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Pitless Tree Plantation

The recent incidents of uprooting of big and old trees in Chennai and many other metro cities is a sign that something is not right. Of course, one big reason is the concretisation of the ares around the trees but there is much more than that which is not right.

pitless-tree

Look closely and notice the raised soil around the main stem of the trees in our organic farm and compare with​ tree plantation in any conventional farm with a pit around it to feed fertilisers and water etc. It’s amazing to note how wrong are the conventional practices of modern agriculture. There are no feeding roots near the main stem and creating a pit simply makes the stock root immersed in water which makes it weaker because then it doesn’t grow much deeper looking for water. At the same time the feeding roots which generally grow on top soil don’t spread farther as the fertilisers are fed directly near the stem. This whole process is against the nature where feeding roots spread in the soil in search of food (nutrients) and make a strong foundation for the tree. The result is obvious when we see even big trees falling easily in City areas.

#Pitless #farming #organic #jaivikfood

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Zero Residue vs Organic and Natural Fruits

Please note the difference between #Pesticide Residue Free and Organic (#Naturally Grown) Fruits like Grapes, Mangoes , Bananas etc. Though, residue free are 100% safe to eat as the chemical residues are within the maximum residue limits and are naturally ripened without any artificial intervention, however, these can not be claimed as “Organic”.  The term “Organic”  or “Natural” has more implication than just the pesticides residue in the fruit/crop. That is because chemical #pesticides and #fungicides are used by such farmers during the flowering time and onwards for protection against infection and to assist fruit setting. In addition, more synthetic fertilisers, hormones etc are applied to ensure the optimum health of the plant.  As perIIHR recommended practice, the final protective spray is stopped not less than 15 days before the actual harvest to ensure lower limits of harmful residue in the fruit/crop. However, the pesticides and chemical fertilisers added by farmers do still seep into the soil, intoxicates the air and water and thus are harmful to environment and bio diversity in a longer run. So, buying such product does not meet the full objectives of organic /natural farming. On the other hand, Organic or Natural farming uses alternative techniques to take care of the these problems and ensure that the environment is not harmed in any way.

One should, at the least , avoid artificially (#Calcium Carbide) ripened fruits. The easy way to recognise if the fruit is naturally ripened or not is to examine the colour and texture. If its evenly coloured , #monoculture , evenly ripened but wrinkle free and pale then its artificially ripened. The other thing to note is the colour and taste of the pulp. If it has dull colour of pulp inside compared to what you get beneath the peel and taste is not upto mark of the variety of the fruit then its not good. The naturally ripened fruit (even if it has over ripened and is spoiled at some parts) when you cut open will have evenly ripened pulp with good flavour and taste.

Safe Ripening Process Screen Shot 2016-04-04 at 4.32.13 pm

Eat organic and naturally grown food and Enjoy healthy living !!!

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 How to Buy Organic Food

Understand What’s Organic food :

In simple words, #Organic means #food grown #naturally under hygienic conditions and without the use of chemical fertilisers and pesticides. The ill effects of over use of chemicals by farmers to either protect their crops or to increase the yield over last 3-4 decades across India are well known. These were elaborately shown in the famous episode of TV show #Satya Mev Jayte hosted by Aamir Khan in 2012. Many #mothers today are aware and want to ensure healthy and pure food for their family and are opting more and more for organic food. The good part is that we are seeing more and more options being available to them in the Metro cities. The Big Question they face is that how to ensure the food they are buying at premium price is organic, healthy and better than the other food.

Most of the Organic food sellers are trying hard to provide you the healthier and safer options. However, it’s best in your own interest to be aware of few simple things while buying organic food items. Here are few listed below:

  1. Try to know the source from the vendor. Some general information about the origin will help you assess the authenticity. The #freshfood is generally available according to climatic conditions of the area of production and any mismatch should be a cause of concern.
  2.  If some items are available in large quantities and available for a longer period, you need to be alert. Most of the organic food items are available in limited quantity and during season only unless stored in cold storage.
  3. Some of the vegetables like Capsicum (Coloured and Green) , Bitter Gourd, Cucumber, Brinjal etc attract pests despite best efforts. If your veggies are always free from these than be alert. Please note that most of the times, you can cut the bug infected part and use the rest of it.
  4. It’s an agreed and legal practice to polish food items. However, Organic food should not be polished or subjected to any kind of hormones for growth, colour or size enhancements. If you find food items very attractive in colour, shape and size with spotless clarity and shine, again you need to be alert. Check for wax or oily surface and reject if found so.
  5. There should be a clearcut, observable differentiation in taste and flavour in your organic food. You can’t miss it.
  6. In addition to taste, you will also observe that your requirements of some of the pure organic food is reduced eg. Turmeric & Chilli powder, dry pulses like Rajma, Urad , Unpolished Rice etc are consumed in lesser quantity compared to their inorganic counterparts.
  7. Some #farmers believe that using cow’s dung as manure and urine based solutions for pest control makes their farm produce as Organic. This kind of food is definitely better than chemically treated ordinarily available food. However, there is one more condition of hygienic environment. Water and air of the area bring pollutants to farm. Farming near Industrial waste carrying water source (like Yamuna banks in the Delhi and surrounding regions ) cannot be classified as Organic even with the best of farmers efforts unless there is highly controlled conditions to treat them.
  8. Try to get pics of farms or plan farm visit once in a while. This will not only instill your confidence in the vendor but at the same time can help you connect with the roots and the farmers. Include these trips as part of your holidays. The family will love it and farmers will get encouragement too.
  9. Some of the processed items like juices may use ingredients like sugar, oil, additives and preservatives which may not be pure organic. As long as this is declared to you, it should be ok if the fruit juice is from good source and processed under hygienic conditions.
  10. Feedback is an important process to improve the quality of goods and services of your vendors. See if your vendor is listening to and responding to your input.
Happy Buying Organic Food.