Big change in Small farm

Is it possible to lead decent life within half an acre? Is small farming profitable? Is it possible to earn more than one lakh rupees from half an acre? Is it possible to fulfill farmer’s needs from half an acre? Small farmers can prevent global famine? Mr. Gopal says ‘Yes’ to all the above questions. Small farming methods can significantly increase the food production and thus help curb a global food shortage and actual food security.

Gopal is practicing ‘ZERO’ farming. “ZERO farming is a system of farming in which he conducts different types of agricultural practices together, on a single farm in view of increasing his income through different sources”. Last year he earned Rs. 1, 19,650/- from his 18 gunta (it is less than one acre) farm by working two to three hours every day. He is not using single drop of chemical fertilizers and pesticides for the last twenty years. He is planning to convert his farm to no tilling and is already not plowing from the last two years.

Land of Agro-Biodiversity and Revenue

He believes in ‘practicing mixed farming to get better and sustainable yield’. He says another important element is “MY FARM IS LIKE A ATM”, I get income everyday from my farm. He is planning to start growing medicinal plants in the future. Gopal is cultivating various vegetable such as Palak, Cucumber, Tree potato, Sweet Potato, Onion, Curry leaf, Amaranths, Coriander, Fenugreek, Tomato, Brinjal, Dolichas etc, for his family and also for sale. He is also cultivating other crops/trees like Mulberry, Castor, Jasmine, Teak, Melia dubia, Banana, Jack, Mango, Papaya, and Coconut etc in his farm.

Mainly he is cultivating Mulberry, Jasmine and Improved Grass. He is getting 6 to 7 crops out of mulberry, every time he gets 70 to 80 Kg of silkworm cocoons out of 100 to 120 DFL’s (Disease free laying). We can see M5 and V1 mulberry varieties in his farm. He gets Rs. 40,000/- net income from his farm every year from sericulture unit alone.

Another important income source is cattle and improved grass. He has two cows, one is local breed and another one is cross breed. He grows improved grass on bunds and inside the farm where mulberry is not there. He takes grass from the land every day and feds it to the cattle and he gets about 8 liters of milk, which he to the diary. The dairy unit earns him Rs. 3000/- total net revenue in a month.

Third important income source is from Jasmine cultivation, he grows jasmine as one of the important subsidiary crop in his farm. He grows Jasmine on bunds again and the plants yield a kilo every day, which is sold in the local market. There is unique system of flower marketing; there are 30 Jasmine farmers around his farm. Every day one farmer will collect the flowers and take them to the local market, next day another farmer will collect on the rotation basis. This system is followed to save on transport expenses.

Art of land usage

Gopal designed the farm by utilizing every inch of land; he has planted 30 Teak and 32 Melia dubia plants on the border around the fence, then he planted Jasmine and improved grass intra and inter bunds. Inside he planted M5 and V1 variety of mulberry in between these rows he grows various vegetables and medicinal plants. All the farm waste is heaped for 2 to 3 months, in this period the waste is converted to aerobic compost this is then applied through water channel on to the main field.

He collects cattle waste and dumps it in a corner of his farm. Around the compost pit he has planted castor and cucumber creeper; this provides the much needed shade to the pit. He gets partial income from the castor. Last year he got about Rs. 150/- from the sale of three kilos of castor seeds. Cucumber is for home family consumptions.

He and his family leading a decent and firm life through his unique farming technique, anybody can contact him through his cell number – 9663428534. He is also join hands with mobilizing young farmers in around Ramanagara of Karnataka state to work on ZERO farming. They started “Nammora siri” team and this team work around Ramanagara young farmers.

Important merits of ‘Gopal ZERO’ Farming

· It maintains soil health by recycling soil nutrients and allowing the introduction and use of rotations between various crops and forage legumes and trees, or for land to remain fallow and grasses and shrubs to become reestablished

· It maintains soil biodiversity, reduce soil erosion, help to conserve water and it provides suitable habitats for various flora and fauna, including Birds

· It makes the best use of crop residues. When they are not used as feed, stalks may be incorporated directly into the soil, it acts as a nitrogen trap, exacerbating deficiencies.

· It allows intensified farming, with less dependence on natural resources and preserving more biodiversity than would be the case if food demands were to be met by crop and livestock activities undertaken in isolation.