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INDIA: Green Your Home, Green Your Mind
MB Nirmal, founder and chairman of Exnora International says, “Even in homes, there are multiple ways to create a home garden, terrace farming, indoor farming, compound wall farming, sun-shade farming etc. These farming techniques restrict entry of polluted air from city
DECCAN CHRONICLE. | EZEKIEL MAJELLO G
September 11, 2019
If you think you can't grow your own food because you live in the city, don't have a yard or have a serious lack of space - we have news for you.
MB Nirmal
The fruits of labour are said to be sweeter. Nowhere is this truer than in gardening. Many of us look forward to the unmistakable taste of fresh, locally grown vegetables and fruits, and those that come from our own soil taste even better.
But space constraints in urban settings barely give one the place to grow vegetables in the little available space with erratic sun exposure, but surprisingly, many vegetables tolerate partial shade, and a few could even be considered ‘shade vegetables’ as they don't tolerate full exposure to the sun.
MB Nirmal, founder and chairman of Exnora International says, “Even in homes, there are multiple ways to create a home garden, terrace farming, indoor farming, compound wall farming, sun-shade farming etc. These farming techniques restrict entry of polluted air from city. It is a myth that plants cannot grow without light. If it is really a problem, one can rotate the plants from terrace and balcony every two days”.
Shibu Alexander’s ‘Hi-Tech Drip Box’ project on a terrace
The options for vertical gardening are vast and require only some creativity. “One can also build a vertical garden inside their apartments with a 12-ft tall ceiling”, explains Nirmal.
Rashmi Sunil’s exhibition in balcony; Vertical Farming (right)
It is possible for urbanites and apartment-dwellers to take part in the grow-your-own-food movement, even in a balcony. “Farming and agriculture went down when the IT boomed 13 years ago. Therefore I came up with the idea ‘Hi-Tech Drip Box’ and started launching it in houses. With this setup, even children, physically challenged people and senior citizens can do farming inside their houses,” says Shibu Alexander, a naturalist.
“The water will not be wasted in this process and recycled within the system. People can execute this plan even in 80 square feet space. We can grow plants in any dry land, whether it's inside the house, the balcony or the terrace”, he adds.
People have also started gifting a plant to their friends and relatives. Rashmi Sunil, who owns a garden shop, says, “People are approaching us often for customised plants to gift to their relatives or friends.”
They also offer a method called bio-breathing walls in home farming for people who think they have a lack of space at home.
“This method is a success among customers. We have created farms in kitchens, terraces, near bathroom sinks etc. Herbs like alovera are being sold like hotcakes in the city,” Rashmi elaborates. “Corporate offices also request for table plants for each employee to reduce work stress since the plants produce more oxygen. People are going more natural and eco-friendly now for a better tomorrow,” she concludes.
Like Nirmal says, “Greening your home is greening your mind".
Want To Grow Food On Your Terrace? This Startup Has Helped Over 400 Homes Do So!
Archana Mishra, 65, was first inspired to grow her own food when her friend from Germany spoke to her about it. The former school teacher wanted to eat healthy but organic produce in the market was considerably expensive
Turning your terrace into a thriving farm doesn’t just help your family eat healthy food, it also helps save the planet. And this Jaipur man can help you do this, one step at a time! #LiveGreen #GrowOrganic
August 16, 2019,
Archana Mishra, 65, was first inspired to grow her own food when her friend from Germany spoke to her about it. The former school teacher wanted to eat healthy but organic produce in the market was considerably expensive.
Want to try your hand at farming? Check out these gardening accessories and start your own vegetable patch at home now!
When she visited her daughter in the US, she was amazed by the concept of a farmer’s market where her daughter would frequently go to buy fresh produce.
Archana Mishra gardening with her granddaughter
She came across Living Greens, a company which provides portable farming systems to customers living in urban spaces. In addition to working with individuals, they also work with corporates in developing green walls (vertical green spaces) in office spaces.
It has been six years since, and now, Mishra grows her vegetables at her home terrace in Jaipur.
Speaking to The Better India, the delighted septuagenarian says, “My entire family is now involved in this process of growing food and it makes me so happy. Even my granddaughters join me while I am tending to my garden.”
In the backdrop of widespread land clearing for agriculture leading to at least 22 per cent of the overall greenhouse gas emissions, it has become imperative that we make efficient use of space. Living Greens was founded by Prateek Tiwari in 2013 with seed-funding from NRI investors living in the Silicon Valley.
Prateek is an Agricultural Engineer and an alumnus of the prestigious Indian Institute of Foreign Trade (IIFT), New Delhi. After serving in blue-chip companies like M&M, Reliance Fresh, ITC (Agri Business Division) and Walmart India, he decided to take the plunge to revolutionise urban farming. He resigned from Walmart in May 2011 but had to put in two arduous years of experimentation to create a do-it-yourself portable farming system.
How it began
Although the Living Greens was officially founded in 2013, it had its modest beginnings in July 2012.
Prateek Tiwari with his team receiving a leadership award for his services
“We launched our concept not as a product but as a service i.e. anybody interested in experimenting with this idea could take our Portable Farming Systems on rent. This attracted many people to experiment. As most of them subsequently decided to purchase the equipment, we scrapped the rental scheme,” says Prateek.
He had a deep and strong conviction that cities must grow their own food. “There is a strong sense of fear that we are eating a bit of cancer everyday in our vegetables, which have been grown using lethal pesticides and effluent water containing carcinogenic heavy metals,” he says.
He discusses several benefits of developing a rooftop farming system. “Covering the rooftops with lush green organic farms not only cools the building but also generates tonnes of fresh oxygen in cities suffocating in their own pollution besides making use of under-utilised urban spaces,” says Prateek.
Along with a profound sense of responsibility to utilise his agricultural education and knowledge, he had a strong desire to convert under-utilised urban spaces like rooftops, plots, gardens, and farmhouses into food-growing urban spaces.
After the idea gained traction, the team of Living Greens focused on offering an A-Plus service experience to clients. “As they [customers] enjoyed growing their vegetables on their rooftops, we encouraged them to spread their ‘joy of farming’ among their friends and on social media. We thus expanded our client base through referrals from happy customers,” says the founder.
Since then, over 400 houses have become organic homes where people grow fresh vegetables on their rooftops. Mishra was one of their first ten customers and she still gets in touch with them when she needs help with anything related to her garden. For this, she pays a nominal fee.
How it works
The Living Greens has a range of services. The portable farming system (PFS) service is available for Rs 14,500 for two units. The prices go down per unit when purchased in bulk. The installation takes between 48 to 72 hours.
A terrace garden belonging to a client
They also provide a set of organic sprays for pest, disease and nutrient management of plants being grown in the PFS. One organic inputs kit can be applied to two PFSs for four months.
There are also four kinds of root fertilisers that must be used regularly by the client.
Prateek points out that the pesticides for an organic garden also need to be free of chemicals.
He believes that a focus on a prophylactic approach instead of a symptomatic one is better for the overall health of plants. For this, they developed seven sprays for seven days which must be applied on the plants for four months. These bio-pesticides are made of organic materials like neem oil which reduces the egg-laying capacity of pests.
Another example is a liquid fungus called Beauveria bassiana which is used to control pests like whiteflies among other insects in agriculture.
Onsite support system is another service they offer. This comprises of weekly and monthly visits once the unit is installed. After the 4-month support period, customers can pay per visit for additional guidance.
They also provide the services of an online support system.
“Our team of agri experts can receive the problem-pics from the client, identify the pest/disease/nutrient issue and give precise recommendations from within the organic inputs kit, for solving the problem,” says Prateek. This facility is free.
“After offering a basic training to the client at the time of installation, we continue to support them online, by sending all required information in the form of charts/diagrams/videos/video-chats,” he adds.
Expansion and challenges
The Living Greens helps transform terraces into urban farms
The road to success was not easy. When Living Greens first began, a lot of people did not know much about urban farming and believed that it was practiced by farmers on open lands in rural areas. There was also a dearth of quality and well-tested organic inputs, says Prateek.
He also started with a very small team who did not have much knowledge of organic farming. There was a need for a collaborative effort between the client and employees on site, with a constant exchange of expertise.
Now, the company tries to employ people who have some background in agriculture. Hardayal Shefma, 24, is one such employee who has a diploma in agriculture from the Krishi Vigyan Kendra.
“I have learnt so much about organic farming and its health benefits. I help in installation, provide support, and expertise for the maintenance of these gardens,” says the employee who has been working in the company for over three years now.
The Living Greens has also expanded its operations from Jaipur to New Delhi, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Madhya Pradesh and West Bengal. They transport their PFSs with one person from their installation team who then arranges for local labour for installation on site.
The Living Greens also has its franchisees in Lucknow, Bhopal, and Pune.
So, what is on the cards for the Living Greens now? “We want to become the largest urban organic farming company in the world, apart from creating greener and more breathable cities for future generations,” says Prateek as he signs off.
Also Read: 42-YO Breathes Life Into Ghost Villages With Natural Farming, Rural Tourism!
Picture Courtesy: The Living Greens
(Edited by Shruti Singhal)
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