Our Partner Farmers
“A herd of elephants recently broke through our farm’s perimeter fence and ate some of our trees, and damaged a few others. We can’t be upset though – they were here first, after all.” When we heard this from Merwin upon meeting him for the first time, we knew him and his wife’s forest farming approach was incredibly literal. Deep in the Western Ghats mountain range of India, Merwin and Regina Fernandes have created a living, dynamic case study of regenerative agriculture in action. Their approach exemplifies forest farming – the cultivation of seeds under the protection of the indigenous tree canopy. This forest farming allows for a truly regenerative environment for the peppercorn vines to flourish naturally. Merwin and Regina then go several steps further - focusing on key principles to ensure maximum nutritional content and flavor of this pepper:
2. Soil Health: The Fernandes’ recognize that soil is far from the static, dormant brown matter that it is often portrayed as: rather, it is a brimming ecosystem of its own, containing earthworms, roots, minerals, and mycelium – the all-important fungi which allows for communication between plants of the forest.
3. Organic Manures: Jeevamrutha, a combination of manure from native cows, natural liquid manure, and specially-mixed compost. This potent, nutrient-dense mixture is used to power their forest farm.
4. 100% pesticide free farming + a hyper focus on precise harvesting techniques for maximum cleanliness.
The Power of Regenerative Agriculture: 7 years of change seen in the Fernandes Family farm.
Meghalaya, or “abode of the clouds” in the state’s native Khasi language, is the home to expert farmer Hambakla Rymbai. It is the wettest place on Earth, with an average annual rainfall of 470 inches. This abundance of rainfall, along with a fertile soil makes one of the richest botanical habitats in all of Asia. Hambakla, along with the all-women cooperative that she leads, practice a number of regenerative agricultural techniques. Turmeric roots are planted on the misty slopes of the many hills that surround their home. This is known as contour farming, a practice which allows for maximum conservation of water needed for irrigation. Contour farming also frees up the more limited flat land for other crops, mainly rice.
Hambakla and her cooperative cultivate Lakadong turmeric in their village in the east of Meghalaya. This indigenous Lakadong turmeric is prized for its remarkably high curcumin content (typically 4x the standard), and can only manifest these properties when cultivated in Hambakla’s village or the immediate surroundings. When the root has matured, careful attention must be paid to ensure the rhizome dries fully (a challenge in the state’s frequent rains), in a clean environment before it can then be ground for your use.
In the Belgaum district of Karnataka, India, Suresh Desai has been a vanguard of regenerative agriculture. A founding member of the 400+ member Organic Farmers Club of Karnataka, he has been both a pioneer for the regenerative model, and a prolific teacher of this farming technique. His groundbreaking research has been published in the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations as a case study for ‘Farmer Innovation, Community Development and the Ecological Management in Organic Agriculture’ 1. Suresh’s structure of horticulture reduces water usage by 75-80% compared to conventional practices. Much of this is attributed by the painstaking care of soil fertility, which is sustained by focusing on four key factors:
2. Waste Composting: Utilizing natural waste as mulch and distributing it on the fields reduces evaporation of moisture in the soil considerably. This also serves to protect the soil from the direct impact of the elements.
3. Green Manure: An intricate mixture of chickpea, cowpea, mustard, amaranth, horse gram sesame, sunn hemp and coriander make up the organic manure used on Suresh’s farm. This high-nitrogen blend helps balance the relatively large carbon content of the waste that is used as mulch.
4. Soil Conditioning: A conditioner made of 250 grams of wet yeast, 500 grams of jaggery, 10 kilograms of cow manure and water is applied to the natural waste mulch at the time of irrigation. This enhances the proliferation of helpful and crucial fungi, who will assist in breaking down the waste contained in the mulch. This also boosts the water retention of the soil, allowing for reduced irrigation.
