Travel Sarna

Recently while travelling in the countryside of Niyamgiri foothills the Sarna Team got a chance to visit Vasudha Farm and interact with its manager Mr Dulal Bhattacharya.  The interaction was an eye-opener for us. We realized what damage we have made to our innovative and thoughtful farmers and the indigenous rice fields.  Spider webs are nature's wonderful creations. Spiders create webs to trap insects for their food need. Usually, in the month of June, Spiders create webs and lay eggs. At that time the farmers plant the new paddy saplings. Traditionally the paddy saplings are prone to enemy insects. However, the spiders eat them and help farmers to save their plants.  There is a symbiotic relationship between farmers and spiders.  However, when fertilizer based agriculture replaced the traditional practices, to kill the enemy insects farmers were asked to add urea and pesticide, 40 days after the plantation.  Yes, the pesticide would kill the enemy insects, bu...

Cowpea or jhudunga (in Odia) is an important crop in Asia and Africa. One of the oldest crops to be farmed cowpea is cooked into stew and curries. Even its leaves, green seeds, and pods are also cooked. It provides a rich source of protein and calories.  Believed to have originated in Africa, cowpea is a staple food crop in the region of Niyamgiri and its foothills in the Rayagada District of Odisha. In this part of Odisha, the indigenous Kondh farmers grow cowpea in hilltops and hillslopes. There are 4 to 5 varieties of cowpea are grown here.  When you travel slowly in this picturesque landscape of hills and valleys what draws your immediate attraction is the colourful seeds and their post-harvesting activities. Often you are invited to relish its curry. The protein-rich cowpea curry and stew help the humble farmers to work hard in the hills.  Watch here: