risks
that farmers and ranchers face irrespective of their geographical location.
Crop insurance is a great tool to manage risk and adapt to climate related uncertainties
and market price instability. </span><span style="font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; text-align: justify;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Crop
insurance are broadly two types; one protects the yield and the other provides revenue
protection. Crop Yield insurance is also called as multiple peril crop insurance
predominantly suits commodity crops and crops that have a well-established
yield history in a county or nearby counties. In US, commodity crops have a
very well documented yield histories and easily qualify for protection against
yield losses. Up to 95% of the crop yield could be insured. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Organic
agriculture predominantly is a biodiverse farming system. Whole farm revenue
Protection (WFRP) is a perfect match since it’s designed for a diversified
cropping system. In WFRP upto 85% of the revenue generated from the farm from
crops and livestock can be insured upto a maximum limit of $8.5 million of
insured revenue. If the farm is a livestock operation or a greenhouse/nursery
the insurable income is $2 million maximum. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Farm
revenue is the price of the farm produce. For farms to be eligible under WFRP,
farmers need to cultivate three or more crops and have a history of farm tax
forms (Schedule F) for atleast 5 years. Beginning farmers (having 10 years or
less farming experience) or Veteran farmers or ranchers need to have 3 years of
farm tax forms. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is a scope for mix
and match with WFRP and Crop Yield Insurance. One or two main crops can come
under crop yield insurance and the rest in WFRP depending on local situation
and farmer’s choice.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgycC-7JqQR4h6FthWn9-wAn7Fv4F7qXbZr8YZ7eHGHdBL-osGEYg67jaEMCQCr39zMiA7n2EvLZT55nDFMEOUMwTRZlolUHzqa0hlI6tLe1_b9n5QewmTeIfjdGFNjD3-kcY4gVB56D8k/s1600/Cows.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="778" data-original-width="1600" height="308" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgycC-7JqQR4h6FthWn9-wAn7Fv4F7qXbZr8YZ7eHGHdBL-osGEYg67jaEMCQCr39zMiA7n2EvLZT55nDFMEOUMwTRZlolUHzqa0hlI6tLe1_b9n5QewmTeIfjdGFNjD3-kcY4gVB56D8k/s640/Cows.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">I
would like to share my experiences of my discussion with organic farmers on crop
insurance and what are some of the reasons for not opting them. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Large number of farmers are still not fully
aware of WFRP and its benefits. Farmers felt the insurance agents are not well
equipped with answering questions related to organic agriculture and diverse
farming systems when compared to their expertise in commodity crops. They also
feel insurance agents promote the most popular crop yield insurance products
that are at times more expensive to organic farmers when compared to WFRP. Few
organic farmers were still of the opinion that 5% surcharge is charged on
organic operations which is not true anymore. There is a need to educate the
farmers that no such surcharge is levied on organic farms. In 2014, Risk
Management Agency (RMA) has eliminated the surcharge that was charged on
organic operations. Creating awareness amongst organic farmers and associations
is key to educate farmers on WFRP so that they can take advantage of federal
programs and simultaneously mitigate risk.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">The
growing organic sector has tremendous scope to recover a large portion of the
expected income in the advent of crop failure or loss through WFRP. Roughly about
60-65% of the premium is federally funded. In the 2018 Farm bill 24% of the
total budget is allocated for crop insurance. Even industrial hemp is covered under
insurance protection from the loss of farm revenue. Crop Insurance companies
need to train their insurance agents in regenerative organic agriculture practices
so that they understand them and confidently interact with farmers. WFRP is a
great choice for organic farmers and comparatively less expensive compared to
individual crop insurance products. WFRP can not only mitigate risk in diverse
cropping systems but also promote regenerative agriculture to conserve soils,
produce safe food and nourish our environment. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br /></div>
Dr.Thimmaiah (Tim)http://www.blogger.com/profile/17720178886375882586noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9181143864893733421.post-14386099471018425002020-01-03T22:56:00.004-06:002023-06-30T14:40:00.928-05:00Regenerative Organic Agriculture - Television interviews in Italy<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Telecolor the national television channel of Italy has been very kind to interview me whenever I am in Italy for my consulting projects. The Director of Telecolor Ms. Micol is very passionate to promote regenerative agriculture in Italy, she comes from a farming family. Telecolor is known for creating programs in food, agriculture, health and alternative lifestyle that that are not common in the mainstream media. Following are my 3 interviews translated in Italian. Thanks to Michela Savia for translating my spontaneous thoughts so well.<br />
<br />
<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/WXqm9PxytNk/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/WXqm9PxytNk?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/b5mfzEEdbgI/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/b5mfzEEdbgI?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>
<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/qcOtIE8B6OU/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/qcOtIE8B6OU?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div>
<br />
<br /><br /><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>
<br /></div>
Dr.Thimmaiah (Tim)http://www.blogger.com/profile/17720178886375882586noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9181143864893733421.post-55701058373896048762019-12-27T16:34:00.001-06:002019-12-27T16:34:07.272-06:00Bhutan, a leading example for our planet's fight for life<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="block block-core block-page-title-block" id="block-ecologist-page-title" style="background-color: white; color: #443d39; font-family: "Fira Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">
<div class="content" style="margin-top: 10px;">
<h1 class="title page-title" style="color: black; font-family: Buenard, sans-serif; font-size: 3em; line-height: 1.3; margin: 1em 0px 0.5em;">
<span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden"><a href="https://theecologist.org/2017/mar/01/ecologist-special-report-bhutans-stumbling-block-becoming-greenest-nation-planet?fbclid=IwAR2sJ2WZSSVf8hClZdN8a_yRZKmdFmOTrZqWg3B-z75b0LR8QSjx7suIvSE" target="_blank">Ecologist Special Report - Bhutan's stumbling block to becoming the greenest nation on the planet</a></span></h1>
</div>
</div>
<div class="block block-system block-system-main-block" id="block-ecologist-content" style="background-color: white; color: #443d39; font-family: "Fira Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">
<div class="content" style="margin-top: 10px;">
<article class="node node--type-article node--view-mode-full clearfix" role="article"><header><div class="node__meta" style="color: black; font-size: 1em; margin-bottom: -5px; padding-top: 10px;">
<span class="writers-inline"><div class="field field--name-field-writers field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items" style="display: inline; font-weight: 900; margin: 0px 0px 1.2em;">
<div class="field__item" style="display: inline;">
<div style="display: inline;">
<h2 style="display: inline; font-size: 1em; line-height: 1.4; margin: 1em 0px 2px;">
<a href="https://theecologist.org/profile/michael-buckley" style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom-color: rgb(183, 0, 123); border-bottom-style: dotted; border-image: initial; border-left-color: initial; border-left-style: initial; border-right-color: initial; border-right-style: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-top-style: initial; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; color: black; text-decoration-line: none;"><div class="field field--name-name field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item" style="display: inline;">
Michael Buckley</div>
</a></h2>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</span>| <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden">1st March 2017</span></div>
</header><div class="node__content clearfix" style="font-size: 1.071em; margin-top: 10px;">
<div class="field field--name-field-teaser-media field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item" style="margin: 0px 0px 1.2em;">
<article class="media media-image view-mode-default media--type- media--unpublished"><div class="blazy field field--name-field-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item blazy--on" data-blazy="" style="float: left; margin: 0px;">
<div class="media media--blazy media--image">
<img class="b-lazy media__image media__element b-loaded" height="613" src="https://theecologist.org/sites/default/files/styles/inline_l/public/NG_media/403380.jpg?itok=ArvYU-J6" style="border: 0px; display: block; height: auto; margin: 0px 0px 1em; max-width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 500ms ease-in-out 0s;" width="1000" /></div>
</div>
</article></div>
<div class="field field--name-field-teaser-text field--type-string-long field--label-hidden field__item" style="font-size: 20.9916px; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 1em;">
Bhutan is well on its way to becoming the greenest nation on the planet. In his Special Report for the Ecologist, photojournalist MICHAEL BUCKLEY explores the reasons why the country's ecosystems and dazzling biodiversity remain intact - and highlights the one thing that threatens this admirable integrity...</div>
<div class="main_quote" style="display: inline-block; float: right; height: 550px; margin: 5px 1em; width: 300px;">
<div id="block-advertsquareone" style="display: inline-block; float: right; height: 250px; margin: 0px auto 0.5em 0.6em; width: 300px;">
<div data-google-query-id="CJvv9_Dv1uYCFQPJwAodsMwBBw" id="div-gpt-ad-1392142119773-2" style="height: 250px; width: 300px;">
<div id="google_ads_iframe_/3162349/MPU_0__container__" style="border: 0pt none;">
<iframe data-google-container-id="1" data-load-complete="true" frameborder="0" height="250" id="google_ads_iframe_/3162349/MPU_0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" name="google_ads_iframe_/3162349/MPU_0" scrolling="no" style="border-style: initial; border-width: 0px; vertical-align: bottom;" title="3rd party ad content" width="300"></iframe></div>
</div>
<div style="height: 20px; width: 300px;">
</div>
<div data-google-query-id="CKe4-PDv1uYCFceGwAodsHEITA" id="div-gpt-ad-1392142119773-3" style="height: 250px; width: 300px;">
<div id="google_ads_iframe_/3162349/MPU2_0__container__" style="border: 0pt none;">
<iframe data-google-container-id="2" data-load-complete="true" frameborder="0" height="250" id="google_ads_iframe_/3162349/MPU2_0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" name="google_ads_iframe_/3162349/MPU2_0" scrolling="no" style="border-style: initial; border-width: 0px; vertical-align: bottom;" title="3rd party ad content" width="300"></iframe></div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="field field--name-field-paragraphs field--type-entity-reference-revisions field--label-hidden field__items">
<div class="field__item">
<div class="paragraph paragraph--type--text paragraph--view-mode--default">
<div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-text field--type-text-long field--label-hidden field__item">
<div style="margin-bottom: 1.2em;">
Radical times - climate-changing times - require radical solutions. In his book, <em>Half-Earth: Our Planet</em><em>'</em><em>s Fight for Life</em>, biologist Edward Wilson set forth his radical plan and argued: "The only solution to the "Sixth Extinction" is to increase the area of inviolable natural reserves to half the surface of the Earth or greater."</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 1.2em;">
Wilson's solution sounds like an impossible order, but the nation of Bhutan has already achieved that goal. Bhutan claims to have just over 50 percent of its land area assigned as national parks and wildlife sanctuaries - all connected by biological corridors. And Bhutan keeps adding protected areas, with several new wetland reserves declared recently at Phobjikha and Khotokha. This vast green coverage is possible due to a combination of factors: minimal exploitation of natural resources, Royal Family patronage of parks, and a very small population in Bhutan-officially totalling 768,577 people in 2016.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 1.2em;">
Unlike the neighbouring Chinese-controlled Tibet, where nomads have been kicked out of so-called ‘national parks,' the sanctuaries in Bhutan keep ethnic groups in place. To the Far East, the Brokpa, (semi-nomadic people of Tibetan descent) live inside Sakteng Wildlife Sanctuary. In Jigme Dorji National Park to the Northwest of Bhutan, Layap yak-herders live in their traditional villages.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 1.2em;">
Across the border in the North, the Tibet Autonomous Region claims to have a third of its land area devoted to national parks and sanctuaries, but these appear to be on paper only and designed to pave the way for Chinese dam-building and mining exploitation. By contrast, Bhutan's national parks and sanctuaries are monitored, patrolled and policed by rangers and there are heavy penalties imposed for hunting or for felling trees. Killing a Takin, the national animal of Bhutan, for example, could result in five to 10 years in jail, plus a hefty fine.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 1.2em;">
Arriving in Bhutan (flying into Paro) the first thing that strikes the eye is the majestic alpine forest. Travelling on main east-west highway, I rarely lost sight of forest. We're not talking small forest cover here, we're talking about massive forest cover. The scenery reminds me a lot of alpine forest in Canada - fir, spruce, and pine (without the pine beetles). Over 70 percent of Bhutan is cloaked in forest, tropical, temperate and alpine, depending on the altitude. A minimum 60 percent forest cover is enshrined in Bhutan's constitution.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 1.2em;">
Bhutan is a remarkable repository for fauna and flora of the Himalayas. The national flower, the rare blue poppy, grows at over 4,000 metres. The 5,000 known species of plants include 47 rhododendrons and 600 orchids. Over 675 species of birds inhabit Bhutan. This rich biodiversity is possible due to extreme altitude range, encompassing 7,500 metres. From a low of 97 metres at the Drangme River to a high of 7,565 metres - the summit of Gangkar Punsum, the highest unclimbed peak in the world.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 1.2em;">
<strong>Spiritual Beliefs that enhance Protection</strong></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 1.2em;">
The reason Gangkar Punsum remains unclimbed is that Bhutan has banned climbing of all of its peaks above 6,000 metres, a number of which are regarded as sacred summits and believed to host guardian deities. Having witnessed the circus that prevails at the summit of Everest in nearby Nepal, along with huge amounts of trash involved, Bhutan decided that its sacred peaks are better left untrammelled by the boots of mountaineers.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 1.2em;">
Education in Bhutan promotes enormous respect for the environment. Indeed, glowing pride in the environment is the basis for trekking and nature tourism - the country's greatest tourist draws. Spiritual beliefs that sustain environmental protection are heavily imbued in Bhutanese culture, which is a mix of traditional Bon animist belief and Tibetan Buddhism. Bon adherents, being animist, believe that guardian spirits reside in the mountains, the trees, the rivers and lakes. And that these spirits should not be disturbed by either pollution or misconduct. Offerings must be made to these spirits and deities to ensure the success of crops.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 1.2em;">
<strong>Fully Organic Nation</strong></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 1.2em;">
Due to terrain that runs great extremes of elevation, there's no place for farming or herding on an industrial scale. This is a nation of small farmers, determined to keep the likes of Monsanto, Syngenta, and GM crops out. Bhutan has become the first fully organic nation in the world. In fact, there is no multinational presence in the food line at all in Bhutan - no McDonalds, no Starbucks, no KFC. </div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 1.2em;">
In the quest for food security in a changing climate, a 300-page UN report titled <em>Wake Up Before it is Too Late</em> (published in 2013) identifies small-scale farming using an organic system as being the sustainable way forward and not monoculture-based crops and corporate-controlled GMOs that are reliant on toxic pesticides. By this reckoning, Bhutan is a true leader for Asia. The country has also banned the import of chemical fertilisers.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 1.2em;">
Genetically-modified crops are making in-roads into Asia. Monsanto has returned to Vietnam (previously engaged in spraying the deadly defoliant Agent Orange), and is involved in the cultivation of GM corn as animal feed, operating under the name Dekalb Vietnam. In 2012, the International Rice Research Institute and Monsanto spent US$2 billion to develop a GM rice that is iron-fortified to deal with the problem of anaemia in India and Bangladesh. The resulting GM rice was found to pale in comparison with scores of traditional seeds, which naturally have a good amount of iron in them. </div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 1.2em;">
In Bangladesh, a GM crop known as Golden Rice is under trial. Funded by the Gates Foundation, Golden Rice has been developed by Swiss agribusiness giant Syngenta, which has a controversial track record. Golden Rice claims to contain Vitamin A - said to cure that vitamin deficiency. Golden Rice is named after its bright saffron colour. But the Bhutanese are sticking to their staple of red rice. Those savvy about seeds and crops will tell you that local Bhutanese varieties are both hardy and resilient to climate-change factors and have good nutritional value. The owner of River Lodge in Bumthang told me he grows a special variety of potato that is not affected by potato blight. He cultivates his own strawberries, plums and apples, and makes his own jams and apple cider. Bumthang has a small factory that makes Swiss-style cheeses with milk from local cows. Nearby is a micro-brewery that makes Red Panda Beer.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 1.2em;">
<strong>Water-blessed</strong></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 1.2em;">
Rice is ridiculously water-intensive: indeed, the most water-intensive crop on the planet. So here lies a great problem: how to get enough water to irrigate that rice. Fortunately for Bhutan, its rivers rise on its own side of the Himalayas and so farmers are not dependent on trans-boundary rivers from Tibet (as India is). Bhutan is water-blessed, not water-stressed.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 1.2em;">
Climate change has brought unwelcome water problems to Bhutan. The threat of GLOFs (Glacial Lake Outburst Floods) looms large in the northern Himalayan parts of Bhutan. In the monsoon season, flashflooding causes landslides and erosion. I saw more than my fair share of landslide activity travelling on Bhutan's main east-west road, which is undergoing widening from one lane to two lanes. Driving along this route in a 4WD vehicle, dodging landslide-prone zones (undergoing blasting by road-crews) was a real cliffhanger.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 1.2em;">
<strong>‘</strong><strong>Green Dams'</strong></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 1.2em;">
There are some glaring obstacles in the path of Bhutan's clean and green vision for keeping its ecosystems intact - mainly, megadam building on Bhutan's powerful pristine rivers. These new dams are being built by Indian engineers: about 75 percent of the hydropower is slated for export to power-hungry India. Hydropower has become Bhutan's number one export.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 1.2em;">
Bhutan's government describes these as ‘green dams.' In fact, a major Bhutanese hydropower player is Druk Green Power Corporation. Putting a positive spin on things, Bhutan claims that its up-and-coming megadams are harmless river-of-the-river dams (no vast reservoirs). But when you build a pair of 1-GW-capacity dams on the same river, you cannot expect the riverine ecosystem to operate the same way ever again. This is precisely what is happening in the Punakha-Wangdi Valley, where two destructive dams are underway: 1200-MW Punasangchu I and 1020-MW Punasangchu II. Both megadams are on track for completion in 2018. Construction is advancing and a roadtrip into this valley reveals the vast scale of digging diversion tunnels, with loads of muck dumped onto the riverbanks, along with great piles of gravel and sand. Run-of-the-river dams let water through but block silt - and that means crops further downstream will not get the valuable nutrients they need. Although the Bhutanese rarely fish, the megadams will also block fish migration, which in turn, will affect communities downstream in India, in the states of Assam and West Bengal.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 1.2em;">
Ironically, hydropower output drops in the winter months, and Bhutan does not have an electrical network that is reliable enough to carry its citizens through the winter. In the freezing cold of the remote northern mountainous region, locals depend on the <em>bucari</em>, a wood-fired stove. The wood is culled from stands of trees set aside as ‘community forests.' Although Bhutan's population is very low, the nation has one of the highest per-capita rates of fuel-wood consumption in the world. These wood-burning stoves are adding CO2 to the atmosphere. More to the point, they are sending up black soot particles that will rain down on Bhutan's Himalayan glaciers, hastening glacial meltdown. But at least Bhutan has decided not to engage in large-scale logging to sell on to India as a source of income.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 1.2em;">
At the December 2015 climate-change conference in Paris, Bhutan pledged to be carbon-neutral. However, part of Bhutan's calculation on carbon-neutral is that it is exporting renewable energy, which can only be a reference to megadams on the rivers of Bhutan. That makes this a dubious claim. Bhutan plans to exponentially increase its export of hydropower to India by the construction of more megadam projects, targeting 10 GW of power output by 2020. And it is this which is a huge spanner in the works if Bhutan wants to keep its ecosystems intact.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 1.2em;">
Overlooking the last few paragraphs, you have to give Bhutan full credit for prioritizing ecology over economy. The Government is making a determined effort to steer away from unchecked exploitation of its natural resources. And you can only admire Bhutan for setting aside half of its land area for environmental preservation, fulfilling the vision of Edward Wilson. This is the only nation on the planet that can claim to have done so and this alone sets a shining example for other nations to follow. The survival of the planet depends on the visionary incentives that are being implemented in Bhutan.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 1.2em;">
<strong>This Author</strong></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 1.2em;">
Michael Buckley is a photojournalist and the author of <em>Meltdown in Tibet </em>(Macmillan, NY, 2015) and a companion digital photobook <em>Tibet, Disrupted</em> (Apple iBooks, 2016). He is also author of <em>Tibet: the Bradt Guide</em>. He is a regular contributor to <em>the Ecologist </em>and has travelled widely in the Himalayan region, visiting Bhutan a number of times.</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</article></div>
</div>
</div>
Dr.Thimmaiah (Tim)http://www.blogger.com/profile/17720178886375882586noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9181143864893733421.post-501177331935354952019-11-27T11:13:00.001-06:002019-11-27T11:13:57.252-06:00Medicinal plants production adopting biodynamic agriculture practices in India<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I was amazed to see an article in Biolaya webpage about my advisory work way back early 2000 in Himachal Pradesh. It was fun to involve the villagers to grow some of the most exotic medicinal herbs adopting biodynamic agricultural practices. These herbs were procured by Pukka Herbs, UK for their formulations. Thanks to Ben Heron's leadership for motivating the villagers in a remote village Deushar near Kullu in Himachal Pradesh.<br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="http://biolaya.com/organic/" target="_blank">Biolaya Organic Garden</a><br />
<br />
<div class="entry-header" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: Oxygen; font-size: 16px;">
<h1 class="entry-title h1 md-h1 sm-h1" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Ubuntu; font-size: 2.5rem; font-weight: 400; line-height: 1.23; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word;">
Biolaya Organic Garden</h1>
<div>
By Ben Heron</div>
</div>
<div class="entry-content" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: Oxygen; font-size: 16px; margin-bottom: 25px; margin-top: 25px;">
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 2.5rem;">
When I first arrived in Kullu in 1999 I naively assumed that the Himalayan foothills would be an organic paradise. Sadly, this was far from the truth. In fact, quite the opposite: lurking under the surface is a rather shocking cocktail of chemicals.</div>
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 2.5rem;">
The extent of the problem was highlighted by the difficulty we had in finding suitable farms to grow certified organic herbs. The Kullu Valley itself is dominated by apple orchards that are heavily sprayed with chemicals (mostly fungicides and some insecticides). In our search for organic land we ended up working with farmers in some very remote areas, including the Mayar Valley in Lahaul (about as remote as it gets). But even there, at over 3000m altitude, an organic inspector still managed to find an empty herbicide tin in the irrigation channel half a kilometre above the farm. There seemed to be no escape from chemicals.</div>
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 2.5rem;">
The situation wasn’t much better back at Biolaya HQ. The path from the village was often littered with a few empty fungicide packs and at certain times of year the air would be thick with the smell of chemicals from the orchards.</div>
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 2.5rem;">
In many ways, being in the heart of apple-growing country, Deushar was a perfect place to create an organic research and demonstration garden. The garden was on a busy path used by every family in the village for collecting firewood and taking their cows for grazing in the forest. Nobody could avoid passing it without showing at least some curiosity about what we were doing.</div>
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 2.5rem;">
The Biolaya garden consisted of about two acres of land, including a small apple orchard and different areas for growing medicinal plants, vegetables, traditional grains and tree seedlings. Although not directly related to our herb business, to us the apples, vegetables, grains and trees were equally important in the context of researching and promoting sustainable farming systems (not to mention essential for feeding ourselves fresh organic food). Our intention was to promote diverse agroecosystems in which medicinal plants were just one part.</div>
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 2.5rem;">
In our first year in Deushar – for our own benefit as much as the local farmers – we arranged a series of training workshops led by Dr Thimmaiah, an expert in organic and biodynamic farming. Having had our doubts, we were surprised by the level of enthusiasm of the farmers – far greater than the discarded packets of fungicide had led us to believe. Many of them wanted to stop using chemicals – they just didn’t believe it was possible without a significant drop in yields and income.</div>
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 2.5rem;">
Dr Thimmaiah’s argument, shared by many other proponents of organic farming, especially in the developing world, was that any initial drop in yield can be compensated by lower costs of inputs. And in the longer term, crops grown in healthy soil in a diverse ecosystem will eventually out-perform any monocrop grown in soil devoid of biological activity and organic matter.</div>
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 2.5rem;">
This made sense to us. And if the farmers were still dubious, we were willing to put theory into practice and hope that the results would speak for themselves. So, beyond basic organic principles such as crop rotations, intercropping etc., much of our work in the garden focused on creating low-cost inputs made from locally available resources. We made giant compost heaps, liquid manures, vermiwash, cow-pat pits, panchagavya and many other concoctions, all designed to optimise crop productivity and resilience at minimal cost.</div>
<div class="slider-pro biolaya1 sp-horizontal sp-has-buttons" id="slider-pro-20" style="box-sizing: content-box; margin: 20px auto 18px; max-width: 700px; position: relative; width: 700px;">
<div class="sp-slides-container" style="box-sizing: border-box; position: relative;">
<div class="sp-mask sp-grab" style="box-sizing: border-box; cursor: url("images/openhand.cur"), move; height: 350px; overflow: hidden; position: relative; width: 700px;">
<div class="sp-slides" style="backface-visibility: hidden; box-sizing: border-box; perspective: 1000px; position: relative; transform: translate3d(-710px, 0px, 0px);">
<div class="sp-slide sp-selected" data-index="0" data-init="true" data-loaded="true" style="box-sizing: border-box; height: 350px; left: 710px; position: absolute; width: 700px;">
<div class="sp-image-container" style="box-sizing: border-box; height: 350px; overflow: hidden; width: 700px;">
<img class="sp-image" data-default="http://biolaya.com/wp-content/uploads/050526-BD-Compost.jpg" height="533" src="http://biolaya.com/wp-content/uploads/050526-BD-Compost.jpg" style="backface-visibility: hidden; border-radius: 0px !important; border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; height: auto; image-rendering: -webkit-optimize-contrast; margin-left: 0px; margin-top: -58.5px; max-height: none; max-width: none; padding: 0px !important; position: relative; transform: translateZ(0px); transition: none 0s ease 0s; vertical-align: middle; width: 700px;" width="800" /></div>
</div>
<div class="sp-slide" data-index="1" data-init="true" data-loaded="true" style="box-sizing: border-box; height: 350px; left: 1420px; position: absolute; width: 700px;">
<div class="sp-image-container" style="box-sizing: border-box; height: 350px; overflow: hidden; width: 700px;">
<img class="sp-image" data-default="http://biolaya.com/wp-content/uploads/050526-biodynamic_compost.jpg" height="533" src="http://biolaya.com/wp-content/uploads/050526-biodynamic_compost.jpg" style="backface-visibility: hidden; border-radius: 0px !important; border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; height: auto; image-rendering: -webkit-optimize-contrast; margin-left: 0px; margin-top: -58.5px; max-height: none; max-width: none; padding: 0px !important; position: relative; transform: translateZ(0px); transition: none 0s ease 0s; vertical-align: middle; width: 700px;" width="800" /></div>
</div>
<div class="sp-slide" data-index="2" data-init="true" style="box-sizing: border-box; height: 350px; left: 2130px; position: absolute; width: 700px;">
<div class="sp-image-container" style="box-sizing: border-box; height: 350px; overflow: hidden; width: 700px;">
<img class="sp-image" data-default="http://biolaya.com/wp-content/uploads/050605-organic_preps-2.jpg" height="533" src="http://biolaya.com/wp-content/uploads/050605-organic_preps-2.jpg" style="backface-visibility: hidden; border-radius: 0px !important; border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; height: auto; image-rendering: -webkit-optimize-contrast; margin-left: 0px; margin-top: -58.5px; max-height: none; max-width: none; padding: 0px !important; position: relative; transform: translateZ(0px); transition: none 0s ease 0s; vertical-align: middle; width: 700px;" width="800" /></div>
</div>
<div class="sp-slide" data-index="3" data-init="true" data-loaded="true" style="box-sizing: border-box; height: 350px; left: 0px; position: absolute; width: 700px;">
<div class="sp-image-container" style="box-sizing: border-box; height: 350px; overflow: hidden; width: 700px;">
<img class="sp-image" data-default="http://biolaya.com/wp-content/uploads/060405-vermiwash_sarah_surie.jpg" height="533" src="http://biolaya.com/wp-content/uploads/060405-vermiwash_sarah_surie.jpg" style="backface-visibility: hidden; border-radius: 0px !important; border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; height: auto; image-rendering: -webkit-optimize-contrast; margin-left: 0px; margin-top: -58.5px; max-height: none; max-width: none; padding: 0px !important; position: relative; transform: translateZ(0px); transition: none 0s ease 0s; vertical-align: middle; width: 700px;" width="800" /></div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="sp-arrows sp-fade-arrows" style="box-sizing: border-box; left: 0px; margin-top: -15px; opacity: 0; position: absolute; top: 175px; transition: opacity 0.5s ease 0s; width: 700px;">
<div class="sp-arrow sp-previous-arrow" style="box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer; height: 17px; left: 20px; position: absolute; right: auto; width: 10px;">
</div>
<div class="sp-arrow sp-next-arrow" style="box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer; height: 17px; left: auto; position: absolute; right: 20px; transform: rotate(180deg); width: 10px;">
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="sp-caption-container" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Droid Sans", arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.28px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 19.92px; margin-top: 10px; opacity: 1; text-align: center;">
A biodynamic compost heap made during Dr Thimmaiah's training</div>
<div class="sp-buttons" style="box-sizing: border-box; padding-top: 3px; position: relative; text-align: center; width: 700px;">
<div class="sp-button sp-selected-button" style="background-color: #ab2800; border-radius: 50%; border: none; box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer; display: inline-block; height: 5px; margin: 4px; width: 5px;">
</div>
<div class="sp-button" style="background-color: #c5c5c5; border-radius: 50%; border: none; box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer; display: inline-block; height: 5px; margin: 4px; width: 5px;">
</div>
<div class="sp-button" style="background-color: #c5c5c5; border-radius: 50%; border: none; box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer; display: inline-block; height: 5px; margin: 4px; width: 5px;">
</div>
<div class="sp-button" style="background-color: #c5c5c5; border-radius: 50%; border: none; box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer; display: inline-block; height: 5px; margin: 4px; width: 5px;">
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 2.5rem;">
Apart from a few cases of stubborn tomato blight and some sooty blotch on the apples, the results of our trials in Deushar were promising. It was hard to narrow down exactly which methods were having the most effect as we mixed them all together in a slightly random, unscientific manner. But the main thing was that we were able to demonstrate that most pests and diseases could be controlled without chemicals and that we were still able to get good yields.</div>
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 2.5rem;">
A few of the farmers, inspired by Dr Thimmaiah’s training and the results of our trials, embraced the philosophy of using low cost inputs and replicated them on their own land. Vermicompost, in particular, was a big success. For many though (especially the more wealthy apple growers), the inputs – although cheap to make – involved too much time and effort. They were used to quick and easy solutions, and preferred the idea of buying ready-made organic inputs from the market.</div>
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 2.5rem;">
At the time, ready-made organic inputs weren’t easily available. They also worked out more expensive than their chemical counterparts, which meant that the only way to maintain the same level of income would be to sell the produce at a higher price. The problem with that was that there wasn’t yet an established local market for organic produce. It also led to the question of whether to go down the route of 3rd party certification, and how to tap into (often distant) high-value markets.</div>
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 2.5rem;">
We soon realised that to make a real impact, not only did we need to introduce organic practices, we also needed to explore ways of creating new markets. One option we explored was to create a <a href="http://www.ifoam.bio/en/organic-policy-guarantee/participatory-guarantee-systems-pgs" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: transparent; box-shadow: rgba(145, 1, 1, 0.7) 0px 1px 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: rgba(145, 1, 1, 0.7); text-decoration-line: none; transition: all 0.15s ease-in-out 0s;" target="_blank">Participatory Guarantee System</a> (PGS) – a low-cost alternative to 3rd party certification based on trust and social control, and designed more for the local market. This is a concept with great potential, but was beyond the scope of a rapidly growing Biolaya.</div>
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 2.5rem;">
As we became busier with other projects, we also struggled to find time to prepare all of our own inputs. We experimented with buying ready-made bio-pesticides and fungicides, hoping we might find easier solutions. Some proved to be very effective, but simply replacing chemical inputs with organic inputs just didn’t seem right. Why focus so much time and energy on trying to fix the symptoms rather than address the underlying cause?</div>
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 2.5rem;">
Having experimented with many different crops, I personally felt that the main issue was not so much how to treat pests and diseases, it was more the suitability of the crops that were being grown. The most lucrative and therefore most widely grown cash crops, such as cabbages and apples, were also the most susceptible and required the most toxic treatments. The traditional crops, on the other hand, having been bred locally for centuries, were perfectly adapted to the environment and barely suffered any problems from pests and diseases. They were also far more nutritious, providing vitamin-packed leaves during the summer months and protein-filled grains for the winter. So why weren’t more people growing and eating these crops?</div>
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 2.5rem;">
One of the reasons, as we found out for ourselves, is that they require a lot of hard work (especially in dehulling). And also because tastes seemed to have changed. Traditional grains such as millet, amaranth, buckwheat and chenopods are perceived by many of the locals to be ‘poor man’s food’, grown and eaten by their forefathers before they had the choice available today. People now prefer to eat flour and rice from the market – for many, the whiter it is the better. And when you can sell a kilo of apples for up to 20 rupees, you can buy a lot of flour and rice.</div>
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 2.5rem;">
As a result, traditional crop varieties are dying out; nowadays they are only grown in the most remote villages where they still make up an important part of their diet. Like many of the medicinal plant species we were working with, these crops are becoming increasingly rare. But unlike wild herbs, which thrive in the absence of people, traditional grains rely on farmers to propagate their long-term survival.</div>
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 2.5rem;">
For us in Deushar, unimpeded by the economic pressures of earning a living from the land, shifting our focus to more pest-resistant traditional crop varieties was an easy and logical decision. But for local farmers, especially those who have no other source of income, sacrificing any amount of income for long-term environmental (and health) benefits is less likely.</div>
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 2.5rem;">
In reality, any significant shift from conventional to organic farming will require a combination of all the different strategies described above; for some farmers, creating their own low-cost inputs may be the only solution they need. Others will find ways of compensating for the higher costs of purchasing organic inputs by selling organic produce at a premium. And hopefully, any notion of traditional grains being ‘backward’ will be turned on its head as people realise their value, and production may rise again with the introduction of appropriate technology to help with post-harvest processing.</div>
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 2.5rem;">
Fortunately, there is a resurgence of interest and appreciation of organic and traditional crops coming from the Indian cities, and there are a growing number of NGOs, such as <a href="https://mountainbounties.com/" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: transparent; box-shadow: rgba(145, 1, 1, 0.7) 0px 1px 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: rgba(145, 1, 1, 0.7); text-decoration-line: none; transition: all 0.15s ease-in-out 0s;">Mountain Bounties</a> and <a href="http://www.navdanya.org/site/" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: transparent; box-shadow: rgba(145, 1, 1, 0.7) 0px 1px 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: rgba(145, 1, 1, 0.7); text-decoration-line: none; transition: all 0.15s ease-in-out 0s;">Navdanya</a>, who are supporting farmers by buying their produce and introducing small-scale processing technologies. Hopefully this is the start of a much bigger movement to come.</div>
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 2.5rem;">
As always, by looking more closely at the connections between what we eat and how our food is grown, we are reminded of the responsibility we all have to know where our food comes from, and to eat in a way that nourishes the diverse agroecosystems that every one of us is so intimately connected to.</div>
</div>
</div>
Dr.Thimmaiah (Tim)http://www.blogger.com/profile/17720178886375882586noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9181143864893733421.post-12077793037091043862019-10-11T23:43:00.002-05:002019-10-11T23:43:58.851-05:00Regenerative Agriculture in Italy, Interview in Telecolor, Italian national TV Channel<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background: white; border: none 1.0pt; font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt; line-height: 107%; padding: 0in;">My recent interview in Italian national TV. Some
of the major concerns in agriculture are; empowering farmers to be
self-reliant, supporting local food production, low-cost methods for carbon
sequestration and creating enabling environment to support ecological farmers
are discussed. Regenerative Agriculture is becoming a buzz nowadays, however
lot needs to be done to reduce the cost of production, policies to support
ecological farmers and ways to transform farming into a profitable enterprise. </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background: white; border: none 1.0pt; font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt; line-height: 107%; padding: 0in;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background: white; border: none 1.0pt; font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt; line-height: 107%; padding: 0in;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background: white; border: none 1.0pt; font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt; line-height: 107%; padding: 0in;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/qcOtIE8B6OU/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/qcOtIE8B6OU?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background: white; border: none 1.0pt; font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt; line-height: 107%; padding: 0in;"><br /></span></div>
<br /></div>
Dr.Thimmaiah (Tim)http://www.blogger.com/profile/17720178886375882586noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9181143864893733421.post-51572857688358290302019-09-13T17:26:00.000-05:002019-09-19T08:00:42.739-05:00Webinar on Low-cost Regenerative Organic Gardening for urban enthusiasts.<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Regenerative organic agriculture is getting very popular now as a system of farming to produce safe and nutritious food and a solution to Degenerative agriculture. We all know that the current system of farming is against all the laws of nature. The food produced is laced with synthetic agrochemicals is hot healthy for any living system. In addition the techniques of modern agriculture make farmers dependant on several purchased inputs.<br />
<br />
Farming is an extension of natural ecosystem. Humans domesticated a few plant species that were in wild and started cultivating them to meet their food, feed fibre and other needs. Regeneration is integral to farming akin to forest ecosystems. However the greed and short sighted views of humans has reduced agriculture into a set of few chemicals and corporate control. Farmers committing suicide, family farms going bankrupt, loss of topsoil, cruelty to animals and rising incidence of diseases are some of the symptoms of the 21st century.<br />
<br />
Though Regenerative agriculture is the solution to address the environmental damage caused by current farming system the concepts are not fully understood by many yet. In many discussion forums and events the scope of regenerative farming is restricted to building soil carbon for carbon sequestration to address climate change. I see regenerative agriculture as a system that empowers farmers. It's not limited to sequestering carbon by adopting sane farming techniques. The purpose of regenerative agriculture is to produce safe and nutrient dense food through methods that regenerate the soil, seeds, waterbodies, biodiversity, ecosystem, economies and the human thought. In this process farmers need to trained to become least dependant on purchased external inputs. A dependant system is not sustainable nor regenerative.<br />
<br />
Please find below my recent webinar where I introduce Regenerative Organic Gardening to the urban enthusiasts.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dzO1Dw8F1JCpbwbHxJK96mnWQaYkjFitrziPQ9BNgJ93j-4hBToS96GwsbEBIpY8odcWcn3-VjdLdy92kl-9w' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe><br />
<br />
<br /></div>
Dr.Thimmaiah (Tim)http://www.blogger.com/profile/17720178886375882586noreply@blogger.com0