Vanashree

12 Oct 2019

Third visit to the farm. Was a short visit, Preeti madam did not join us. We came back before lunch. There was a Pooja planned at Srikanth's place and we mostly spent our time picking things for it.

• Peeled the cocnut husks and gathered them.
• Gathered Seemebadane, Gava, Passion fruit, sugarcane, banana leaf, beetle leaf and Thondekai. 
• Learned how to find out if gava is about to ripe by slightly pearcing into the fruit.

Srikanth sir also shared his Himalayan trekking experiences. He gave me Seemebadane, Nugge Soppu and Barbados Cherry to carry home.

14 Sep 2019

My second visit to the farm. Every conversation has been a learning for me. Talking to Srikanth sir and Preeti madam has been so helpful. I got my chance to enjoy working in the farm. We had a discussion of revamping the vanashree website. General talks about how an intermidiate broker would charge a premium on the produce and how a farmer cannot do anything about it.

• Picked the coconuts and made a pile. Learned how a small trolly helped in reducing the work effort in gathering the coconuts. A huge coconut container which helps in drying it and also to gather it at one place. We also discussed how a value-added item (coconut oil / herbal coconut oil would help in earning more compared to just selling coconut and dry coconut.
• Plucked seemebadanekai, topioca and planted seemebadanekai (learned to plant it the right way). 
• Learned to identify how a seethapala would look like when it about to ripe.
• Shanmuga was spraying a concentrated common salt solution on the weeds. This would act as a natural weedicide without harming the fertility of the soil. 
• Anveshi and his wife had come to the farm. We had met on my first visit to the farm. He had come there with a big plan of starting something new. The idea seemed to be very broad. However such a detailed planned seemed to be important for starting anything new. 
• We had a short discussion about Prafulla Chandra, brother-in-law of Kuvempu and his contribution towards the field of agriculture. 
• Heard about the qtrove.

Srikanth sir clicked a photograph of mine while I was planting seemebadanekai sapling.

3 August 2019

My very first visit to the Farm. It was such an enriching experience and all the conversation made a lot of sense. The other visitors - Pradeep, Amareshi and ShriVidya were from different walks of life but their interest around the topics and their questions seemed were appropriate. Srikanth sir picked me from the Toyoto showroom, Kanakpura Road around 9.45am. Both Srikanth sir and Priti madam were open for conversation and any question. Soon I got into the car and we started driving towards the farm there were several conversation. I was just trying to get my confusions cleared by talking out the thoughts which keeps running in the mind.

The farm seemed nothing like a conventional farm which I have experienced before. A new world for me altogether.

Shanmuka and Jaya who stay at the farm all the time, take care of the daily work, while Srikanth and Priti visit the farm over the weekends. The animals at the farm, the endless trees and the plants in the farm were a different experience altogether. Understanding the whole mindset of such organic farming was something I was looking for and I got a glimpse of it.

My plan of going back to the farm frequently to learn was acknowledged and they agreed to allow me to go back over the weekends and work on the field.

Some additional info I could gather -
https://annadana-india.org/

2 August 2019

- Called Srikant sir and confirmed the visit to the farm. Was delighted and excited about the visit.

17, 18 July 2019

Messaged Srikanth sir about my interest. Had a phone call with Srikanth sir to visit the farm and he agreed.

5 July 2019

sent an email to Priti madam about my interest to visit the farm. 11th, got a reply with Srikanth sir's phone number.