South India sharing knowledge & also learning intensive microbial stimulant production
It was a great honour to be able to guest lecturer at this Biodynamic (BD) school in South India.
The region this village and BD farm school is located is referred to as "wastelands". The land was so bad, that the government donated it to them 20 years ago. Now it is a thriving village forestry system, with plants and fruit trees everywhere and pules planted in fields. Weeds are growing wild, with honeybees making honeycomb on them, on the side of the road!
My teacher below has done a lot of the original regeneration on this desert land and pioneered the vegetation and waterways back to health, with multi species, biodynamic sprays, and watershed modification - weirs and field bunds.
Learning the intensive microbe culturing was a fun ecperiendce. This farm is 2000m above sea levels in a place called "kodaikanal" where monkeys, wild bison and leopards run wild.
Pulse fields back in the "wastelands" surrounded by Neem trees, and mixed fodder trees for the goats and cows.
We ran some trial plots around the farm mixing up different brews with great results.
sharing space and experiences.
Assessing nodulation in the field on these legume crops. No rhizobium, just in-house microbials. 100% nodulation, very pink, full and active.. to my Suprise!
We gathered various materials around the village and from the farm to brew up some DIY microbials.
All in all it was a nice balance between creativity, sharing ideas and practises, and intensive deep dive into microbial culturing the Biodynamic way over 7 days of intensive training.
Guitar the essential item whilst stirring BD500 for one hour!
Harvested fodder trees, burn piles and weeds and utilised these strategically for the crops.
The result was truely profound and has shown quite clearly that through these combination of practices, that even the most degraded lands can be regenerated and easily provide nourishment for us and the local markets.
I have designed a Biodynamic Agroforestry system based on the local vegetation and lifestyle needs, that provides fodder, fruits, vegetables, timber & income whilst regenerating the soil. And have been invited to spend 6 months implementing the system for the school. Id love to set up a large scale compost operation there! .. In the coming years I will venture over and take the task with open hands!
Kane
Red Soil Organics