Coimbatore :

Are you a city resident constantly worrying that the food you eat is contaminated with chemical substances? Are you still nostalgic about the good old days when you ate fresh vegetables and fruits grown in the backyard of the house or on a patch owned by the family?

Urbanisation not just ate up green patches but also turned us into just consumers. With it many of us have lost the skills of cultivating vegetables or even growing plants. A day long training programme held for women  by the department of agriculture at the Corporation Girl’s School at Puliakulam sought to convey that message that if there is will, and, of course, space, any one of us can produce vegetables and even medicinal plants. These house gardens can even be set up on terrace tops or around homes. Participants were taught the finer lessons on how to farm in minimum area, including on house terraces.

“As part of the state government’s plan to spread  agriculture, we have been holding ‘farmers meets’ for a month. While coming to the city, the natural idea plan is to encourage farming within the houses,” said M Shaffe Ahmad, assistant director of agriculture, Periyanaickenpalayam Block. Experts on various topics spoke on how to make use of the best farming practices, with the minimum investment and effort.

PV Premkumar, assistant director, horticulture, spoke on various farming practices and said even in a space of just about a 100 square terrace, some of the common vegetables can be grown. Tomatoes, greens, brinjal and even tulsi can be grown on the terrace. These healthy and organic produce would be enough to meet a family’s needs, he said. It will also help trim the home budget.

“A major problem for people who seek to grow plants on their terrace and such little spaces is that the soil is heavy. Decomposed coir pits can be bought from the market and used to grow saplings with relative ease,” Premkumar said. This will hold water and manure better than soil for more than a year. Organic manure is enough to maintain plants in these. Around 100kg to 150kg of vegetables can be harvested in a single season. These are easier to maintain and fertilisers can be used relatively in less amounts, he said.

Shaffe says that there are several people including regular professionals who practice house farming in the city. “This is gradually catching up among many professionals in the city. Perhaps, an interest to have healthy and organic food is the major reason behind the trend,” he said.

source: http://www.articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Coimbatore / by Arun  T. Mathew, TNN / May 14th, 2013