One can not assist however pay attention in awe as he lists the number of crops and vegetation he cultivates at his house at Sree Nagar, Kalippankulam, close to Manacaud. Besides the world round his house on the 10-cent plot, farming is being executed extensively on two terraces, overlaying an space of two,500 sq ft.
“I’ve been doing this for the final 21 years. I expanded the cultivation after retirement in 2019,” says the 66-year-old who labored in Bank of Baroda. Fruit-bearing timber, medicinal vegetation, tubers, greens, flowers, leafy greens and so forth are grown on the terrace and round the home. “When the award committee got here for the overview, they stated that curry leaf and drumstick are a should in a diet backyard. I develop each in loads on the terrace and the bottom,” he says with delight.
Among the medicinal herbs and vegetation grown in his farm are neela amari (indigo plant), turmeric varieties, aloe vera, kacholam (fragrant ginger), chundakka (turkey berry), ramacham (vetiver), pathimukham (sappan wooden) and so forth. Besides commonly-grown greens and tubers, the backyard additionally has beetroot, carrot, celery, lettuce, cauliflower, cabbage, completely different types of yam, candy potato, Chinese potato, arrow root, floor nut, pineapple, plantain varieties and so forth.
Around 50 fruit-bearing timber are cultivated right here, most of that are grown in enormous pots on the terrace. These embody dragon fruit, ardour fruit, miracle fruit, star fruit, cherry, mango, jackfruit, inexperienced grapes, guava, sapota, pomegranate and lemon.
Paddy grown on terrace at N Harikesan Nair’s house | Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
Paddy can be grown on the terrace. His backyard is wealthy by way of flowers as properly, which embody marigold, cock’s comb, lotus, water lily, ixora variants and different varieties.
“I’ve adopted vertical association in order that essentially the most variety of pots will be organized within the out there area. My coverage is, much less area however most yield,” he provides.
It was solely pure for Harikesan to take up farming since his father was a farmer whereas they lived at Alumkuzhy, a number of kilometres from Palode. “We cultivated all the pieces, proper from greens and plantain to paddy, coconut, areca palm, and reared cattle and poultry. After my father’s demise, my mom took it ahead,” he recollects.
Farming isn’t any simple job, he stresses. “It is time consuming and requires immense endurance and arduous work. Climate change poses the most important problem. Unexpected rainfall and powerful winds typically injury the crops.”
Harikesan says his spouse, S Sreekala, a retired authorities official and son, Ananthu H, assist him in working the farm. “Waste administration is completed on the supply. Slurry from the biogas plant is the fertilizer, and we don’t use any pesticides. The backyard additionally has a number of honeybee colonies to facilitate pollination. We use the harvested honey at house.”
He provides, “I depend upon vegetable retailers solely to purchase potato, onion and shallots. And no matter yield I get is distributed amongst neighbours, family and friends. I don’t market any produce. I contemplate this a service.”
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