Forum creates awareness among people to take up kitchen gardens in Mangaluru

Savayava Krishika Grahaka Balaga (Organic Farmer Consumer Forum) in Mangaluru has been creating awareness and training people in the city on developing kitchen gardens in small patches of land in and around the houses.

Interested people can develop a flower garden or cultivate vegetables on their balcony, or on small patches of land surrounding their houses. The Balaga has initiated the ‘Kaithota Kranti’ project to motivate people to cultivate vegetables and flowers in an organic manner in their houses in the city, said Balaga secretary K Rathnakar Kulai to DH.

A majority of the vegetables sold in the markets are suspected to be laced with pesticides and chemicals and are affecting the health of the people. The Balaga is promoting kitchen gardens and terrace gardens among households in Mangaluru city, he said.

“Last Sunday, we trained about 50 people as resource persons to take up training programmes. Under the initiative of ‘Kaithota Kranti’, we want to hold free training programmes in at least 100 places, including houses, schools, colleges, temples, and Bhajana Mandir, to motivate people to cultivate vegetables on their own in their houses,” he added.

“We train in growing flowers without the use of chemical fertilisers. There are methods of cultivating vegetables in small patches of land, leafy vegetables like ‘harive,’ Brahmi or Thimare, mint leaf, basale, and others for daily use, along with vegetables like okra and brinjal. People should make use of garden space in their houses or terraces to grow vegetables for their household needs,” he said.

“We guide people on the kind of vegetables to be grown, flower-bearing plants to be planted in the available land and the use of manure and other required basic information to those interested,” said Rathnakar.

About 60 members of Savayava Krishika Grahaka Balaga are cultivating the vegetables in their houses.

“Watching the seeds sprouting and growing into a plant to bear vegetables or flowers gives a relaxing feeling. Observing plants grow gives positive energy as well,” he said.

Several people have come forward to seek assistance through Balaga’s initiative. Already, about 48 places including houses, schools and colleges have come forward to seek assistance in developing kitchen gardens, he added.

“If there are a minimum of 10 interested people in one particular area, then our resource person will visit them at the designated place to impart training in developing kitchen gardens. People can dial up 9448835606 or 9343569694 for more details,” said Rathnakar.

He said Balaga wants to develop a model kitchen garden in a school and college in the city. It also wants to take up organic food awareness campaigns for school children and youth along with preparing seeds and creating awareness on rainwater harvesting.

The Balaga also plans to create awareness of mushroom cultivation and apiculture and organise an information programme on medicinal plants that need to be planted in the house along with winter vegetable cultivation, he said.