Report from Peggy,  November 2008

November in Digboi is reminiscent of a perfect September day in the Comox Valley.  The sun has been shining almost every day and evenings are cool - by the time I head home from the garden, there’s a heavy dew on my bicycle seat and I have to bundle up in a warm sweater and scarf.
  
The staff have been doing a great job of keeping the resource centre clean and well-organized.  Computers, printers, LCD projector and all the tools are in good condition and getting lots of us.

Assam has two primary growing seasons, and planting for the “winter” season is now well underway.  Cool season crops include potato, cauliflower, cabbage, garlic, peas, spinach, tomato and many others that are commonly grown in the summer on the west coast.

Last year and again this year, the Digboi Rotary Club organized the sale of vegetable and flower seedlings grown in a “poly house” constructed by our two malis (gardeners), Iqbal and Babu.  Following this, the space will be used for growing tomatoes and chilis – both of which are highly susceptible to blight and bacterial wilt.

The availability of seedlings & vermicompost has resulted in a steady stream of customers and visitors.  Pompy, our office administrator /outreach worker, often spends part of her day in the garden helping with weeding or watering. She and the malis provide info on how vermicompost & compost are produced, and offer suggestions on improving and protecting soil.  Some days, constant interruptions can make it difficult for the malis to focus on their work, so we’re looking at the possibility of hiring someone to help out when things are at their busiest.

Pompy and I have been putting the finishing touches on a number of documents that have been translated from English into Assamese, and have created a couple of new Powerpoint presentations – one on organic garlic cultivation and another on organic tomato cultivation.

We’ve also been getting her files in ship-shape, and getting ready to create some resource kits for distribution to NGO’s, extension staff, etc.

Last week, we traveled to two villages in Jorhat district to provide training to farmers.  We also met with several unemployed young men who are looking for ideas and assistance that could help them earn some money. 

Finding a market for the crops or products they’re producing remains one of the biggest challenges both groups are facing.

We also met with Dr. Manju Dutta Das from the Home Sciences Dept. at the Agriculture University in Jorhat.  She has worked extensively with women in rural Assam, raising awareness of the importance of kitchen gardens, chemical-free food production, water purification, etc.  Although she hasn’t yet visited our centre, she’s aware of our project and impressed with what we’ve accomplished. 

Pompy asked if Manju could help her learn more about conducting outreach work and organizing meetings with women’s groups, she received an enthusiastic “Yes!”  She returned home with a handbook and CD created by Manju, and has been invited to attend upcoming training sessions to share what she has learned about organic farming with the participants.

On the lighter side of things – a peak into one part of my daily routine. I have a supply of tea, sweetened condensed milk, cardamom and ginger in my kitchen, and usually start the day with a cup of tea and a couple of digestive biscuits.  Some mornings, I stop for a cup of tea at a tiny little shop close to the garden, where I can get tea AND a sweet bun or piece of cake.

Babu goes home for lunch every day, but Iqbal takes his meal here, so lunch has become my main meal of the day – rice, dal and some type of vegetable dish.  He’s a good cook as well as a good gardener, and usually makes enough dal for me to take home for my dinner.  A few carrots, some cucumber slices – and voila – dinner!