Our forefathers did not spent a penny to buy vegetables. They grew vegetables for their daily procurement at their backyards and farms. In fact, when in excess they even shared their produce with their neighbors and relatives. But today the situation is such that, we shell out a large sum of money towards buying vegetables from markets and plush stores for our daily needs.
Despite spending so much and choosing the best retail outlet, are the vegetables we procure for consumption are healthy and safe enough?, is the million dollar question. Pesticides, chemical fertilizers and growth enhancers used to increase the productivity has certainly decreased our life span. Along with those vegetables, as a complimentary offer we take home some dreadful diseases like Cancer.
This alarming situation has led to the sudden up-rise of many terrace gardening enthusiasts from Urban areas who choose to cultivate vegetables for their home use on their own using home-made organic composts.
Nandagopal of Aaram Thinai organic market, Swaasam Selvakumar, Iyarkai Annai Naveen and NGO Pasumai Desam joined hands and to conduct a roof top garden training programme at Periyanickenpalayam.
In the training programme, training was provided to identify the place for establishing the roof top garden, selection of seeds and safety measures, fertile soil, vermi-compost, natural fertilizers from organic wastes produced in home, usage of water resources with care, identifying the insects, natural insect repellents, maintenance of garden and rearing of native cattle, value addition to the products obtained from the cattle and marketing, rearing of cattle, selection of milking cows (traditional variety), fodder for cattle and much more.
6 farmers from Thoothukudi participated in this training and inculcated the basic principles on raising livestock especially traditional variety of cows. 61 terrace gardening and cattle breeding enthusiasts from Coimbatore and surrounding places took part in this one-day training programme.
'Though a change cannot be brought suddenly but to sow the seed of change a day is enough', said the organizers of this programme.
At the end of the session, all participants were provided with a teak wood sapling.