The fruit of organic farming

These are not the names of the plants available at any nursery. These are the variety of trees and plants that farmer Kalleshappa, a resident of Kunkanadu in Kadur taluk has successfully grown on his farm land.

He has grown over 38 varieties of vegetables, fruits and flowers using organic farming. Influenced by Japanese agricultural guru Masanabo Fukuoka, organic farming is the secret behind Kalleshappa’s lush green farm.

“I stopped using chemical fertilisers in my farm way back in 1967,” says 78-year old Kalleshappa and adds that using chemical fertilisers in farm is like feeding land with poison. “Giving back what I have taken from land is the principle of my farming,” he explains and adds that he has adopted natural method to retain the moisture of land in the area where he has been growing arecanut. Once in a year he ploughs his coconut plantation and sows ragi and jowar.

Kalleshappa says that apart from support of progressive farmer Maragondanahalli Sadashiva, he also gained inspiration after visiting the plantations of Prafullchandra, Chandrashekar and Subhash Palekar. He has installed drip irrigation for the farm.  He says that fertiliser in liquid form is good for plants and hence he feeds his plants with the liquid manure prepared after soaking gliricidia plant in water tank. Anybody wishing to adopt farming techniques adopted by Kalleshappa can contact him at 9901747085.