Farming

All general notes related to farming either in Thenkodipakkam or in Tamaraikulam are kept here. My interest got piqued by reading certain Books .

Farm land clearing , tilling, soil type, nutrients, crop selection & management, cultivation techniques, weed management, irrigation harvesting and labor.

Crops considered are Casuarina , Coconut , Oil Palm Blackgram along with millets, groundnut, timber crops, fruit orchard etc.

Fruit orchard

An orchard with trees like fig, mosambi, neem, pomegranate and others to be planned

Timber crops

Choice here include vengai, teak, poovarasan, red sandal, nuna and other such varieties.

Tn forest dept

Need to follow up with vridhachalam forest nursery.

REGIONAL MANAGER Tamil Nadu Forest Plantation Corporation Limited, 110, Lucas Street, Vridhachalam, Cuddalore District. Tamil Nadu, South India. PIN– 606 001. Phone: (Off) 91-4143-260 322.

CUDDALORE DISTRICT FOREST OFFICER, Cuddalore Division, No.21, Deepan Nagar, Near Water Tank, Govt. ITI Backside, Nellikuppam Main Road, Semmandalam, Cuddalore-607001. Phone: 04142-291149 Email: dfo.cud@tn.gov.in  / dfocud@yahoo.com

Teak

Thiruvamoor Jagannathan mentioned about Aranthangi between Sethiathope and Kaduvetti, where teak is available as sticks at ₹3 approximately. At vegaakollai, it is 10,20 & 30. For volume it can go down up to 7

Chloropyriphos

Chloropyriphos alternative from Bayer is premise for termite treatment

Why farming

Original or first reason

Wanted to do farming as a means of doing some physical labor and to live as community in a farm based on reading Gandhi’s writings.

Jatropha cultivation

At around 2003, jatropha and biodiesel were the buzzwords. So thought that jatropha plantation can be taken up even in infertile soils. So bought mostly land in mostly water scarce areas where soil was poor and Price was low.

I thought that by gaining theoretical knowledge and by applying it, I can restore the soil fertility.

Howard’s influence

On further reading of Howard from soil and health website and comparing it with ills of chemical agriculture, decided to go for organic or self-sufficient farming

Nammazhvar and zero cost farming

In india successfull practioners like Nammazhvar and zero cost farming by subash palekar were gaining popularity.