 News from the Garden,
December 2008
Hi everyone, It's almost 7:00 p.m. on what's been another beautiful, sunny day here at Adarsh Seuj Prakalp, Fertile Ground's organic farming project in Digboi, Assam. Staff member Pompy Ghosh and I are working next to each other at our respective computers - she on a handout in Assamese on how to prepare vermicompost, and me on this message to you.
It's planting time, so Iqbal and Babu (our gardeners) and Pompy and I have all been working hard in the garden to get the beds ready, transplant seedlings and make sure there's a ready supply of mulch, compost and compost teas.  We've hired a woman to cook a simple lunch for Iqbal and I - and for a new volunteer from Canada, Niels, who will arrive in early January. This frees up at least another hour each day of Iqbal's time. After preparing the food (featuring vegies from our garden, of course!) , she helps out with the watering or other garden tasks. And I get to take home the leftover rice, dal and vegetables for dinner - which is a nice bonus!
Iqbal and Babu made arrangements for two labourers to come and help out "as needed", and they've been chopping banana stalks and water hyacinth, hauling materials for the compost pile, watering and learning about how to make compost.
 A woman from the local neighbourhood came today to finish the floor in the new production unit, where we'll be preparing plant-based formulas for improving the soil and controlling insect pests. Using a slurry from cowdung and mud, she plastered the floor and the entrance way to make a more stable and flat surface. It looks great!
For the past 4 days, Kali, a young woman also from the Muliabari area, has been volunteering for a couple of hours in the afternoon - weeding, watering and cleaning. Pompy and I are going to teach her how to prepare formulas for improving the soil and controlling insect pests (some of which - cabbage caterpillar and aphids - are just starting to show up). If it works out, we'd like to hire her for a few hours every day on a regular basis. She needs the income desperately, and we need the help! So far, she's a willing and hard worker - and seems keen to learn, so I'm hoping it will be a good fit. The new water pump is installed and operational - and everyone is happy to no longer have to haul water from the tank one bucket at a time. We've placed 3-100 litre plastic containers in strategic parts of the garden. Each day, the mali's fill them about 3/4 full of water pumped from the tank, and top up the container with a liquid manure or compost tea concentrate. Each container has its own brand new blue plastic watering can, and between the malis, Pompy and I, the kids and other visitors, the beds and the plants are getting watered and fed at the same time. That, in combination with a thick layer of mulch, should continue to improve the soil and keep down the weeds. Last week I reconnected with Girin Chetia, a friend who runs a NGO based about 6 hours from here, and found out he's just taken on an organic farming project in a very remote place on the Assam/Arunachal border. He has asked us to provide an intensive 3 day training course for 6 to 8 staff who'll be working at that project, so we'll be inaugurating our new tent when that group arrives. I've got 3 mattresses purchased earlier this year for the students from Canada earlier, and a local shopkeeper who makes mattresses, pillows and bedcovers has agreed to provide more once we know the number of people who'll be participating. I'm expecting it will take place later this month after Pompy and I return from Delhi. For now, work is focusing on getting our garden into ship-shape.
Sending love to all of you, and big smiles (and some photos) from me and the staff here in Assam.
Peggy. |