Our interest in organic farming is to help ourselves and the small farm owners sustain a healthy, simple and comfortable life. We are looking forward to spending a lot of time observing nature and learning from wise men and women around.
The real challenges related to organic farming though is not in production but in access to credit, cash flow management and successful engagement with the middlemen or co-op that works well for the farmer. In the short-term, we may have to grow high value produce and stand the ground without being exploited. We will be exploring ways to create a system that works for all.
If you have an affinity for farming, do share your thoughts with us.
Rural Entrepreneurship
We intend to create a service center for individuals and small businesses modeled after the SBA and customize it for the local language, culture and prevailing challenges and opportunities. We might begin with offering a couple of courses in IT and process management and later invite specialists to volunteer to teach an array of courses and services. We are also looking at partnering with organizations like the Honeybee Network that documents, patents and productizes local innovations that are referred to in social development literature as Appropriate Technology. Our largely capitalist experience, some gift-economy experience and our readings of gandhian economists like J.C.Kumarappa has given us a comprehensive view of different kinds of organizing economics. Hopefully we will find a balanced approach that helps practice economics as if people and planet mattered (to paraphrase Schumacher).
As with everything else, we'd love to hear from you.
Yoga
We are convinced that Yoga can provide multiple benefits to everyone and hence we intend to open up the Community Space for anyone to drop in and learn and practice Yoga whenever they would like to. Also, given that villagers work hard and long hours of physical labor, we would also invite experts in Yoga Therapy to in help the community learn best practices a la rural ergonomics.
Another interesting exercise would be to create instructional material on paper and in video in the local language Tamil (or refine any existing material) and train interested local school teachers to become yoga teachers.
If you are a yoga practitioner, do share with us any lessons and material in any media that could help.
Ayurveda
We'd like to deepen our practice of an Ayurvedic lifestyle with proper daily routines and nutrition. As luck would have it, Coimbatore happens to be the headquarters of Ayra Vaidya Pharmacy (AVP), a highly reputed 65 year old organization in the practice of Ayurveda along with growing and manufacturing of Ayurvedic herbs. We intend to collaborate with AVP and work with the people in our village in Ayurvedic education and practice for prevention and cure of various ailments and more importantly for the active promotion of good health. We also intend to grow many herbs and possibly help create a few small businesses run by the villagers in the manufacturing, packaging and marketing of Ayurvedic herbs for local consumption. In a village where modern healthcare is minimal a system like Ayurveda that focuses on lifestyle is invaluable.
In fact, basic knowledge and practice related to health was once part of most households. Since the 1750s, indigenous knowledge and practices were systemically destroyed by the colonial powers as evident from the British history archives, researched and reported by people like Dharampal. Now, a revival of sorts seems to be happening by many enthusiasts of ancient Indian knowledge (like AYUSH). We are excited by this momentum and hope to take part in it to whatever extent we can.
We welcome your participation in any manner.
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