There are numerous efforts underway to save our once-thriving greenery. Organic farming practices are a ray of hope for a greener future. A woman who unintentionally entered farming became an ambassador for the organic lifestyle rather than organic farming. She inspires others to realise a possible and peaceful environment and creates a society based on a healthy relationship between nature and its inhabitants.
Aparna Rajagopal is a lawyer turned organic farmer and animal rescuer. She founded Beejom, an animal sanctuary and an organic farm in 2014, spread over 10 acres in Uttar Pradesh’s Gautam Budh Nagar called the ‘Beejom Organic Farm and Animal Sanctuary’.
Back To Nature Through Beejom
Aparna began her new endeavour when she took in a horse for rehabilitation. After working with several groups dedicated to animal welfare, the couple set out to provide a sanctuary for the horse. So they leased a place on the outskirts of Noida, which was infertile when they bought it. Aparna started thinking about making the land more useful by initiating a farm.
Inspiring Facts
She was inspired by Masanobu Fukuoka’s well-known book ‘One Straw Revolution’ and later came across Bill Mollison, Peter Proctor, Bhaskar Save, and Subhash Palekar. She also became obsessed with articles, movies, podcasts, and YouTube videos about organic and natural farming.
Aim
Beejom seeks to assist farmers in restoring their properties into organic, holistic farms by working with them locally.
Growing Soil, Changing Minds
Beejom is an animal sanctuary and sustainable agricultural farm. They use natural farming techniques to grow food. The farming practices at Beejom are farm animal-centric. The farm’s indigenous cattle products make organic manure for the fields. Heirloom seeds are mainly used for planting. The farm hugely promotes Indian millet and traditional foods and is the most obvious way of restoring food security, health, and ecological wealth. It employs solar power and biogas, uses rainwater-harvesting techniques, and practices vermiculture.
Farming Methods
The farm is operated by local farmers, who raise millet, seasonal fruits, vegetables, herbs, oilseeds, and legumes. They grow food using the traditional methods of intercropping, multi-cropping, companion planting, crop rotation, and composting and nitrogen-fixing techniques. She has a team of farmers from seven states.
The Animal Sanctuary
Beejom began sheltering a large number of rescued animals, including cattle, which are native varieties such as Gir, Sahiwal, Tharparkar, Kankrej, Red Sindhi, Rathi, Malanadugidda, Kangayam, Vechur, Hariyani, and Swarna Kapila. Cattle are not grown for dairy purposes, but their dung is used. The bulls drive the grain, sugarcane, and oil mills in addition to being utilised to till the land. They are also used to hydrate the fields. The farm includes roosters, pigs, goats, horses, buffaloes etc.
Dung Ho
Dung is used on the farm to create gobar pots, gobar logs, vermicompost, organic fertilisers (gobar khad, jeevamrutham, panchagavya), pest deterrents (bramhastra, agnihastra), and dhoop. The purpose of ”Dung Ho” is to produce value-added dung products to raise funds for the conservation of indigenous non-dairy cattle.
Beejom Shiksha and Beejom Arogya
Beejom runs a school for 140 farm-related children and a free weekly medical clinic to maintain this support structure. Beejom Shiksha and Beejom Arogya are the titles of the two projects, respectively. The morning classes are open to children who don’t go to school. Those who are schoolgoing and need extra help can join in the afternoon. These kids receive food as well.
The Beejom Store
Beejom Shop is a small shop which sells products from farms and other small farmers. There will be unique and locally made products and recycled items for sale.
Self-help group
With special lessons on developing skills like tailoring, creating lifestyle items like quilts, bags, and herb pillows, and creating environmentally friendly alternatives like newspaper bags, bin liners, straws, and pencils, they encourage the farmers’ wives to make a living. Under the “Beejom Samudaay” programme, they also receive training in organic farming. They also teach the women numeracy and the alphabet to help them in the business.
Kirana Dukan
Beejom employs Mobile Kirana Dukaan, which travels from market to market, and fairs to illustrate the tale of producing food responsibly. They not only sell their food at fairs but also offer zero packaging.
Value-added products
They increase the value of their produce by converting them into value-added products. Beejom-made products like jaggery from sugarcane, pickles, aam papad and amchur from mangoes, salts from celery and mint, moringa powder, neem powder and curry leaf powder.
Connecting Nature
Beejom conducts workshops on various topics to encourage city-dwellers to take an interest in all things connected with nature, such as beekeeping, horse riding, cooking with millet, growing your food, compassion for animals, composting and making newspaper bags and bin liners.
Beejom Jaivik Krishi Upaj Mandi
It offers the chance to sell organic crops directly from the farm and other farmers, fostering a community of customers who share their enthusiasm, comprehend their agricultural practices, and value their labour. It takes place every Saturday on the farm.
Aparna sees Beejom as a modest endeavour with big goals. The food is made in a way that ensures the quality of the process from the farm up to the stomach. It emphasises homesteading, community life, and acts of love and compassion. Sustainability is the key as it relates to developing an organic style of thinking. It’s about engagement and inclusivity, gathering knowledge, and freely sharing. Beejom supports sustainable organic farming methods, reviving the long-gone bond between farmers and animals while encouraging soil and water conservation. Aparna is proud to have created this kind of unity in diversity by working with Beejom to provide a tranquil environment at her farm where all the animals are safe and each has its specific roles.
Credits and References
https://www.thebetterindia.com/177664/noida-organic-farming-solar-rainwater-harvesting-beejom-india
https://www.femina.in/achievers/aparna-rajagopal-from-lawyer-to-farmer-121447.html