Natural farming is based on a nature free of human meddling and intervention. It strives to restore nature from the destruction wrought by human knowledge and action.
This video on Regenerative Farming and Food Forests is probably a quick 3 min introduction to what we hoped to set out with. This post is also an attempt to capture some notes taken from Masanobu Fukuoka’s books on Natural Farming.
The Design
Online communities and many Internet sources can give you good encouragement and tips on how simple creating a food forest is. With no till, no chemical approach they are low investment, high yielding methods of generating healthy food products in a sustainable way.
Here is a guide from vanyaorganic.com on the layers you can work towards in your food forest in general Indian tropical conditions.
| 1 | Moringa |
| 2 | Lemon, Gandharvaraj Lemon, Grapefruit, Bay Leaf, Guava, Indian Jujube (Ber) |
| 3 | Vetiver for mulch, animal fodder, soil fertility |
| 4 | Climbers – Shatavari, Betel Leaf, Giloy, Black Pepper and Passion Fruit wherever possible. |
| 5 | Food for bees – Black Sheesham, Jaamun, Touch-me-not, Mango, Pink Pepper, Indian Jujube (Ber) |
| 6 | Nitrogen fixer with small leaves – Tuar, Augustaya, Tapioca, Subabul |
| 7 | Tubers – Black Turmeric, Waigaon Turmeric, Rajendra Sonia Turmeric, Yam, Sweet Potato |
| 8 | Fencing – Karonda, Assam Lemon, Bamboo and Lemon |
| 9 | Others – Banana, Papaya, Lakshmitaru, Tamarind, Coconut |
Moringa and any one or more trees from Citrus family [Lemon, Gandharvraj Lemon, Grapefruit], Bay Leaf, Guava, Indian Jujube (Ber) can be planted at 9 inches distance. They intermingle and support each other. One goes at greater height, and another remains at lower height. The one which goes at greater height has smaller leaves thus allowing sunlight to come through the leaves to nourish lower height trees.
In viny plants, we can have Shatavari, Betel Leaf, Giloy in general and Black Pepper or Passion Fruit, wherever possible. Microbes found in soil are not supposed to interact with direct sunlight, so every inch of soil should be covered in the first year itself. Idea is to create biodiversity and let nature decide what is best for that forest. One of the best carbon sequesters, Vetiver must be planted all over the place.
Tuar, Augustaya, Tapioca and Subabul are great nitrogen fixers. Subabul goes to a certain height, if it becomes a problem for sunlight to other plants, it can be chopped and dropped for mulch. We can grow Banana, Papaya, Lakshmitaru and Tamarind wherever possible.
Where Coconut can grow, we should take tall Coconut, it goes to different heights and does not interfere with light for other plants.
Bees help in pollinating over 70% of crops all around the world. To save humanity, we need to save bees. Indian Jujube (ber), Black Sheesham, Jaamun, Touch-me-not, Pink Pepper, Mango trees arrange food for bees. Jujube and Pink Pepper bloom at the time of year when honeybees don’t get enough food. For natural fencing, Karonda, Assam Lemon, Bamboo and Lemon can be used.
Under the ground in tubers, we can have Black Turmeric, Waigaon Turmeric, Rajendra Sonia Turmeric, Yam, and Sweet Potato, both are nitrogen fixers as well.
If the magic happens, the temperature comes down by 2 degrees Celsius in the first year itself, water consumption gets reduced by 60%. Every plant discussed so far has medicinal properties.
sadhana.farm 