It was an occasion to celebrate
organic farming and introduce many others to agro-diversity,
heirloom seeds and horticulture. The
Covai Seed Festival held at Kaumaram Sushila International Residential School at Chinnavedampatti over the weekend had a number of farmers from different parts of the country, including Odisha, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala and Tamil Nadu, taking part. A walk through the venue gave visitors an insight into the nuances of
farming and the importance of heirloom seeds over the hybrid ones.
Ulavan Anand, a farmer from Namakkal had a number of heirloom (old varieties that are passed on to the next generations) seeds on display- be it different varieties of spinach or vegetables. “People who do not know farming are showing interest in seeds, which is good news,” he said. He had seeds of cucumber, beetroot, tomato, ash gourds, bitter gourds, ridge gourd, okra, green amaranth, watermelon, carrot, radish, chillies and brinjal to name a few.
For Odisha’s Ganpathi Nimal, this was his first ever visit to namma Coimbatore. He had on display different types of wild tubers, wild mushrooms, wild fruits and wild greens. “These are food from the forests. They grow naturally and are filled with nutrients. Back in Odisha, we dry these mushrooms, bamboo shoot, tamarind and mangoes. They stay fresh for even two months. As for the tubers, we either boil them in water and consume them or include them in our curries. Once in six months, we head to the forests and get the produce.”
Different varieties of wheat and rice gave a sneak peek into the diversity of the grains. “Not many know that there are so many varieties in wheat and rice. We hope by seeing all these organic produce, they get interested in farming,” said a farmer from Hubballi. Kavithai Ganesan from Panruti, on the other hand, had medicinal plants on display. “I am a guest lecturer on food grain storage and I have been taking part in exhibitions like this. I have on display many ayurvedic medicines that can play a crucial role in keeping us healthy. I have written down their names along with their botanical names so that people can understand easily.” He also had a thirvodu next to him. When quizzed about it, he says, “Lord Shiva uses this. When you serve food in thiruvodu, it stays fresh for long, which is why sanyasis use it. It is even used to treat stomach ache.” Visitors also got a glimpse of the different varieties of cattle, hen, goats, sheep and buffalo breeds of India.
While those interested in farming thronged the farmer’s stalls, the eco-friendly visitors explored products made out of areca leaf, banana fibre, coir pot making and handloom. Stalls selling clothes made out of organic dye also grabbed many eyeballs. Children had fun taking part in science experiments conducted by experts.
