5 times farmers trained in natural farming achieved the impossible

The demand for food grown without chemicals has risen over the years. Experts suggest it is healthier. Consumers report it to be tastier. But what can chemical-free farming bring to the Indian farmer facing dept and crop failure?

The answer is with the SSIAST (Sri Sri Institute of Agricultural Sciences and Technology), a trust of The Art of Living has been training farmers in natural farming for years. Their Sri Sri Natural Farming workshops have not just helped farmers come out of debt, but also helped them achieve incredible feats in terms of seed innovation, yields, farming in difficult conditions, and more. Here are some inspiring stories from the fields:

Grow a sugar-free wheat variety which has folic acid

No grain on this planet has folic acid. However, Mohan Nagpal, a farmer, and trainer with Sri Sri Natural Farming stumbled upon a wheat variety that has! Called Sona Moti, this indigenous wheat variety was grown in India 2,000 years ago. According to lab reports, the wheat variety has folic acid, low-gluten, low-sugar, and has nearly 241% more mineral content and 40% more protein and fat than any other wheat variety.

Interestingly, indigenous seeds like the Sona Moti can only be grown with natural farming. The use of pesticides and chemical fertilizers in chemical farming destroys the microbes required for the growth of indigenous seeds.

Battle insecticide-resistant insects

In 2016, whitefly, an insect was found destroying coconut and banana plantations in South India. Farmers found it to be resistant to insecticides. Other chemicals killed the insect’s natural predators, making the situation worse.

When no chemical intervention was useful, Arasu, a farmer from Palakad, Tamil Nadu, found a solution in a Sri Sri Natural Farming workshop. He learned how to make Jivamrut, a natural fertilizer that also enhances the resistance of plants against pest attacks. All it took to make it was cow dung, cow’s urine, and flour. The fermented mixture not only saved Arasu’s coconut plantation. It made the trees of his farm healthy and strong. So much that the weight of the coconuts increased from 350 gms to 500 gms.

Grow a water-intensive crop in a drought-hit area

Andhra Pradesh’s Kurnool district has seen recurring drought over the past 5 years. Sri Sri Natural Farming has helped hundreds of farmers in this district to earn profits despite drought conditions. One such farmer, Muralidhar Reddy drew profits from growing sugarcane, a water-intensive crop. Purple-colored, and 14 ft in height, the crop required an expenditure of Rs. 10,000 per acre as compared to Rs. 50,000 per acre when using chemical fertilizers and pesticides.

Harvest bonanza yields

Latur’s Amrut Gample never thought that he’d be growing 1 ton of wheat in 0.25 acre of land, a yield thrice the yield of an average Indian farm. A feat that ended his quest for alternative sources of income that arose from Latur’s drought conditions. It happened with his newly acquired skills in natural farming. With that, he is now able to support his children’s education and lead a comfortable life.

Derive profit from less than an acre and zero input cost

With mounting debt, Maruti Waghmare once wanted to commit suicide. Life changed when he and his wife Mangala started practicing natural farming in their 0.5 acre land. With zero input cost, they earned profits of 60,000 in three months and are now able to support their family of six. Earlier with chemical farming, 75% of their earnings were spent on input related expenses and only 25% was spent on personal expenses. Mangala has also started teaching natural farming to other farmers. Till now, she has reached hundreds of farmers.