Community Farming : Innovative Initiatives for Popularizing Farming

In current scenario ,a huge gap exists between population growth and food production . The food production in Kerala couldn’t keep up with population growth .We have to depend upon other states .It implies very high food prices and high profitability for agriculture in future.


The community farming project is aimed to unleash your farming instincts . The main stake holders in this project are  ; land owners, farmers , rural labors , Government agricultural departments and Farming coordinators .

Concept

Making Farming possible for everyone through Community managed open space for farming. The main objective is to give support to the younger generations of farmers and attract more people to farming.

Present Scenario:

Many are interested in farming, but will not do it even as a hobby because 

1. They do not have the know how to do farming. 

2. Agricultural land prices are high and no one wants to block their capital

3. Labour cost is high and its difficult to manage them remotely

4. Above all, people are always busy in career– family-society cycle 

Challenges

1. Farm Management
2. Initial marketing of the farming plots - It is not is easy to identify and connect to people who are interested in farming.
3. Pooling of resources 
4. Final storing  , distribution and marketing of harvested outputs

Proposed Business Model

First acquire 1 to 10 acre farming land for at least 6 month lease period. Then divided it into equal plots and each plot can be allotted to people with a small annual fees.  .A farming coordinator will take care of the headaches of procuring the land, managing labour and implementing latest farming techniques in these farms plots. On weekends and holidays you visit the farm to toil and be pleased to take home what they pluck from the farm.

Community Farming 

Plan period: 6 months to 1 year

Requirement: Land on Lease, Farming coordinator and labors 

Items farmed: Vegetables and Fruits

Advantages of the Model

1. People will not have to worry about land, labour or farming techniques.

2. Team will procure/lease land, employ and manage laborers and will adopt latest farming process.

3. They will manage watering plants and for pest control even in your absence

4. People only needs to pay the labour cost and they can take home the farm produce of the portion allotted for them. 

(The harvest’s value can be lesser than their investment as our solution is to make farming possible for everyone, not for profit making)

5. People will be motivated to visit the farm lands with their family to involve in the cultivation process and to physically pluck/harvest the crops.

6. For bringing children closer to nature and to give a farm environment will rear couple of cows, goats, chickens etc 

Why should we support such communities :

• Increasing fresh vegetable availability 

• Provide better vegetables (quality and quantity) to people.

• Utilize the power of collaborations (Power of communities)

• It address current issues such as: food security, soil contamination, water conservation, ecological restoration and resource access

• Environmentally sound management of open spaces for farming 

• Can conduct special events including the annual Harvest festivals and sales Fairs

Add-on Services 

Additional Agricultural Services which can be provided are 

1. Plant nursery

2. Sales outlets

3. Compost

4. Fertilizers

5. Seeds

6. Tools 

7. Legal assistance

8. Plant information and technical assistance

9. Recycling and waste management

10. Soil testing

11. Volunteer workers

12. Water supply

13. workshops/ seminars /training classes to the farmers

14. Helps in Financial Grants

15. Poly houses

16. Modernization of agriculture sector with Semi automated equipments

TouchFarms -Revolutionizing Farming in Trivandrum

TouchFarms - Community farming coordinator from Trivandrum .They will take care of leasing the land, managing labour and implementing latest farming techniques in Trivandrum district .You can Pay Rs 7,000 for a 6 month farming experience and get veggies & fruits worth Rs 7,000. 

Call 9349318482 to book your farming slot in Trivandrum

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External Links

FarmExtensionManager - A project conceptualized, designed and developed by Kerala Agricultural University (KAU)  for Sustainable Human-Technology Interface with the funding of RSVY, Wayanad