Meeting with Vandana Shiva, Delhi - Dec. 08

Well, after a hectic couple of weeks of preparation – wrapping up our presentation for Navdanya and making sure everything was well-organized at the garden – Pompy and I climbed on board the Rajdhani Express on December 16th and headed west to Delhi.

The trip there was speedy and comfortable, and gave us a chance to do a little reading and catch up on our sleep.

We were in Delhi for a total of 5 days, which gave us an opportunity to explore some different parts of the city – from the bustling, chaotic exhuberant markets of Old Delhi, to the beautiful stalls at Dilli Haat that sell top quality handicrafts produced throughout India.

Along the way we located a shop that sold cast iron juicers and grinders, and added those to our baggage on the return trip.  They’ll be nice additions to our production unit – and we’ll be able to prepare fresh juice from some of the fruit growing at the garden.

The meeting with Vandana. Shiva and 4 of the Navdanya staff members took place at their office in south Delhi.  Just before the meeting, we met up with 2 other Canadians – Sanhana and her son Josh – who attended the meeting with us.  They’ve just started discussions with a group of cotton farmers in central India interested in converting to organic cultivation and then marketing the cotton.

I think the discussion went well, and it was wonderful to have an opportunity to meet  Dr. Shiva and some of her colleagues.  Like the Center for Indian Knowledge Systems, they’re interested in exploring how we might work together to protect the local seed varieties in Assam and help us find the means of reaching more farmers.

Josh expressed some interesting ideas about linking up students and volunteers from Canada with Navdanya’s projects in various locations in India – similar to what we’ve been doing here in Assam.  We’ll explore this idea further when I get home.

I left the staff member assigned to work with us a thorough overview of our work identifying what we’ve accomplished to date, the resources in place at Adarsh Seuj Prakalpa, and ideas about some specific ways we could use their help.

Another positive outcome was the invitation to send our teas to Navdanya’s two organic shops – one is located in Delhi and the other in Mumbai.  Bushes don’t really come into production until late March, and right now it isn’t clear to me whether Rajesh and the Singpho growers will have a supply available – they have a number of other irons in the fire, including promoting the new eco-lodge in Ketetong – but I’ll see what we can arrange.  The Navdanya team really liked the cloth bags made from the gamusa – welcome news for the local women’s self-help group here in Digboi!

Inspired by Navdanya’s marketing ideas, Pompy and I have started working on a label for the products we hope to see in our own green shop, which should be completed by the end of February.  We’re all eagerly awaiting Niels’ arrival – it’ll be great to have another set of hands and some help to work on this project!

This month, the production unit’s getting lots of use.  We have been experimenting with various formulas, including one prepared from ground up tomato leaves – the smell of which apparently repels caterpillars.  

Apart from the bokchoi, which we tried for the 1st time this year, we've had very little damage from insect pests – careful monitoring and hand-picking has really paid off!

The presence of the kids continues to be a joy each and every day.  They’re always willing to help out with watering, mulching the plants, collecting garbage, etc.  

With our key trainer gone, we’ve been focusing primarily on getting the garden in good shape.  All the beds are well-mulched and for the first time, we have a large stockpile of dried grass, manure, rice husk and water hyacinth – perfect ingredients for making compost and vermicompost and for using as mulch.

Our new volunteer/trainee, Kali, has been doing a great job of monitoring plants and keeping everything well-watered, and it’s exciting to see the results of everyone’s hard work.

Later this week, we will be meeting with the headman from one of the villages close by the garden.  Our goal is to identify a group of farmers from 3 or 4 nearby villages that we can work with on a regular and ongoing basis.

Yesterday, as we were making plans for the coming week over tea and some sweets Pompy and I brought back from Delhi, I looked out at the faces of the group of sincere and hardworking people now working here with me, and felt a deep sense of gratitude and appreciation for “the great mystery” that has drawn us all together.   I know how much even the small salary they’re receiving means to each of them, and am watching how their knowledge, confidence and self-esteem is growing with each passing day.  

If we can just find the support that I know is out there, I will be forever grateful and happy with what we’ve accomplished together.