 Good morning Auroville. Good morning the big wild world. This is Krishna McKenzie bringing you your road back to nature. And this morning I am with Rekha. Hello. Hi Rekha. Nice to have you here this morning. And Rekha is a friend, a fellow Aurovillian and she is one of the people who has really been behind trying to bring a community garden into her community. So tell us about your community garden and their trials and tribulations of that adventure. How long is it being, when did you start? Well, I think when the community had planned their landscaping space and we were wondering what we want to do with it. I think this seed was in my head at that time. This is almost about more than two years back when the idea was kind of stuck in my head because we had a lot of space. So I guess that's when the two went for a bit with you. The messages of shall we do something started. Because it's a very new community. The buildings are just put up and it's not like there were a lot of established trees and parks and that sort of limitations to gardens that are in other communities. True. And it was a large expanse of space. So it just kept going in my head that we should do something about it. And that's when I approached you and luckily with all the lockdown and all that, we had a lot of time in hand and that's when I think something started happening. We started with a small tiny little space. Time, energy and focus. Absolutely. Absolutely. So we started with one circle garden. Yes. It's about a thousand square feet. I figured that out with the local farmer how much we've kind of come up with. So it's about a thousand square feet is what we started with. Yeah. That's beautiful. And you and Stefano who is running this Auroville radio. Yes. He was one of the major diggers of the trenches and the creators of the garden with you and Marion. Absolutely. Stefano was our muscle behind the whole project and Marion brought her feminine energy, the motherly care and she's been the one who... And the mulching. Absolutely. Nice. And also the kids. Thanks to this all these kids were at home and it was lovely to have them rake. They'll let her hand raking up leaves and stuff. Absolutely. We had real good fun bringing them all together. And for them to see, you know, how a bear piece of land kind of... Can transform. Yeah, can transform. I mean, it's not only them. There's many people they say, oh, I've seen what's happened in Serenity. It's amazing. I mean, the bananas are like, I think they must be five, six feet high now. Yes. It's taller than me. Yeah. And the tapioca is taller. Yeah. The fruit trees are growing. We have what fruit trees there are? They're rhamphal. Rhamphal. We have sitafal. Sitafal. We have sarsop. Soursop. And lemon. That big lemon. Yes. And just outside the garden, you also have jack and chiku, I think have been planted. Jack and chiku. And we also have a pitanga. A pitanga has been planted. Nice. And around the... So the basic garden unit that we used in Serenity was the circle garden. So it's a two and a half meter diameter with a trench. And the trench is nothing more than a vessel in which we return organic matter. So we collected all sorts of sticks and leaves and weeds and grass and we filled up the trenches. Absolutely. And I think in Serenity what we did and it became a bit more standard for me when I was doing gardens in other places was that we did a trench as a cross through the garden creating four quadrants. Yes. And it became a bit... I mean, I think the more trenches you have, the more organic matter you have on the level of sustainability of the soil, the better that is going to be over time. True. And also the accessibility. Accessibility. Yes. Like I realized that because it's been about close to three months since we started this project. And the whole circle gardens were filled with such lovely, edible weeds, but we had to kind of obviously return it back to the soil. And it was so easy for me to get into the trenches and pluck them out. If not for those crosses, I think it would have been quite tough to reach out. Right. So in the gardens we have growing around the central fruit tree, which is our long duration plant. We have our medium duration plants, papaya, banana, there's some pineapple, drumstick, there's some turmeric. Yes. And now we have cluster beans, which have kind of... So those are the more shorter durations. Yes. So we have cluster bean, as you say, ladies' finger. Yes. They've germinated. Ladies' finger hasn't germinated yet. Not yet. We've just planted it last Wednesday. And eggplants are waiting to be put... Eggplants waiting to go in. This cucumber has gone in. Yes. But the bottle good is rampant. Yes. The ash good. Yes. That's around the natural fence that we and Amir and all of us created. Yes. Which is a beautiful part of this particular garden is the collection of all sorts of sticks just piled together in a one meter high sort of a hedge. And that's to stop the cows coming in because there is a cow issue at times. Yes. But then this hedge has then become a structure on which the gourds are very elegantly climbing and creeping over along with blue flowers which will slowly emerge. Yes. The sangapura, the shangapushpa clitoria ternatia and the pumpkins. Now we've just planted, I think last week we planted long beans and wing beans on the hedge. Yes. So those will also pop up, pop up very soon. And this hedge is a typical permaculture. Yes. You get more than one result from one action. So it's a hedge to stop the cows. Yes. It's also decomposing into the soil. Yes. So the plants will feed from underneath it. Yes. And also it's a structure on which plants can grow. So that's the beauty of permaculture. And then a lot of edible weeds. Yes. A lot of spinnages. And we've created a small little spinach triangle which was Stefano's idea of having a triangle. So Marion is the one who is taking care of watering that with a little bit of fresh water. Basil spinach, New Zealand spinach, chicken spinach, satana kere, devil's horse whip. Yes. That's a gift by nature. And I think there's potato, potalaka. I think there's about 10 different spinnages in all that. More than that I would say. More than that. More than that. And rosella. Rosella. And there's lemongrass in there. It's beautiful. It's very nice. And some herbs like carpura valley and basil. Carpura valley, basil, exactly. And curry leaf is in the, you know, yeah. And you have air potato. Yes. As well growing. That's the central beauty. The diaspora in the middle, yeah. I think that, you know, it's good to talk about the challenges that have been faced. So one of the challenges was this whole issue of grey water. There's a big sort of, I would say there's a lack of understanding and knowledge of what grey water is, you know. So grey water is basically kitchen waste, bathroom waste. Yes. It's not the toilet waste. That's black water, you know. So the grey water is the kitchen in the bathroom waste. And they say it's not good to use if it's stored. Yes. If it's not on a continuous loop of usage. Right. So the recent study that we did on the water came across and when we checked it for the irrigation standards, when you check it for irrigation standards, apparently it's perfect. Okay. Wonderful. Yeah. The NPK is quite high and nice, which is good for the soil. And the, you know, E. coli is within the limits that it needs to be. Right. So for irrigation purpose, it's supposed to be really good and no wonder the plants are thriving. And I was told though that if we could use a drip irrigation system where it just drips into the soil, it's even safer because the E. coli is not something that integrates into the tissues of the plants. Oh, okay. It's something that sits on the leaf from contact with the water. Yeah. So as long as the drip goes directly into the soil, we actually avoid that whole E. coli story completely, which is a wonderful thing. And you make your own soap, right? You make your own bioenzyme, shampoo. Yes. Everything. A citrus bioenzyme is basically, you know, it's an all-purpose cleanser. So it doesn't matter whether you're using it on yourself, on your surroundings, on your pets, for your car, for your bikes. It really doesn't matter. So it's just an all-purpose, you know, cleanser. And it becomes really versatile. You add a little soap nuts into it or shikakai into it. You know, if you're into smooth hair, then you add a little bit of hibiscus into it. Right. So it's really versatile. And for me, well, the whole fact that you can lead your life with just, you know, with what the plants and the trees give you back itself is absolutely, you know. Simple life. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I mean, you know, like all the industries and factories and transportation systems. Exactly. I think the plastic factories making the bottles for the shampoo. Exactly. Exactly. And it's a web of pollution and industrialization, isn't it? Absolutely. But the fact is that you use that, and a few of your neighbors use that, a few friends use it. But there's quite a few people in the community who don't have that awareness, or they're not willing to shift from their habits. there's a lot of communication work that you that you must be engaged in trying to get people to wake up to the because if all of the water was clean from bioenzyme that would be like the best gift that we could give back to the earth. Absolutely because bioenzyme I mean there's enough research on that that bioenzyme can be quite helpful in controlling the E. coli content in the water there's a lot of research paper on that and I personally feel I think it's a lot to do with convenience so it's something that one needs to kind of find within you know like how to move a little bit away from the convenience but it's a convenience it's just habit isn't it because you work out actually if you do your own bioenzyme you save that trip to the shop you save that money you save this you save that I mean you see the you see the savings on a much larger level on the environmental level for our children for you know so it's a I think it's convenience is really a very it's a very myopic benefit it's far more convenient I think if we make our own true true it's just a perspective change and also money you know like I mean we don't know where this world is going so you know imagine if you didn't have to spend anything towards cleaning products at all that's like you know and then that's going back to a garden where you're not having to buy your lady's finger or your cluster beans or your fruits and exactly you've summed it up you know because for me in my my journey of even learning you know permaculture when I came when I first stepped into solitude with your workshop was the whole idea of me coming there was to see what part of what I eat can I be independent you know independently growing a little bit like like for me the way I've been brought up we've never paid a penny for to for coconut and curry leaf and you know lemons all these things yeah these were trees which are supposed to be growing in your backyard you know from the South Indian culture you all know what I'm talking about for banana papaya moringa is something that's a must in every household's backyard so for me it somehow every time I pay for curry leaf something happens in my body you know what I'm saying yeah yeah you don't feel something's not something's off about it so for me when I came to you to learn permaculture the idea was this and I somehow I feel it's come a kind of a full circle you know two and a half years back learning that from you and now giving it back to this yeah yeah yeah for the community not just for me for the entire you know community to see and it's it's for me every minute that I spend on that particular community food garden for me it's just an absolute pleasure not for a moment do I you know think about who else is there to help me why isn't you know like it's it feels so rewarding to just be there and watch things grow and how many gardens are there now how many circles are there we have about five five circles and we have a big hedge which is alive with so many plants yes and two patches of spinach garden two patches spinach and expansion the next step we have another land yeah yeah which is next to it yeah yeah which is nice which receives a lot of sun which is quite a nice thing and well we have like two ideas that floating around in our head so we need to see which way is you know sway one would be to have like a nice fruit orchard possibly you know or an alternative would be to have beds of you know vegetable garden so we need to see which way the community you know sways and see what happens so the community is having a so you'll present a plan to the community and see yeah and see which way we go and you know what like for example drip irrigation is something that we would really like to consider but it comes at a cost so definitely you need a water tank you need a pump you need so many things yeah right and also we need to kind of all of us go together in this you know it's not just but that is the challenge isn't it because that's the challenge because you're how many people in the community we are about 11 families 11 families but only three individuals really engaged as of now yeah so that's that's that's obviously challenge I mean I think that it's a microcosm yeah of of a much larger I mean it's a reflection of it's not only your community like that it's the it's globally like that true true and it's you know in many places in Orville it's like that and to wait you know patiently no I think that I think that the communication work is what's important you know is to is to show people the the benefits trying to educate people trying to show people another vision of beauty because I think a lot of people's ideas of aesthetics or a hibiscus bush and a tree and this and that and a bit of grass yeah whereas my sense of aesthetics I think like yours is is the the the the the the bottlegourd creeping on a natural hedge with blue flowers and a drumstick and a banana in full bloom you know that's so I think it's really an education and we had done with Stefano and you and and my and we had walked out the land and I think we had estimated about 20 more fruit trees could be planted so citrus and mango and jack and custard apple and all these different bale fruit all these different trees I mean if the community had this I don't know they'll maybe like 30 fruit trees at the end of that and in between round each fruit tree there would be bananas and papayas and tapioca and maybe sweet potato and this I mean for me I can only see benefit you know I see economic gain I see health gain ecological gain and I see social gain I think the social gain is not understood you know I think that we don't understand deeply enough how much we have created a fragmented society because of chasing individual well-being rather than collective well-being now I'm doing a project with some other people and one of those people has you know has some some personal issues and because of doing this collective project together he's felt able for the first time in his life to share that with his group of people because they're doing something together because there's a sense of hell being held together and that is for me those are the magic bonds that creates empathy compassion affection and thus freeing of energy yeah absolutely in our society and I think that that's what under underpins the success of a project like that no I completely relate to this you know because me and Marion though we have very specific tasks when it comes to watering we try and message each other and make sure that there's at least a 10 minute overlap with our work together that's to come and you know born it's for us to talk to each other share because we do come from completely different kind of work background and the kind of age group and all of that it's what it feels really good to know what's happening in each other's life she's helped forth so many times when they're not during the past few months for me you know like she's been so I'm this is just a good very good example I think there's unknowns as well like that and we can foresee you know the the effects of empathy the effects of the results of of sharing the results of collaboration we don't recognize how that is so profoundly you know it's not defined by our degrees and the money that we have in our banks no it really isn't it's defined by much more essential heart values and that yeah that's that's what I think we could start to focus on in in another in another communication about this it's a little bit less tangible true for people because they have to experience it for themselves to believe it to believe it true and also for the kids you know the the you may be knowing that this community is thriving with kids and when they every time they pass by and they just observe it this is just something it's like putting up you know like it's it's it's like putting up a show for the kids to know that this is how things are grown otherwise many kids just see these vegetables in the supermarket you know they just know that it's brought into the house chopped and eaten well I think another step for serenity um sincerity serenity it could be a kids garden that the kids actually have their own garden because in in vocation I'm doing a kids garden project and they have made about one two three four about five different birds now and they are ready to harvest this Friday amaranth potalaka chicken spinach um and some uh um alternator this amaranth cousin and they're going to make their own food nice so that's like been just like six seven weeks since they started and they're ready to do that first step and they are learning a lot of things socially they're learning massively socially they're learning skills about gardening they're taking responsibilities really a kids garden they're in charge you know I give them a bit of help I give them a little nudge and say don't forget this do that and you have to do this and don't forget that and why don't you try this but they are they're in charge and I think that if you potentially if you try to create a space where the kids are in charge to their garden that could have a really big effect on this communication that we're talking about it's necessary to educate the adults true because the kids always influence their parents yeah absolutely that would be you know amazing yeah that's a great idea yes anyway very nice thank you so much for sharing rika and um we can see photos of this project I think it's on my facebook page and your facebook page some of it yes and the videos that we've done so yeah so maybe we can get some of them on to the onto this podcast we can get some photos shared through that and I'll see you on Wednesday tomorrow yes we've got some planting to do yeah thank you so much most welcome thank you so guys see you next week and I hope you've enjoyed this more sort of live tv sort of style radio show today thanks thanks to Ruben who is our our visual audio guy and of course thanks to Stefano for making this whole thing happen and see you soon