DO WHAT YOU LOVE!!!

 Farming one of the best under estimated things, my first thought was who even loves farming!?

Now when I do farming, I love to stay in the farm spend time there, but it was never the same before 6 years! Before Covid, I knew nothing about gardening or farming just a mere watcher and admirer. 

I started doing gardening in 2018 in a proper way. In military hostel, I learned about the basics of gardening and lawn and what not! After hostel it was time to implement, it at home, So I did garden, at home, from 2018 I started gardening along with my mother and planted beans, took care of it and nurtured it, and it grew more than 30 feet, the produce was more than 4-5 silos! Awesome, even after distribution in the colony the produce was left. The start was very hard for me, I had no experience, no knowledge about tools and equipment and their usage. I started planting saplings, where ever possible started gifting sapling, but people said we don’t have pots to hold them so I started giving pots. Then in 2019, I have by this time became a novice gardener, started doing basic plantation of Rose, marigold, and other Flowers. 

Then in Covid, 2020 things changed now I was able to give full time to my garden. Then me and my mom planted bottle gourd, tomatoes, pigeon pea and other things in 60 sq. ft. in semi urban area. It was a wholesome surprise. The produce was 20 Bottle gourd, 30 + tomatoes, 5-6 Kg pigeon pea. I was amazed. Now next step was again harder than earlier one, we planned to do farming. In 2020 itself I started with farming and for the next 3-4 years we did basic farming, without any use of urea or pesticides. Grew basic crops. No heavy water crops. No one except my dog used to come with me in the farm and stay with me.  In the early days, I followed what others are doing and copied it exactly.

Now I am used to the process, and you know time flies by, you don’t even know when you became the part of it. I started loving the air. The trees. The hills. The gorges. The soil. Everything is relaxing in itself. The part of life where you live under the open sky and feel good. Sometimes basics of life give you so much happiness you won’t even expect. At one point I suggested to sell the land and leave the village. But this was never easy, the sacrifices behind this, the constant support of my parents.

Last year in 2024, We decided to plat wheat in October, it was first time for wheat. Did all the required things and somewhere near late November, the small green wheat was standing 1 feet tall and I started loving it. Now everything suddenly starts to make some meaning, after the mid season(December), the wheat gained another 1-1.5 feet of height. In Jan It grew another foot tall and grew goldish yellow.

In Feb 2025 after completing on wheat harvest, no motivation was needed from anybody, whatsoever! It is all you! and within you! I did the whole plantation on my own, and can clearly say that "I am proud farmer" and I can produce my own crops, and eat good. People think farming is nothing, "you throw some seeds and it will grow on its own". Well, its not that simple, when there is no rain, you get the essence of your real situation. When, you take care of it, and gave it all of your devotion but the produce didn’t come up as you expected, But still, you plant with same passion in next season. THAT IS MY FRIEND IS REAL FARMING!!!

Everything has to be given time, so is it with the land, do all the good you can and you will get the best out of it! I really feel those who are doing farming from their childhood it must be handy for them and very natural. But ask me, I consider them lucky. 

I am considerably ahead of what I was on day one, so I take my time and acknowledge what I have learned. We recognize our friends’ teachers and various others, while completion of projects. We should also recognize those who helped us gain basic life skill.

THANK YOU, MOM AND DAD, family members and all other who helped me in this learning process.

 

#Growth #Farming #PostCovidTransformation #Sustainability #LearningByDoing