Jodhpur is a beautiful city, with a majestic fort, luxury hotels, incredible shopping and even a zipline for the adrenaline junky. To add to it all, I found another visionary piece of the city quietly tucked away in the hills below the Mehrangarh Fort.

Rao Jodha Park, is a one of its kind, concerted effort in India to restore the natural ecology of a place. The large, rocky wasteland (now the park) had been taken over by Baavlia, a foreign invasive shrub from Central America.

Baavlia, a fast spreading plant (some consider it a weed) was introduced in Jodhpur over a century ago. It was originally thought that this magic plant would provide abundant grazing for the cattle in the city. The result however was that, it killed all the native plants in the area, and the animals refused to feed on it.

In 2006, identifying this as a problem with long term environmental damage, the Maharajas of Jodhpur initiated a project to restore the area to its original ecosystem. I was told that eradicating the Baavlia, sourcing seeds of original native species and allowing them to thrive once again was an arduous task. But the result is beautiful, it is a piece of historic Thar desert landscape, that is dry, rocky, with surprising bursts of color and water!

I am a huge optimist and any small measure of thoughtful action makes me happy and brings me joy. So I loved being in the park, listening to the stories, learning about the desert landscape by exploring, taking in the sights and smells. It is a great place to wander and wonder about the complexity of nature, its delicate balance and yet the resilience and longevity of it.

Why are native plants important ? Native plants are the species of plants that have adapted to the geographical and climatic conditions of a particular place. They are a vital part of the local food chain and natural ecosystem that has balanced itself over many years. They do not require additional irrigation, fertilizers, or other resources to grow. Once taken root they form a part of the ecosystem and can peacefully co-exist with other varieties of local flora and fauna. Finally, many traditional practices and livelihoods in the local area may also depend of the local species, such as traditional medicine, fodder for cattle, shelter, crafts, etc.

All images courtesy of Rao Jodha Park website and Motherland Magazine Ecology issue.

Here is a video of what it feels like to spend a day at Nivim as the light changes from morning to evening.

Goa TL Full Compressed 03 from Anjali Mangalgiri on Vimeo.

We are the first green certified residential building in Goa !

Nivim was awarded a Gold level green homes certification from the Indian Green Building Council. We are celebrating !

Read about the green features at Nivim Goa, at our previous blog post.

In simple words any new construction specially on a greenfield site (where there were no buildings before) has a negative impact on the environment (scroll down for why?). But the reality is that we need buildings and implementing green building practices help us in reducing the impact of the building activity on the environment.

How does building activity impact the environment:

• Buildings consume large amounts of material and energy during construction and generate waste

• Buildings continue to consume energy, water and other resources during their lifetime along with continualy generating waste (domestic waste, solid waste and water waste)

• A building on a previously vacant greenfield site changes the land and its relationship to the surrounding environment:

  • buildings change the natural landscape of the site by reducing existing vegetation, changing natural topography, and water flow patterns

  • buildings create concrete barriers to absorbtion of water back into the earth thus increasing storm water runoff (leading to flooding of low-lying areas and additional burden on existing infrastructure) and fall in underground water table (due to reduced recharge)

  • Loss of natural landscape also results in the loss of habitat for animal and bird life

  • Materials used in a building have a direct correlation to the health of its residents

Most of the above reasons are fairly well understood in the building community then what are some of the reasons that green building practices are relatively inaccessible to the everyday builder? even when they are driven by common sense and reflected in many traditional construction practices. We have found that:

• There is increasingly a lot of superficial jargon surrounding green buildings that needs to be shed

• It may be easier to start from our backyard rather then wait for top-down government led infrastructure development and policy formulation

• There are available green certification processes than can offer a system of checks and balances but sadly the industry is disillusioned about them or find them too tedious and expensive

• Project planning is the key to success. It is vital that at all stages of design and construction; the builder makes choices that minimize the impact on the land, reduces use of energy, optimizes use of water resources, prioritizes reuse and recycling instead of use of virgin materials and reduces waste.

Down to Earth is without question, the leading science and environment magazine in India. The magazine takes leadership in addressing issues and concerns related to environmental issues. It is one of the few magazines that has laboriously researched articles where the editors try their best to not take sides and put forward the facts.

Down to Earth has been leading the way in sound publishing regarding green buildings as well. They have recently compiled all their articles and resources on green buildings in one portal.

.

Screenshot of Down to Earth magazine resource page on green buildings, link.

Our favorite section is the one called '6 Cardinal Directions for Better Buildings', namely:

1. Thermal Comfort

2. Ventilation

3. Light

4. Water & Energy

5. Building Materials

6. Safety & Design

While, architects, builders and institutions debate the relevance of green buildings, the need for certification and Griha vs. LEED; here is Down to Earth saying that green buildings in not a new science but simply a building built with common sense while being cognizant of the above 6 factors and their impact to the quality of any/ all buildings. We absolutely agree with that.

Here are a few other gems from the magazine that we love:

- Architects love brick as a building material, it is low-cost, easily available and has the natural earthy aesthetic quality. These factors often make 'brick' come across as a green material. But here is an article that challenges that notion with facts on energy use during the traditional brick making process as well as loss of cultivable soil impacting agriculture and lastly the pollution from the kilns.

Link to Infographic at Down to Earth- This is a link to a great infographic that lays out the 22-step process required to obtain permits for any building project. This may make you laugh-out-loud but is so very true. Link to related article.

Link to 'Dampness' Infographic on Down to Earth - A great article on Dampness with yet another winning infographic.

We love you 'Down to Earth'. Thank you !

A traditional Boali, or water tank in Nizamuddin in Delhi. Now clogged with garbage and waste 

It is World Water Day and an excellent time to remind ourselves that Water is an extremely precious resource.

We have implemented many interesting strategies to save, store, reuse and recycle water at Nivim. We have actually found that water efficiency strategies are some of the easiest to implement. We promise you a lengthy post on our efforts with water soon.

Until then, here are four great reminders of our need to save water in India..

1. TED Talk by Anupam Mishra on the traditional methods of rain water harvesting in the desert region of Rajasthan.

2. An article on the pollution of our rivers specially the once mighty Ganga by Sunita Narain,

http://www.downtoearth.org.in/content/kumbh-time-come-clean

3. An article on the water woes in India,

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/13/world/asia/rains-or-not-india-is-falling-short-on-drinkable-water.html?ref=global-home

Image courtesy Down to Earth

4. An article on the daily consumption of water in India and ways to reduce water use in a household,

http://www.downtoearth.org.in/content/need-vs-greed

Hope that these articles begin to answer the questions on the need to save water, ways to begin thinking about it and why we must act now or it will be too late ....

Cherry tomato saplings in the nursery 

Step 3 after planting the nurseries is to plan the farm for final planting. What plant goes where depends on quality of soil, availability of water and (very importantly) amount of sun. I am told that root vegetables do very well is sandy soil, and leafy vegetables and herbs will thrive even in partial sun whereas most other vegetables like tomatoes, eggplant require full sun. 

Since Yogi Farms is an organic farm, they try to reduce the use of active pest control. One effective strategy according to Karan is to plan to grow different plants in adjacent rows rather than have a large patch of the same type of plant or vegetable. Karan explains that this strategy confuses the pests (as I guess different pests like specific plants/ veges). Plus, he also says that if one pest does find his way to his favorite plant, then that means that he stays away from the others surrounding it as they are of a different variety (which implies that the infestation is controlled). At Yogi farm, they typically plant in rows of 7 types consisting of gourds, beans, leafy, fruity, root, cole, and herbs. These rows are successively repeated over the area of the farm.

Saplings are generally ready for planting within 20-25 days of seeding the nursery. Karan and Yogita have developed a method of hardening the saplings before transplanting so that the transplantation is successful and the delicate saplings don't die from the shock of being removed and replanted. One rule is to transplant only in the evening which ensures minimal moisture loss during the first hours of transplant. They also begin to reduce the amount of water given to the sapling from a week before it is to be moved. The amount of water is slowly reduced such that on the day before the transplant the sapling is not watered at all. Karan says that this kicks in the survival spirit in the saplings and they can endure the move better :)

Before transplanting, the soil beds need to be prepared. In general, the beds are raised (here is why). At Yogi Farms, they typically maintain 2-3' wide planting beds that have walking paths on both sides. The farmers ensure the quality of soil by mixing with compost and removing any big stones. Each sapling in planted with at least a foot in between so they have enough room to grow. 

Just before transplanting, the saplings are kept in water that is mixed with Trichoderma, a type of good fungus for sapling roots that keeps away the bad fungus.

To transplant:

1. See Yogita preparing the bed by removing stones and leveling the earth. (Yes, those are giant gourds in the background).

Close up of the giant gourds

2. Mark little pits a foot apart for the saplings to be planted.

3. Select the strongest saplings that have been soaked in water solution with Trichoderma, Stick the saplings in pits and create little mounds of mud around.

4. Water generously and mulch around the sapling to protect moisture and also the Trichoderma fungus.

Most vegetables are ready for harvest within 40-50 days of transplant. We will see how these babies grow and bear bright red tomatoes !!

Read more on Transplanting on Yogi Farm's website, 

http://www.yogifarms.com/2013/01/hardening-saplings-for-transplanting/

Brave little saplings newly transplanted ...

Nursery for 'Desi Small Chilly' variety at Pinto Bhat

Following our updates on the winter planting season at Yogi Farms, the stage 2 is that of Planting Nurseries. Yogi Farms is experimenting organic farming on a couple of farms this year. The farm that we will be documenting is owned by Christabel Pinto and Jose Pinto and called 'Pinto Bhat' in Santa Cruz near Panjim in Goa.

A planted nursery for cherry tomatoes

In the previous first update in this series, we had written about planning and preparing the farm for a planting cycle. The second stage in the process is to plant nurseries. We spent one morning preparing nurseries for some broccoli, few types of lettuce and rocket. Below are pictures with the steps:

Step 1: 

Allocate an appropriate area for a nursery. Typically nurseries are created in raised beds or in store bought nursery trays. Divide the area into sections of approximately 3' X 3'.

Example of a raised nursery bed with divisions for different varieties

Step 2:

 To prepare the soil, loosen the soil using a trowel,  remove large stones, and mix the soil with compost. (We used approximately half kg for 5 sq.m. area)

Removing large stones after loosening the soil and mixing compost

Step 3: 

Create little seed beds using a stick or your hands. Each bed in about an inch or inch and a half in depth.

Step 4: 

Sprinkle the seeds. (There was little technical guideline to this step but I felt that it was similar to sprinkling salt.) Then lightly cover the seed beds back with mud such that the seeds only have a couple of grains of mud on top. The idea is to protect the seeds but at the same time not bury it too deep that the young sapling has trouble sprouting out.

Seed beds ready for planting

Step 5:

 Sprinkle ash on top of the seed beds to protect it from ants. 

Sprinkling ash on the seed beds to protect against ants

Step 6:

 Sprinkle water generously daily.

Watering the seed beds

Young saplings are typically ready within 21-25 days of being planted in the nursery. At this point they are transplanted to the final field beds. 

At Yogi Farms, Karan and Yogita are very meticulous about noting the type of seed and date of sowing the seeds in the nursery. This allows them to plan ahead for transplanting as well as helps them keep a record of what varieties worked well in the season and what didn't. They use this data to tweak for the next season. They may try getting seeds from other sources, try planting in more or less shade, etc, etc... 

Another tip was that is you see moss growing in the seed beds then that is a sign that the beds are over-watered.

Find Yogi Farms on the web and on Facebook. 

Look out for Stage 3: Transplanting to final beds.

Here is a great episode of the UK show “Grand Designs’ tracking the story of building a sustainable home in Cumbria. In this case the home is built underground to keep it insulated and the result is that the house functions all year round without the need for any mechanical heating or cooling. Which is pretty amazing considering the extreme weather in that region.

Even though the house from the video and Nivim are very different, there were still many similarities…We have ourselves tried some new elements, materials and construction techniques in the house. Builders in India are so used to doing construction the same way they did in 1970s that anything new freaks them out. But really we are building in 2010 people, so please, we can do better than a generic concrete structure with piddly-little windows, a sloping RCC roof made to look like a wood and tile roof and luxury being defined as the use of Italian marble….

Not to mention of course the similarities in material delivery issues, fussing over waterproofing and of course construction delays and some more delays.. In the video, at one point they show that after 12 weeks, the house has its first floor concrete done…. Wassatttt…. Let me see now, where were we at week 12…not really out of the ground I think ;)

I love the sun pipes and the wind turbine in the project. I wonder what it would take to get a permit for something like that in Goa ??

As they say ‘building green is the new black’. But that is not the right reason for anyone to go the green way, the right reason is because one must respect nature and the land where one is building. In Goa, we are building green in the hope to preserve the state’s blissful green environs and biodiversity for our future generations to enjoy.

Strawberry in Karan Manral's palm. Part of Yogi Farm's Top 50 produce from last year

There is little that tastes better than fresh seasonal organic produce.. After moving to Goa, I was excited about having access to fresh local produce but it was fairly clear that this produce was far from being organic. While shopping at local markets, I was also determined to grow vegetables in my own garden. All I wanted was some eggplant, some okra, herbs, lemons and bright red tomatoes... But maybe because our east-facing garden gets little sun, or the sub-soil is rocky, or maybe I just didn't talk to the plants enough.. all my attempts have been so far unsuccessful. To remedy this, I have attended gardening workshops, bought seeds from several sources and taken tips from a neighbor who has converted his garden into a mini-farm…but nothing has worked...

I had almost given up when on a recent visit to California, driving through the countryside with endless farms producing lovely sweet organic produce gave me an extra push to pursue this passion. I realized that if I can't grow in Goa then it is definitely not going to happen anywhere else.. So I reached out to the local experts, Karan Manral and Yogita Mehra, who together have been experimenting with organic farming in Goa for the last 3 years. Last year, the couple started Yogi Farms at a 800 sq.m.plot where they experimented with growing various types of vegetables organically. The plan for me is to visit their farm this season at key stages so I can pick up a little on farming techniques, ask questions, stay inspired and absorb all the positive energy from organic farming on their farm !

Succulent tomatoes, part of Yogi Farm's Top 50 produce from last year

My first visit was in early October, when they were getting ready for the season's planting. This year, Yogi Farm is working on a large farm in Taleigao near Panjim in Goa. One half of it is like an open field where they had grown vegetables last year (we will call it 'vegetable farm A'), whereas the second part of the farm is actually a coconut farm where they are now experimenting with various plantation crops depending on the amount of sun received on various patches (we will call it 'plantation farm B').

Beds being prepared for this season's planting among the coconut plantation

When they started last year, the plantation farm B was in a sorry state. For years, the soil had not been ploughed or used for any vegetation. What was worse was that mixed organic waste had been dumped on the soil following some bad advice. Yogi farmers chose to work the soil using a technique called 'Green manuring'. This process involved growing a couple of cycles of a combination of legumes and non-legume crops. They started with strewing seeds before the monsoon and then after allowing them to grow they ploughed the plants and seeds back into the earth. After a few cycles of this exercise, they have managed to improve the soil quality considerably and have also succeeded in bringing back the earthworms (farmer's little friends that help aerate the soil) !! More on Green Manuring on Yogi Farms website.

Turmeric plants

Galangal ! ready for harvest

Among other experiments, they will be doing a lot of cross-planting where different types of plants are grown  in close proximity to compliment each other. They are also experimenting with high-density farming, which is a way to plant a few samplings of fruit trees in close proximity. These trees are then regularly pruned to keep them shorter in height but still productive. They explained to me that this works well in urban areas where space is limited and also solves the practical problem of harvesting produce from very large and spread out trees. They explained to me that they don't really actively do any pest-control other than employing natural means. For example, I was told that planting marigolds keep a certain type of pest away (can't remember the name but will return to that in a later post).. More on pest control the organic way, read here.

What I loved were their efforts to make the farm self-sufficient. They have planted the boundary with bamboo so they can meet their bamboo needs (to build framework for creepers and fragile plants). They are even planning to get their own cows and chicken to get fresh dump that new plants thrive on.

I loved how effortlessly they plan planting cycles. They grew some plants before the monsoon to harvest seeds for the coming season. I watched with a huge smile, as Yogita and Karan walked around the farm early in morning mapping how much sun is received at various parts so they can decide what to plant where. Reminded me of architects conducting first site visits :) They have also planted some shade loving palms at the farm's boundary with roots that can be eaten such as Colocassia and Elephant's foot.

Below are some more photos from Yogi Farm's 'Top 50' produce from last year. This year promises to be even more exciting and I can't wait to be an observer absorbing as much as I can...

Find Yogi Farms on the web and on Facebook.

Photos courtesy Yogi Farms.