organic farm
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organic farm Earlier this year two acres were cleared for an organic kitchen garden. With a little luck and a lot of hard work, we could be self-sufficient within 3 years. We welcome any green-thumbed volunteers who wish to share their expertise with us in this area. Good Nutrition We have already begun to grow a variety of items that enhance our table and allow us to introduce the children to the concept of "Good Nutrition" - for today and tomorrow. As most people have experienced, the flavor of fruits and vegetables grown organically in rich soil is far superior to the same produce grown in depleted soil with chemical fertilizers. Better taste means more nutrition. The children find the taste of our organically grown fruits and vegetables very enjoyable and therefore eat without being told to "finish your vegetables".
We currently grow in abundance: papayas, figs, avocados, mangos, bananas, jackfruit, oranges, guava, passion fruit, coffee lettuce, wheatgrass, carrots, chard, beetroot, arugula, brown rice, to name a few. Over the last several years we've introduced the children to leafy green salads and we make salad a part of our daily luncheon fare. A bed of fresh wheatgrass has also been planted and we intend to bring this into the children's daily diet when we return to Coorg.  Education The children learn many lessons from the garden. They learn about soil composition, the environmental requirements for plant growth, the parts of a plant and how they function as a growing entity and much more. Through their science experiments they get to directly participate in the growing by interacting with and tracking the growth of plants they themselves have planted. They also study the organic ecosystem in which the plants live. This includes beneficial plants, frogs, insects, birds, snakes, civet cats, water creatures and much more. When the children participate in the growing of the fruits and vegetables that they themselves eat, it opens a world of appreciation that allows healthy eating habits to develop that can be taken forward by each child in their own life.
Vanilla & Cardamom As part of our organic farming program we are exploring vanilla growing as a possibility for expansion and as a potential source of income. Because of elevation, temperatures and other environmental factors, our estate has ideal conditions to successfully grow abundant yields of vanilla, known to be the second most expensive spice in the world next to saffron.
There were vanilla vines already on our Coorg property when we took it over and they seem pretty hearty. We have recently transplanted them and intend to offer the kind of care that is consistent with standardized organic vanilla growing practices. We also plan to purchase more high quality vine cuttings from nearby vanilla plantations that might have even more growth potential. Cardamom also grows well in the rainforests of Coorg, without any tree cutting. It's a delicate spice with many health benefits, including balancing the digestive tract and helping with headaches and depression. Sometimes called the "Queen of Spices" it is indigenous to South India and can be another potential source of income for us.  Cow Bi-Products Cow dung plays a large role in our organic farming program. As a natural fertilizer for all of our fruit trees, vegetables, vanilla and cardamom, and of course coffee plants, cow manure is our chief source of fertilizing agents.
Currently, after cow dung is collected from our cowshed it is moved into a pit to compost. After the collected dung has grown into a large mound exceeding the top of the pit and has aged somewhat, it is transferred to another pit for further aging. From there the aged dung will be collected into recycled cement bags for distribution around the plantation, mixed with mulch and later applied directly onto the soil of trees and plants. Of course this process is labor intensive, and fortunately has to be done only a couple times a year. March is a good time to apply such fertilizers before the June monsoon. Sometime in the very near future we will build a Gober biogas unit that will convert fresh cow dung into methane gas. This will supply our school kitchen with cooking fuel that will be used instead of propane gas. Another great bi-product from our cows is urine and our cow barn is built to collect it. When fermented, it's a natural insecticide and provides an incredible amount of nourishment for plants. We put it on our papaya and banana trees as well as in the garden. Community Outreach We hope that through our success other farmers come to see The Children's Project as a model farm and themselves begin to grow abundantly and organically. As our service program grows, we look forward to helping uplift many small growers in the future by spreading enhanced organic growing techniques into the villages.
Currently our cows produce 25 liters of organic milk daily. What we don't use is eagerly sought after in the neighborhood for it's rich flavor. The secret is in the quality feed, the cow grass we grow organically on the property and of course - the love. photo gallery
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