Kitchen Garden/ City Farming @SGNP

Was fortunate to have attended this workshop today. Sharing for reference.

Kitchen Garden Workshop @SGNP
Faculty: Anand Pendharkar, SPROUTS
1. Never throw food in the dustbin, recycle - feed the birds & animals instead
2. Reduce your carbon footprint - Purchase at source (farmers market)
3. Farming is a community activity. A farmer needs to learn to give n share. It's a win win

Repotting:
1. Soak the black plastic coated plant in a bucket of water to loosen the soil. The plastic can be reused!
2. If you plan to eat the leaves, prune the flowers as they release chemicals which make them unpalatable. E.g. remove the flowers from curry leaves or tulsi
3. Water your plants at dusk (4:30ish in winters, 5:30ish in summers). If soil is good, you can alternate days to water. Too much water will only help grow leaves, not flowers.
4. Soil mixture: compost 50%, red earth 20-30% (if plant is to be placed in a windy place, more earth), cocopeat 20%. For germinating - 100% compost or 70:30 compost: coco peat.
Tip: reduce the weight of your pots.
Tip: Baked earth doesn't decompose. The earthen pots aren't as eco friendly as I thought!
5. First watering after potting, has to be till brim so that soil settles n air gaps are removed. You can refill with soil now
6. Germinate some grains (legumes - anything goes, moong, Rajma, corn, chickpeas, mustard, methi, date seeds etc). These can be sprinkled around your pot together - they will provide much needed nitrogen and help each other grow well
Tip: Over watering is the most common problem. Light application of water during dusk is best. Alternate day watering is also ok.

Companion plants:
Brinjals n Marigold (helps avoid the worms)

Insect repellant plants:
Marigold
Pudina/ Mint - Ants
Lemongrass, Drumstick tree - mosquitoes

Natural pesticides:
1. Boil some red chillies/ powder in water and spray lightly on affected spots. Wait a day or two and repeat only if required
2. (Renee's bug-the-mealybug-recipe) Soak unflavored tobacco in water overnight (about 25gms in 1L water). Next day, add 2 drops of shampoo. Spray on plants AFTER watering. Repeat for 3-4 days

Commercial value of a Mom...

(Even if argued and counter argued to bits, I wanted to write about stay at home moms, so here goes...)

The mother-child bond is strong - or so we believe.

In the animal kingdom, mothers play a pivotal role in ensuring survival as well as propagation of the species. They feed, tend, look after and teach the young ones..and let go once they are ready to survive on their own.

Human moms are experimenting with day-care and maids instead.

The human race is seeing a revolution of sorts. Young women do not want to become mothers; or atleast postpone it till they are well established in their careers.
Middle aged women are comfortably settled (and calling the shots) in their chosen careers. Why disturb the status quo then?
Mothers complete their maternity leave and can't wait to return to work - to prove that they can do it both!

Take a deep breath...

Now, what happens to the next generation if women decide not to procreate? What is the harm if a middle aged woman spends time away from her career in adopting or bringing up an amazingly confident gen-next? Why is it shameful for a mother to admit she WANTS to spend time with her little bundle, to cuddle and nurture and bring it up on her own? Why does society judge a stay at home mom so harshly? Actually, why does a stay at home mom judge HERSELF at all?

Our societal conditioning has trained us well. Every idea, act and relationship is viewed as an 'investment' and the returns have a 'commercial' value attached. So while a career path gives us the comfort of bringing home a paycheck, we place no value on the warmth a homemaker weaves into her meals or that her presence and foresight provides for a secure home to return to.

Love, alas, has no commercial value, and a mom unfortunately has lots of it to give (recall the time when you are sick and all you want is for your mom to be by your side).

A stay at home mom does not give up a career, she simply switches it. She responds to her calling as a mother, gives up her vanity, her time and a good part of her youth to bring up well mannered, confident humans of tomorrow.  Where would we be but for our mothers?

This is invaluable for the evolution of the human race!

The next time you see a pregnant lady or a woman struggling with her kids at the supermarket, treat her with empathy. After all, all moms are priceless!

:)