A group of women in Greater Noida have been promoting organic farming in their backyards and small tracts of land near their houses.
A 14-foot tomato creeper in one of the organic gardens has become something of a local attraction now.
Historian and social worker Upasana Singh has been promoting organic farming under the banner of Human Touch Foundation. People from all age groups are keen on learning about the technique or just walking through her organic farm, she says.
Dr. Singh has set up a poly-house in Greater Noida, where she grows vegetable and herbs meant for self-consumption.
“It may sound implausible, but a 14-foot high tomato plant is an attraction in the organic vegetable garden. It is not about business. It is about environmental awareness and passion for growing and consuming healthy food. I also grow medicinal plants like aloe vera, panchvati herbs and ornamental plants,” says a proud Dr. Singh.
More and more people are taking to organic farming as it is considered safer and healthier. Though organic produce is priced higher than regular produce in a grocery store, there are more takers for it in an increasingly health-conscious world.
Not just family and friends, the initiative also sees farmer visitors who are convinced about the environment friendliness and sustainability of the method, never mind that it is a bit expensive.
Seema Gupta is another resident of Greater Noida who came in contact with Dr. Singh and is now growing organic vegetables in her garden.
Their teammate Dina Panchal is also into organic farming for a year now.
“I keep getting phone calls from people interested in visiting my organic farm at Noida Expressway. We work on knowledge-sharing. These vegetables taste a lot better,” says Ms. Panchal.
Dr. Singh and her team also believes that urban waste being generated from towns like Noida and Greater Noida can be transformed into productive resources and compost-making initiatives can generate employment for the urban poor.
The team built a low-cost poly house to grow organic vegetables, spices and medicinal plants. The structure is 10 feet high.
It boasts of two nursery beds with a capacity for 1,000 seedlings. A drip irrigation system has also been installed
“Our next object is to motivate maximum residents of the city to start gardening and reuse waste into productive resource, i.e., quality compost. This will help in cleaning the city, availability of organic products and creating employment opportunities,” said Dr. Singh, who feels organic farming is a great engagement for housewives and the elderly too.
Environmental activist Vikrant Tongad, who comes from a family of farmers and is a friend of Dr. Singh, is also growing organic vegetables in over 1,000 square metre of land.
He says: “Good yield takes time, as soil has to recover from the earlier use of pesticides. It is time consuming too.”
