The staff and students of Government Upper Primary School at Pazhayaviduthi near Rajakkad have something to rejoice.
This school has developed the project-based vegetable farm making it the best farm under an institution in the district.
Last year, too, this school received the second place among institutions from the district that developed a model farm.
The school started the vegetable farm with only the beans cultivation raising the slogan ‘Pesticide-free food for me and my family.’
Now the school has almost all the vegetables cultivated, prompting those living nearby area to have their own vegetable farms. The students and the teachers developed the farm by cultivating it during leizure time and devoting additional effort for developing the farm.
Before the farm, the school purchased vegetables from the market for the noon-meals scheme. Slowly, the school started using the vegetables from its own farm.
Moreover, students also started cultivating vegetables on their house premises. Parents visited the school to see the vegetable farm and it gave them the confidence of cultivating the vegetables for their needs.
The additional vegetables from the school are also given to the students for their household use. “It is completely organic and cow dung and decayed leaves are used as fertilisers,” said a teacher adding that they received expert opinion on developing the farm.
The soil was tested and nutrient elements added as per the advice of the officials of Krishi Bhavan. Now the farm has tomato, potato, beans and cabbages. The main achievement is creating an interest for farming and it did not affect the classes.
The school has also applied for the State-level award for best institution that developed a model vegetable farm.
