Farming
A Girl With A Farm – Bringing You Closer To Residue Free Farming!
I realized how cities are dependent on neighbourhood farms and towns for food supply, and I closely viewed the supply chain and its drawbacks. I visited farms to understand the challenges of farmers, and this intrigued me to learn farming.
Imagine getting up in the morning and making fresh juice from the fruits of your farm! Isn’t that Empowering😊
REAL PEOPLE REAL STORY
Dhruvita Deepak Bosmiya
We all have a farmer hidden within our roots; the desire to grow is inherent in us all, and as an urban girl who has grown up in a city like Mumbai, choosing a career in farming was indeed a risky affair. Although I pursued architecture as my subject of study, with my knowledge of planning, I decided to build a farm in the heart of India’s most busy city – Mumbai.
Q: How Did This Thought Find Place In Your Mind?
I realized how cities are dependent on neighborhood farms and towns for food supply, and I closely viewed the supply chain and its drawbacks. I visited farms to understand the challenges of farmers, and this intrigued me to learn farming by leasing a small piece of land from my father.
Q: What Is Residue-Free Farming?
Although the buzzword in agriculture today is ‘Organic,’ yet I found out that for urban farms, the best option is Residue-Free Farming.
The word residue means something that remains after the completion of the process. Pesticides are substances that control pests, but this does not imply that all pesticides are harmful. Natural biotics like neem oil are used as pesticides instead of harmful chemicals.
Q: What Are The Benefits Of Residue-Free Farming?
In the modern age, urban farming is the only solution to keep the supply of quality food going. There are numerous reasons that make residue-free farming a viable option for not only farmers but also those who love to grow food in their terraces, gardens, and even balconies.
- Residue-free farming not only upholds but also improves the productivity of the soil.
- This process strongly neglects the use of chemical fertilizers and replaces them with naturally made substances.
- In Residue-farming, the production capacity of the soil is maintained at par with the conventional production techniques.
- The Crops that are produced through the residue-farming technique are high in nutritional value as compared to other techniques.
- As food is grown without the use of pesticides, the crops are healthy and best suited for all health-conscious consumers of today.
- Handling unhealthy and high-powered chemicals requires experience and expertise; however, even home growers can use chemical-free pesticides without harming their hands.
- The taste of food grown from this process is very different from what we consume normally.
Q: How Do We Make Sure That The Residue Is Not Left Behind In The Crop?
To ensure this, there must be a gap between the spraying and harvesting period. The gap will be completely determined by the type of biocides you are using.
Q: Why Must Everyone Go Back To Farming In Their Small Way?
There is no better to ensure that quality food reaches your plate than to participate in the growing process. Growing your food means you can ensure 100% guarantee safe and healthy food. You also start to appreciate the small joys of seeing the first shoot of life blooming with your efforts. While buying vegetables, we often get critical of the size and color of produce; by seeing our food grow in front of us, we can respect this diversity in crops rather than question them.
Q: What Crops Are You Harvesting?
After almost two years of research, I have successfully grown cucumber, bottle gourd, chili, tomatoes, guava, papayas, and many more.
Q: Can We Do Residue-Free Farming At Home?
That’s how I started in my little balcony during the lockdown. Just follow the techniques and select the right seeds, take care of them, treat them as members of your family, occasionally talk to them, and you will see how they return the love in the form of rich produce.
RESIDUE-FREE CUCUMBER
RESIDUE-FREE BRINJAL
CHILI FLOWER
RESIDUE-FREE TOMATO
RESIDUE-FREE BOTTLE GOURD
MY Residue Free Farming
The Final Word:
The pandemic has taught us the importance of getting back to our roots, so let us use this opportunity and grow our food in your small home. Plants like carom, curry leaves, mint leaves, chili can be easily grown at home. Try them; there is no greater joy than creating life.
For more queries on Residue-free farming, do visit the “a girl with a farm” Instagram page or write to us.
