My Experiences in the Fields: April 2011

Meeting at Bakhtgarh

In the first week of March, a group meeting including men and women happened at Bakhtgarh. The meeting started off with the differences in chemical and traditional farming systems, Traditional farming included the rich and healthy lifestyle of the villagers, the abundance of life forms in the fields, the participation of all members of the family in the agriculture, the means of pest control by farmers and the participation of women included in making the fodder available to the livestock, cutting and plucking the grains and vegetables during the harvest season and seed storage and the methods of seed storage in the homes.

The past and current situation of agriculture and agriculture practices is same in both villages. Older men and women told that before green revolution no fertilizers or pesticides used in fields. Agriculture totally depended upon rainy water. That part of land on which wheat was used to grow left follow for one year. Farmers’ manure was used only for wheat land. So people normally grew those crops which not demanded so much water. Farmers practiced multiple cropping. They spent more and more time in their fields. But now situation is totally different. Farmers get irrigation facilities. In their words water is now in their control. They use fertilizers and pesticides more than suggested by PAU, Ludhiana. They hardly spend one to two hour in the field and it also leads to mono cropping. Multiple cropping needs more attention but mono cropping does not. That is why farmers prefer mono cropping pattern.

Asking about loss of diversity in fields, women revealed that men are not interested to spend more time in fields. If they grow multiple crops in fields they have to spend more time in the fields. But men replied that it is difficult because of labour and technical problems. If they grow

Black gram or mustard with wheat, they will not be able to use harvester.

It is worth mentioning here that the green revolution played havoc with the youth in the villages. The dependence on chemical fertilizers and pesticides rendered them idle who were earlier busy in manual and other creative ways of pest management and other activities associated with agriculture.

While talking about women role in agriculture, they told that women used to go to fields for cotton picking, wheat harvesting. They also did the job of seed saver. But now women lost their job in fields. Few of them never visit their field. They don’t know much about farming and related practices.

While discussing the about the traditional seeds the women were very clear that the crops cultivated using traditional seeds tasted good and that because of the traditional foods people did not fell sick and they did not have to go to the doctors at all.

The older women were grieved and upset at the deterioration of health and at the rate of which the young generation is falling sick. The older women were also very disturbed at the lack of physical labour among the younger generation and the lifestyle changes that have occurred in the last ten to fifteen years. They told that they used to do a lot work at home as well as in the field but new generation can’t do that work. Telling the reason of this they told they don’t take good and healthy food. They eat kurkure, chips and drink coke and Pepsi. If they eat such things how they become healthy and do work like them. In their time, people eat food whiuch was healthy but now people care only about taste.

Many elders pointed out the absence of an attractive, multi cropped diversity filled, full of life fields. The magnetic attraction that attracted people to fields is missing. Not many children visit their family fields and they are cut off from the thought of pursuing agriculture and also their cultural heritage associated with farming, not just for the sale of the crop yields but a wealth of wisdom that has been carried of from since many generations is a far cry.

While talking changes in the lifestyle, they spelled out that before green revolution people were hard working. Every work was done by them. No machines used. Women used to sit in Trinjans where they did weaving, spinning, embroidery. But now even in a family women sit together. No love and harmony is there now. They wish that time come again.

The meeting was ended with the decision to meet again after the next week.

PRA at Bakhtgarh

On March 31, 2011 meeting were held at both villages for PRA. This PRA was done to know about their food sources, food diversity and their dependence on market for food.

Men and women of different age groups and different socio-economic backgrounds participated in the PRA exercise.

Food Calendar

An indicative calendar for month-wise availability of foods. Mention the different foods that are consumed from various sources.

Food from Field

Apr

May

Jun

Jul

Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov

Dec

Jan

Feb

Mar

Grains

Wheat, Rice

Wheat

Vegetables

Tinda

Beans, Bitterguard, Pumpkin, Bottle guard, Tinda

Spinach Sarso ka saag, Methe,

Corian-der,

Raddish

Spinach Sarso ka saag, Methe,

Corian-der,

Raddish

Spinach Sarso ka saag, Methe,

Corian-der,

Raddish

Spinach Sarso ka saag, Methe,

Corian-der,

Raddish

Spinach ,

Methe,

Corian-der,

Raddish

Uncultivated Food

Bathua

Bathua,

Bathua ,

Chibbar

Bathua, Chaulai, Chibbar

Bathua, Chaulai

Chibbar

Bathua, Chaulai

Chibbar

Bathua

Chibbar

Bathua

Chibbar

Bathua

Pulses

Oil Seeds

Mustard

Spices

Jaggey

Fruits

Guava

Ber

Guava,

Guava

Ber

Guava

Ber

Food from Market

Apr

May

Jun

Jul

Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov

Dec

Jan

Feb

Mar

Grains

Gram flour

Flour(Corn, Bajra)

Gram flour

Flour (Corn, Bajra)

Gram flour

Flour ( Corn, Bajra)

Gram flour

Flour ( Corn, Bajra)

Gram flour

Flour (Corn, Bajra)

Vegetables

Tinda, Ginger, Potato, Brinjal, Lady Fingers, Cluster beans, White kidney beans, Black eyed beans, Bottle gourd, onion, Bitter Gourd, , Red pumpkin, , Kidney Beans Capsicum, Tomato, tori, cucumber

Cluster beans

Tinda,

Ginger, Potato, Brinjal, Lady Fingers, Cluster beans, White kidney beans, Black eyed beans, Bottle gourd, onion, Bitter Gourd, , Red pumpkin, , Kidney Beans Capsicum, Tomato, tori, cucumber

Cluster beans

Tinda,

Ginger, Potato, Brinjal, Lady Fingers, Cluster beans, White kidney beans, Black eyed beans, Bottle gourd, onion, Bitter Gourd, , Red pumpkin, , Kidney Beans Capsicum, Tomato, tori, cucumber

Cluster beans

Tinda,

Ginger, Potato, Brinjal, Lady Fingers, Cluster beans, White kidney beans, Black eyed beans, Bottle gourd, onion, Bitter Gourd, , Red pumpkin, , Kidney Beans Capsicum, Tomato, tori, cucumber

Cluster beans

Tinda,

Ginger, Potato, Brinjal, Lady Fingers, Cluster beans, White kidney beans, Black eyed beans, Bottle gourd, onion, Bitter Gourd, , Red pumpkin, , Kidney Beans Capsicum, Tomato, tori, cucumber

Cluster beans

Tinda,

Ginger, Potato, Brinjal, Lady Fingers, Cluster beans, White kidney beans, Black eyed beans, Bottle gourd, onion, Bitter Gourd, , Red pumpkin, , Kidney Beans Capsicum, Tomato, tori, cucumber

Cluster beans

Carrot, Potato, Cauliflower, Tomato, Ginger, onion, garlic, Cabbage, peas,radish, black gram fresh

Spinach,

Sarso ka saag, Methe,

Carrot, Potato, Cauliflower, Tomato, Ginger, onion, garlic, Cabbage, peas,radish, black gram fresh

Spinach,

Sarso ka saag, Methe,

Carrot, Potato, Cauliflower, Tomato, Ginger, onion, garlic, Cabbage, peas,radish, black gram fresh

Spinach,

Sarso ka saag, Methe,

Carrot, Potato, Cauliflower, Tomato, Ginger, onion, garlic, Cabbage, peas,radish, black gram fresh

Spinach,

Sarso ka saag, Methe,

Carrot, Potato, Cauliflower, Tomato, Ginger, onion, garlic, Cabbage, peas,radish, black gram fresh

Spinach,

Sarso ka saag, Methe,

Carrot, Potato, Cauliflower, Tomato, Ginger, onion, garlic, Cabbage, peas,radish, black gram fresh

Spinach,

Sarso ka saag, Methe,

Pulses

Chick peas, Bengal gram,