By Sigrid Lindemann | Project leader
The grand gathering for organic farmers of the Auroville Bioregion is the annual "Seed festival", where farmers, gardeners, educators, and ecologist come for together for a day to share seeds...and more.
Most important is the human dimension - feeling the love for nature and being instrumental in fostering biodiversity, healthy food, a sustainable life style and being part of the organic farming movement. Traditional South Indian farming practice was organic and only organic til just about 40 years ago.
The revival of organic farming movement in Tamil Nadu was started by Nammalwar, and he is much reverred even today.
Auroville`s pioneer Bernard Leclerq is a personal associate of Nammalwar, as well as Deepika Kundaji - awardee of the highest civil award for women in India, for her work in seedsaving traditional vegetable seed. Bernard Leclerq and Deepika Kundaji have developed a fully barren land "Pebble Garden" with zero input (no employees, no compost, no life stock animals) over 2 decades in Auroville.
Krishna McKenzie, founder of Solitude Farm, is well known in Tamil Nadu through his TV presence - sharing his insights on natural farming and traditional healthy local SouthIndian foods. Krishna offers courses and workshops in Natural farming and permaculture in Auroville. He has developed unique approaches in well over 20 years like a popular "Farm to Plate Restaurant" and creative approaches reviving traditional foods.
The seed festival is also a place of traditional food preparations, traditional crafts, as well as of education: Public speeches on its benefits and consequence on the society, ecology, water, etc. are given by a large variety of speakers. Schools and Centers like Pitchandikulam consultants from Auroville share their poster exhibitions with the many visitors.
A delightful shared moment!
A celebration of decades of good work, in Auroville and its bioregion
There is much to do to further grow this collaboration, to create an impact far beyond Auroville.
Thank you for being part of it!
By Sigrid Lindemann | Project Leader
By Sigrid Lindemann | Project Leader
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