Natural/Organic,Bio-Intensive,high rotation,no/minimum till, High yield farming

Hi all,

I have been lurking around here for some time and am really fascinated by what guys like Curtis Stone and Jean Martin Fortier have been doing with small farms growing high yields with bio-intensive, high rotation techniques yet without the use of chemicals. In their economies they have been able to showcase a good livelihood with this kind of farming; mostly vegetables for CSAs, farmers markets and restaurants etc.

Is there any such example in India? Whatever I have found on this forum are mostly farms with more focus on annual fruits/plantation with low focus on vegetables. One example I can imagine following similar techniques is FirstAgro but don’t know for real.

Has anybody done economics of such model? It seems to me that it should work considering it is low input (infra, labour, no till), high yielding (due to efficient crop planning, high rotation, bio-intensive etc.). Any idea or brainstorming possibility?

Cheers
Pankaj

Hi?
There are good Farmers who are not accessible with internet Forum etc. who are earning decent incomes from agriculture.
Basically, nothing is encuaragable here in India for Agriculture except subsidies which will not improve research and development.
However, some Pandits who done their own research and developments to achieve notable improvements who are very much present in this Forum and around us.

Successful Farmers are not exposed properly, Only Forums like these are bringing such brain in to public knowledge.
How our youngsters do smart effort in IT & other jobs, If any one dedicate his true knowledge for Agriculture,than success will be sure and it can serve him for generations.

Have nice experience.

Thanks for your inputs DNS.

I agree that if the smart techniques (not necessarily expensive high tech) and dedication is shown then small holding farming can be done profitably and predictably.

Could somebody point me to such growers/farmers around Bangalore who have mastered this kind of farming?

Many thanks
Pankaj

Hi Pankaj

I attended a one day ZBNF work shop last week end in Bangalore. There was a guest speaker who practices 5 layer model of ZBNF farming for vegetables. It seems few people like him are doing group farming & supplying produce to pre-negotiated super markets as per contract. They have started recently & was told getting good results. I am saying this because you refer to nature farming with low labor no tilling etc.

Regards
Sai

Hi Sai,

Do you remember the contact details of that person or the group?

Although I am not aware of all aspects of ZBNF but I guess some aspects will be common such as low input, less labour, no chemicals, minimum tilling etc. ; as you mentioned. Some aspects might be different depending upon how bed preparation, crop planning, manure/compost usage etc. Then there are other aspects such as planning, marketing etc. that are not dependent on growing methodology.

Regards
Pankaj

FIVE LAYER VEGETABLE CROP PATTERN IS VERY INTERESTING. HAVE HEARD AND SEEN THE SAME IN TREES. PLEASE SHARE FURTHER DETAILS.
REQUEST THE DOYENS TO SHARE THE KNOWN DETAILS.
NAMSKARAM.
r seshaadri
Tumkur

hello Mr Sai,

Is there any training session in the near future. I am stationed in Pune. I am interested in attending training on ZBNF

Thanks,

Joshy