All Purpose Biscuit Mix and Recipes you can try at your home or homestead

Courtesy - Dawn Fedyck (fb)

All purpose Biscuit Mix & Recipes
All-Purpose Baking Mix

9 cups All-Purpose Flour {or 4 1/2 cups whole wheat and 4 1/2 cups all-purpose}
1/3 cup double-acting baking powder
5 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 cups nonfat dry milk, or dried buttermilk powder (I use a
combination - 3/4 cup each dry milk and buttermilk powder)
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 cups vegetable shortening; use butter-flavored if you like
Combine all of the dry ingredients into a large bowl, whisking them
together to blend.

Using a pastry fork or blender mix in the shortening till the mixture
looks like coarse crumbs.
Store the mix in plastic bags or an airtight container for up to 1
month at room temperature; or longer in the freezer.

Recipes Using The Mix:
Biscuits
2 cups All-Purpose Baking Mix
1/2 cup cold milk
Preheat the oven to 450°F.
In a large bowl, stir together the baking mix and milk to make a soft
dough. Turn the dough out onto a work surface sprinkled with baking
mix, sprinkle the top of the dough with a bit more mix, and knead a
few turns, until cohesive. Pat the dough about 3/4" thick, and cut
with a 2" to 2 1/2" biscuit cutter. Place the biscuits on an
un-greased baking sheet.
Bake the biscuits for 8 to 12 minutes, until golden brown. Remove from
the oven, and serve hot.
Yield: about a dozen biscuits, depending on size.


Muffins
3 cups All-Purpose Mix
1/2 cup sugar
3/4 cup dried fruit or nuts, cinnamon chips, lemon chips, or the
flavored chip of your choice
1 teaspoon cinnamon (optional)
2 large eggs
1 cup water
cinnamon-sugar or coarse sugar, for the tops of the muffins (optional)
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Prepare a muffin pan by
lightly greasing the 12 muffin cups.
In a large bowl, whisk together the All-Purpose Mix, sugar, dried
fruits or nuts or chips, and cinnamon. In a separate bowl or cup,
whisk together the eggs and water, then stir these liquid ingredients
into the dry ingredients.
Use a muffin scoop or 1/4-cup measure to fill the muffin cups 3/4
full. Sprinkle the tops with cinnamon-sugar or coarse sugar, if
desired.

Bake the muffins for 18 to 22 minutes, till they're golden. Remove
them from the oven, and allow them to cool in the pan for 5 to 8
minutes. Rap the pan on the edge of a counter sharply to loosen the
muffins, and turn them out onto a rack. Serve them warm. Yield: 12
muffins.

Cinnamon Rolls

Dough
4 cups All-Purpose Mix
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1/2 cup + 1 to 2 tablespoons water or milk
1 teaspoon vanilla

Filling
3/4 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed
1 tablespoon Instant Clearjel® OR 2 tablespoons (1/2 ounce) unbleached
all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
3 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons water
1/2 cup diced pecans or raisins (optional)
1/2 cup cinnamon chips (optional)

Glaze
1 cup confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 tablespoons cream or 2 to 3 tablespoons water or milk

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

To make the Dough: In a medium-sized bowl whisk together all of the
dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, the
water or milk, and vanilla. Combine the dry and wet ingredients, and
mix to form a slightly sticky dough. Flatten the dough into a
rectangle, cover it, and let it rest for 15 minutes.

To Make The Filling: In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the dry
ingredients, then cut in the shortening or butter. Add water to form a
spreadable paste; reserve the nuts and chips for later.

The Assembly: Generously flour your work surface, and roll the dough
into a 12 x 15-inch rectangle, sprinkling both sides of the dough with
flour if it's very sticky. Spread the dough with the filling, and
sprinkle it with the nuts or raisins, and cinnamon chips, if you're
using them. Starting at a short edge, carefully roll the dough into a
log. Cut the log into 12 1-inch slices.

Lay the rolls in a lightly greased 9 x 13-inch pan. Bake for 22 to 25
minutes, until they're golden brown. Let them cool in the pan for 10
minutes, then spread or drizzle them with the glaze, which you've made
by whisking together the sugar, vanilla, and cream or water. For best
flavor and texture, serve the rolls warm. Yield: 12 rolls.


Scones
2 1/2 cups All-Purpose Mix
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
3/4 cup raisins, currants, or the dried fruit of your choice
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 egg
1/3 cup whole milk or cream
coarse white sugar or cinnamon-sugar, for topping (optional)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

Whisk the sugar, dried fruit and nutmeg into the All-Purpose Mix.
Whisk the vanilla, egg and milk/cream together, and stir them into the
dry ingredients. Mix until evenly moistened.

Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface. Gently fold it
over until it holds together. Place it on a lightly greased baking
sheet, pat it into an 8-inch circle, and cut it into 8 wedges. Pull
the wedges apart slightly. Brush the tops of the scones with a bit of
milk, and sprinkle them with coarse sugar.
Bake them for 18 to 22 minutes, until lightly browned. Yield: 8 scones.


Pancakes or Waffles
1 to 1 1/4 cups water or milk
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)
2 cups All-Purpose Mix

In a small bowl or measuring cup, whisk together the water or milk,
egg and vanilla, if you're using it. Mix these liquid ingredients into
the All-Purpose Mix and stir gently until only a few small lumps
remain.

Heat a griddle or cast iron pan over medium heat. Brush it with oil or
melted butter. When the griddle is the proper temperature a drop of
water will bounce across the surface. Use a 1/4-cup measure or muffin
scoop to ladle the batter onto the griddle. Turn the pancakes over
when the bubbles that appear on the surface remain open. Cooking the
other side of the pancakes will take a much shorter time, perhaps only
30 seconds or so, depending on the heat of the griddle and the
thickness of the pancakes. Remove the pancakes from the griddle, and
serve them hot. Yield: 1 dozen 3-inch pancakes.

The same batter may be used for waffles; however, adding a tablespoon
of vegetable oil to the batter will result in a crisper waffle. Be
sure to grease the waffle iron, and preheat it. Waffle irons differ
considerably, but most will cook waffles in 2 to 4 minutes. Yield: 3
or 4 large waffles.

Happy Homesteading :)

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How to Make your own Lavender Perfume With or without Alcohol

Courtesy - Mollysims

Procedure for preparation of your own Lavender perfume
---------------------------------------------------------------------
* 1 glass spray bottle, 4 oz

* Mostly 3.5 oz of vodka is used as a carrier oil. If you don't
prefer alcohol in your perfume, You can also use jojoba or grapeseed
oil!)

* 15 drops lavender essential oil

* 5 drops lemon essential oil

* 30 drops vanilla essential oil

Directions for use
--------------------------
* Combine all ingredients and shake before use!

* No need to say, enjoy the pleasant smell..!

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A way to make natural soap

Courtesy - Yashodhara robin (fb)
Material
Multani Mitti - 2.5 kg
Swarna Geru powder - 400 gm
Bhimseni Kapoor - 70 gm
Ajwain Satva - 40 gm
Sesame Oil - 400 gm
Turmeric powder - 1 Teaspoon
Neem leaves - 1 kg
Aloe Vera - 8 big stems
Reetha - 250 gm (powder)

Other things which we can use lemon peels, orange peels, Lemon grass etc.

Procedure
Take 3 liter water and add neem leaves, orange-lemon peels/ powder,
lemon grass. Boil it to almost 1 liter liquid. Keep this extract of
Neem, Orange ready.

Take Bhimseni Kapoor and Ajwain Satv separately. Try to make fine
powder of it and then mix it together. It will form liquid. Ensure
that no lumps remain.

Take a container, add multani mitti, swarna geru powder, reetha
powder, turmeric powder and mix it with hands.
Add liquid formed by mixing Bhimseni Kappr and Ajwain Satva to it. Mix
it with the powder. Also add Sesame Oil and mix it with powder. Break
the lumps with hands and ensure that oil gets mixed thoroughly. Then
add the Neem-Lemon-Orange Extract in appropriate proportion and mix it
right consistency like we make jawar roti or bhakari.

Use your hands and creativity to give different shapes of your liking
to the soaps. Avoid cracks while transforming them into different
shapes. Dry the soaps in the shadow before you start using them.

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A small setup to save Rain water from rooftops

courtesy - seithipunal

The setup for the Rain water harvesting in one of my Friend's house
which costed 18,000 rs. It saved 15000 ltrs from 1 hour of Raining
Yesterday. (11/8/2017) evening 7 pm

It is said that the Geographical area is not suitable to build a dam
in tamilnadu and atleast I request government to bring awareness to
use this type of technologies for Rain water harvesting.

Not only bringing awareness about it, but also need to go an extra
step like install this type of technologies in Government schools,
colleges, Municipality offices, collector office, Revenue department,
Government Hospitals etc... Before telling to people the government
need to act to install this type of setups in all government premises.
This will bring volunteers to come forward and do their bit in their
premises.

Government should stop wasting funds in unnecessary projects, plans,
schemes etc.... though to invest in this type of Ecofriendly projects.
We need to keep in mind that "This earth is home for our future
generations" So we need to protect and give a space for our future
generations.

Any complaints write to-
abcdfarming@gmail.com

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Few Ideas on Bamboo buildings and bamboo houses

Courtesy - Google Image search results and all the Bamboo house websites and Bamboo Architects Bamboo roof plan, Bamboo walls, bamboo houses, bamboo doors, etc..

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Biome Environmental Solutions - Eco Friendly architects in Bangalore

courtesy - Biome

Biome Environmental Solutions is a Bangalore-based design firm focused
on ecology, architecture and water. The office's diverse team
includes designers, architects, civil and mechanical engineers and
urban planners from various parts of India and abroad. The designs
are undertaken by various member of this team in constant
collaboration with each other via group discussions & exchanges and
periodic meetings.

Historic

Created by the 2008 merger of Chitra K. Vishwanath Architects and
Rainwater Club. Both organizations have operated since 1990 and bring
their distinct talents to the new firm:

Chitra Viswhanath Architects

Has designed and implemented hundreds of real estate developments –
residences, institutions and resorts – guided by ecological
principles, integrating sound water, energy and land-use thinking into
design

Rain Water Club

Has extensive expertise in providing knowledge services in water
management and rainwater harvesting, ecological wastewater treatment
and sanitation practices
Biome's unique capability lies in thinking through the key ecological
and social issues in each project. We have extensive working
relationships with specialized knowledge experts in bio-diversity,
tourism, hydrogeology, and material science, whose contributions we
synthesize into a coherent design strategy and plan of action.

Design is a highly personal process, and we place great emphasis on
client interactions to ensure the final project incorporates the
vision of sustainability with the client's aspirations for aesthetics,
functionality, and budget. The ecologically and socially sensitive
nature of our work, along with our commitment to spreading sustainable
living practices far and wide, has led to our involvement in many
nonprofit projects to benefit the natural environment and
disadvantaged populations. We have established the Biome Environmental
Trust to facilitate our continued efforts in these activities.

What we do

Biome's service offerings range from architectural and rainwater
harvesting design to environmental planning consultancy and
comprehensive water strategising. We place great emphasis on
developing strong communication channels and particularly face-to-face
interaction with each of our clients, which enable us to tune in to
the client's needs and constraints

For more details - http://www.biome-solutions.com

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Indian startup Avant Garde invents low cost wind turbine to power up elctrical appliances.

Courtesy - Ecoideaz

Indian startup Avant Garde Innovations has developed a low-cost wind
turbine that can generate 3-5 kW hours of electricity daily

Soon after assuming office, Kerala (southern state of India) Chief
Minister Pinarayi Vijayan kicked up a storm by publicly supporting the
Athirappilly hydro electric project, which environmentalists said, if
implemented, would create ecologic imbalance in the area and destroy
the Athirappilly waterfalls, the largest natural waterfalls in the
state.

It is not that the government is oblivious to the impact that the
project could make, but it says it has no option but to leverage
existing means to check the growing power crisis in Kerala, which
partially depends on the private sector for electricity.

Things are no different in other states either. While Kerala has
attained almost 100 per cent electrical coverage, many parts of India
still remain in the dark. For a large portion of the Indian
population, electricity to this day remains a distant dream.

Enter two siblings who want to make India's energy crisis a thing of
the past. The duo has developed a new solution they say will not even
slightly impact the ecological balance.

Avant Garde Innovations, the startup founded by siblings Arun and
Anoop George from Kerala, has come up with a low-cost wind turbine
that can generate enough electricity to power an entire house for a
lifetime. The size of a ceiling fan, this wind turbine can generate 5
kWh/kW per day — with just a one-time cost of US$750.

"Our goal is to eliminate energy poverty, reduce dependence on
struggling state power grids and create energy self sufficiency for
all the needy ones through distributed, localised and affordable
renewable energy. In doing so, we believe we can collectively usher in
our world a cleaner environment, new economic prosperity and social
change," reads the company 'What We Do' statement.

"Our first offering is a highly affordable small wind turbine suitable
for residential, commercial, agricultural, village electrification and
other uses, which is aimed for a market launch during 2016."

Incorporated in 2015, Avant Garde claims to be a startup with a
'green' heart and soul.
For the startup, opportunity is massive. India is the world's sixth
largest energy consumer, accounting for 3.4 per cent of global energy
consumption. Federal governments in India, and the central government
for that matter, are unable to bear the huge infrastructural cost
required to bring electricity to remote villages.

Erecting electric posts and electric lines require huge investments
that could cost millions of dollars.

This is where Avant Garde comes into picture. "When small wind turbine
generating 1kW energy costs INR 3-7 lakh (US$4,000-10,000), our
company plans to sell it at less than NR 50,000 (about US$750). Costs
will decrease further through mass production," Arun said in an
interview to The Times of India.

The company launched its pilot project at a church in the capital city
of Thiruvananthapuram in January this year. The small wind turbine
prototype that it has developed is highly scalable for power
capacities of 300 kW or even higher, Arun told.

"Our passionate aim is to introduce innovative, affordable and
sustainable solutions that take renewable energy self sufficiency and
energy empowerment to the next level through a distributed and
decentralised approach using pioneering strategies the world has not
witnessed yet," the company says.

This revolutionary product has also won them a spot in the Top 20
Cleantech Innovations in India. The company has also made it to the
list of 10 clean energy companies from India for the "UN Sustainable
Energy For All" initiative under the one billion dollar clean energy
investment opportunity directory.

According to the Global Wind Energy Council, the country ranks 4th in
terms of global installed wind power capacity, after China, the US,
and Germany.

Maybe, if Avant Garde Innovations takes off, Kerala can keep the
Athirappilly waterfalls untouched.

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Water Man of Rajasthan

Courtesy  -  ecoindia

Rajendra Singh, is a winner of 2001 Ramon Magsaysay Award For Community leadership. He leads an organization, Tarun Bhagat Sangh, which is supported by the United Nations, USIAD, and the World bank. He was highly appreciated and recognized for the efforts he made for harvesting rain water water by building check dams in Rajasthan. It is because of this he is popularly known as the 'Jal Pusush' or the 'Water man of Rajasthan' Rajendra Singh Since 1985, Tarun Bhagat Sangh, headed by Rajendra Singh have been working in the Alwar district of Rajasthan, focusing on the revival of Johads, streams and rivers in the area.

They were of the opinion that without water in region no other significant development could take place. And with the successful implementation of the programme and with the total dedication of all the team members along with the cooperation of the villagers, today more than 4,500 working Johads dot Alwar and surrounding districts. (Johad is concave structure which collects and store water throughout the year. It is used for the drinking purpose by humans and cattle). Above all what is really commendable is that they work for the revitalization of the five rivers that went dry for the long time. River Ruparel, that went dead, has stared flowing again after the span of three decades. Even the Arvari River basin, which was once barren became a water source, due to the active participation and hard work of the team members. On the other sides rejuvenation of the traditional water harvesting structures on such a large scale is a positive indication of development in the state. And it was definitely a sincere effort by Rajendra Singh for eradicating the scarcity of water in the rural areas of Rajasthan. In many villages people have started building Johads of their own. Now the women need not to travel to the far away places to collect water, fuel wood and fodder. They educated the mind of the people and made them understand the importance of water conservation. It is a perfect solution for the long standing problem of water in the remote areas. Water harvesting is a good way to tackle with the problem of drought and floods. Rajendra Singh along with his other team members persuaded the villagers to rejuvenate their functioning style, which in turn changed the total life line of Rajasthan. He has plans to cover more of 45 villages in the next one year. He has also decided to take up the project of river Luni, the only flowing water source in western parts of Rajasthan. The condition of the river is getting worst with the day by day increasing pollution from the numerous textile units Pali. Organization of Rajendra Singh has overall 45 full time employees and 230 part time workers. He is a charismatic personality and the real hero of poor. He spends eight months of the year on road working day and night without seeing the face of his wife and son. Until 1984, he knew nothing about the water and its conservation methods. It were the villagers who showed me the value of water, and till date The work done by the Rajendra Singh is a inspiration for the million others in the nation.

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Aranya Eco Village an Organic farm near Anchetti forest.

Courtesy: https://www.facebook.com/tuar6/ Rajnish Kumar (Founder of Aranya Eco Village)

     I come from a farming family near Bihar(raja rajnish kumar). I left my studies in Delhi in 2008 to broaden my horizons at the Shikshantar Institute in Udaipur. here I learned many things from film making to water conservation. I joined the Environmental Leadership Programme at Sadhana Forest in Auroville I learnt about vegan cooking, waste material with creating interesting cool things like wallet , building house, Permaculture design , Drip watering, eco toilets, land scape designing, English speaking and writing, 3 years later began to realise I wanted to be an organic farmer.

     Our Eco Village was established 3.5 years ago following the principles of permaculture design. It is a home to many animals from Buffalo to Chickens. Our main crop is millet, but we grow a variety of fruit and vegetables and have many Eco building projects to complete. Sustainability and working in harmony with nature and each other is at the core of everything we do.

    There is a close relationship between our project and another Organic farm which also welcomes volunteers. My family are all the creatures great and small on the farm. The mud house can house a large group or a family. Tents are also available, although volunteers may wish to bring their own. Blankets and some bedding can be provided but volunteers are asked to bring sheets. Meals will be provided following the local cuisine.

    The farm is situated near the Elephant reserve at Anchetti forest in the beautiful, indigenous forest, nearby is a quiet ashram. The Krishnagiri region has a museum, ancient forts and temples. Every year the Krishnagiri Dam and reservoir attract many tourists.

    Volunteers are welcome to be at home on the farm, be creative and be part of a community.
Permaculture design, Natural farming, resort designing, local culture, cooking. Big scale farming. Compost making, natural fertilizer making, mud house building designing, ( cob, rammed earth, Earthship, earth bag House, )Seed cultivating. Walking in forest forest fruits collecting, playing with kids in Village teaching English,

Courtesy: https://www.facebook.com/tuar6/
For any complaints please write to abcdfarming@gmail.com or comment below..!

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A 13 year old Backyard Farmer - Know more

*courtesy Gopi Devarajan (Facebook)

Last Friday veg market at the OFM (www.ofmtn.in) , something special happened. Siva, a small kid who is in 7th standard came to ofm along with his mother (who is a regular customer of ofm). His mom told me something which surprised me, she said that siva is interested in growing plants and he is aspiring to be a farmer !!! ( did you hear that). They started as a consumer at one of the OFM outlets in thuraipakkam, near Siva’s house.

A hobby became his passion. yes, siva is growing keerai in the front yard of his home. In a small piece of land adjoining his house he grows various varieties of greens. He brought about 35 bunches of red amaranthus (thandukeerai) and arakkeerai that he harvested that morning. His mom asked OFM if siva could sell the greens at the OFM veggie Bazar. (Arun of ainthinai, the OFM outlet at OMR have visited the place already for inspection and assured the organicity). So, OFM allocated a separate section for the kid and made him to sell his own greens directly to the customers just to encourage him. We made an announcement about the kid to all our customers.

oh boy, he was so happy that all his greens got sold in 30 mins of time. Of course his mom was so proud of his boy selling greens to customers...what more you can ask for..
He promised me that he would take more lessons from the experts and will bring more varieties as well...i was awestruck by his passion...it was such a wonderful sight and inspiring...
Team, pls encourage such enthusiastic kids in your circle whenever you get a chance. or even better, create one..:)

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Once A Chartered Accountant, She Left Her Corporate Job To Pursue Organic Farming & Help Farmers

Courtesy: Logical Indian

“Despite primary agricultural produce being essential for the livelihood of every person, it doesn’t yield profits for the farmer. Why does this happen?” questions Vishala, a chartered accountant with the determination to repair the condition of the farming sector.
Vishala (AKA Vishalakshi Padmanabhan) had been working in the corporate sector for four years before she decided to take a different path – one which aligns her work with her passion. She identified that the agricultural sector of our country needed an overhaul – a system which uplifts the farmers and benefits the consumers as well.

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“We keep hearing news about farmer suicides due to financial incapacity or lack of irrigation facilities. When somebody is actually growing or producing something which we require on a daily basis while struggling to meet their own ends (and the fact that their situation is worsening), this implies that a huge gap exists somewhere which needs to be filled at the earliest. We are not working together, hence the farmers’ troubles are not decreasing,” said Vishala while speaking to The Logical Indian.
This is when Vishala came up with a system – an organic farming collective which would benefit all the stakeholders involved – the farmers, the consumers, and the environment.

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The Buffalo Back collective

Buffalo Back, is a farming collective which aligns the needs of the urban with the traditional knowledge of the rural.
“It is a platform where people take ownership of what they do – there is no hierarchy and each individual maintains the sustainability standards of the collective,” says Vishala.
With 9 years of experience in farming, Vishala works out of her farm in Bannerghatta forest, 40 km from Bengaluru, Karnataka. The collective has no investors and functions with the help of a land initially purchased in Bannerghatta forest.

“We first need to entirely focus on basic primary food that everyone needs. We are not even thinking of processed food right now. The idea behind Buffalo Back is that food everywhere should be safe for anyone who consumes it, irrespective of whether they are rich or poor – it is an individual’s right. By safe food I mean food that is wholesome and nutritious.”

In this regard, the Buffalo Back works with farmers on a cooperative or a self-help format, depending on the situation of a particular village. The business model is such that each person is accountable for their work throughout the production and distribution process. Each person takes ownership of their job.
For instance, the village where Vishala farms has only sixteen families. Since it is located in the elephant corridor, there is not much scope of agriculture. But the women of the village work in self-help groups where they farm in their backyards.

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Photo: Kishore

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Sometimes, small NGOs also offer help. All groups involved at any stage in the process are familiar with the idea of safe food.
The processing is done in such a way that the output is high in nutrients, with no depletion of resources in the process.
“We complete the cycle by educating the farmers about prevention of waste, as half the food in the world is wasted during production. We have created a model where everything is sustainable, local and waste-free,” said Vishala.

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How does Buffalo Back ensure waste-free agriculture?

Since Vishala’s village is located in the elephant corridor, the women mainly grow greens in their backyards as cash crops would be destroyed in elephant raids.
To ensure that crops are not damaged, the women chiefly grow a variety of native greens as they are sturdy and remain fresh for at least two days after harvesting. Additionally, minimal wastage is ensured by using the damaged vegetation for purposes other than consumption. For instance, the plant ‘Bringraj’, is used to make hair oil when its leaves are damaged. 

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Photo: Surabhi Nadig

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This is a continuous process as farmers are educated at every step. Depending on the condition of a particular village, different waste-free farming techniques are implemented.

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Targeting the urban sector

As the lifestyle of the urban population is largely different from that of their rural counterpart and they have a cosmopolitan outlook, they do not consume traditional food easily. Buffalo Back has innovated ways to suit the produce according to urban needs.
For instance, the vegetable ‘drumstick’ is not popular in urban areas. Farmers frequently sell it at a low cost to annul the stock. However, the collective came up with the idea of an alternative use of drumsticks where the vegetable can be harvested at a specific time, split open and the seeds can be sun-dried to make them pop similar to popcorn. With the help of a simple procedure and no use of additives, healthy food is produced for the consumption of urbanites.
Since the past three months, Buffalo Back has been aggressively targeting the urban market. After 5 years of groundwork, planning and understanding, its produce is directly sold to the market by linking the collective to it.

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Photo: Surabhi Nadig

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However, a large portion of the consumers still remains ignorant of the benefits of safe food. In this regard, the primary focus of Buffalo Back is ‘Consumer Awareness’.
“Since the past one month, the weather of Bangalore has fluctuated from hot to unbearable. This is the right time to educate people on the importance of sustainability”, said Vishala.
The collective has various campaigns to make people aware of the smallest actions that can cause a major change in their lifestyles while benefiting the environment.

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The ‘Roots to Grains’ campaign

“In today’s world, we are bombarded with global information and people need to be educated of the various kinds of safe food they can grow in their own backyards,” said Vishala.

Under the campaign ‘Roots to Grains’, suggested by Anil Annaiah, the collective is making people aware of traditional grains — educating them about their roots.

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“There is a lot of food available in the ground, however, people remain unaware of its existence. Such food is much more healthy and nutritious than the super food we are so accustomed to consuming”, says Vishala.
Identifying that human beings have a DNA-level connection with the food around them, Vishala realised that people need to be made aware of its benefits. The Roots to Grains campaign works in this regard.

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Zero use of plastic from production to distribution

As a replacement for plastic Buffalo Back only uses gunny bags to store its produce. All sale is also concluded in handmade cane baskets, cloth bags, pouches, glass bottles and paper bags, all of which are returned after delivery.

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Photo: Ananya Mehta 

“The muri (puffed rice) we had stored in gunny bags was getting softer. We got the feedback from everyone to use plastic containers to prevent moisture from spoiling it. But we didn’t want to use plastic, and steel containers are expensive. Such problems are common when we aim to achieve sustainability. However, the public has been greatly supportive to our cause. Just last week, I sent out a mail to everybody saying that we needed storage containers and we were able to procure 22 big containers without any investment of our own,” said Vishala.

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Organic Farms in and around Bangalore to Volunteer or Intern

Those who like to spend weekends volunteering for farmers and who like to learn organic farming to setup their own farm, Here are the few farms where you can volunteer and learn organic farming in and around bangalore.

Annadana soil and seed savers network

                               
Annadana is actively engaged in empowering and safeguarding the interest of marginal farmers & society by promoting sustainable organic farming.You will be training hands on with our master teachers and lend support in all areas of our operation be it from management to technical but under guidance. Please note: we are not funded by any government nor any private organisation as we sustain our efforts on the merit of our time tested knowledge acquired over 14 years. Most of our interns, volunteers & wwoofers are self funded. Since we are based in a metro it is quite expensive, your contribution will go towards empowering more farmers to join in to revive the dying skill in seed conservation

Vanashree farms - Marasarahalli

Organically nurtured since 2005, this 8 acre farm, only 50km outside Bangalore, was started by IT professional-turned-farmer Srikanth. As with most institutions that strive to be self-sufficient, their dependency on the grid is minimal, with solar-based lighting and gobar gas fuel for cooking. Cows, ducks and chickens are reared on property. On the farm, you can learn all about organic and natural farming by actually getting your hands dirty. Plus, pick up tips on tree and plant identification before bird watching for some relaxation.

Sukrushi farm-Nelamangala

An eco-resort and organic farm, this once barren land has grown lush in the last 15 years. If you want to volunteer long term, then accommodation is free but you are part of the crew and will have to work full time on the farm. There are other options too, and usually, owner Jayram sees several willing helpers every week coming down to get their hands dirty and reconnect with the soil. Produce is delivered to their own restaurant/hotel ensuring locally-sourced, quality product. The eco-resort also supports the village community via responsibly maintained tourism.

Navadharshan-Thally road, Hosur

Bordering the Thally reserve forest, this farm only encourages serious volunteers, not the average tourist. Partap Aggarwal, one of the founders, even brought out the Indian edition of the Fukuoka manual ‘One Straw Revolution’. Dependent purely on solar power, their eco-friendly lodging isn’t too extensive and food is basic vegetarian.  You can choose to help out in a number of different things like eco-restoration or organic farming. With the trust formed way back in 1990, you can be assured of picking up some effective techniques and processes.

Hamsah Organic farm - Sarjapur road

                                                                
A slice of rural life well within city limits, this 5 acre farm run by John Fennessy, is an avid spot for a weekend volunteering stint. Get to use a tiller, walk some cows and cook some kale bajjis! Make sure you attend the seasonal mango harvest. There are constantly new things being sown, grown and reaped over here, making it a lively and interactive space to truly regain your lost roots. Visitors can also head down on weekends to pick up an assortment of interesting produce they have growing there, from zucchini and lettuce, to fresh rosemary and passion fruit!

                                                                
Swayyam - Yelachetti


A non-profit entity registered in 2011 and currently overseen by Malvikaa Solanki,  the farm encourages permaculture techniques and sustainable concepts such as ‘eat your yard’, a Texan initiative on edible landscaping. It is located almost at the borders of 3 states –Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Kerela. A minimum stay of 2 weeks is necessary to understand the vibes of the area, and basic food comes at a nominal cost of Rs. 250/day in order to cover grocery, cooking, and other farm expenses. They also have a project called Rangaayana, en effort to revive music, dance and folk traditions. situated at Yelachatti Village, Hangala Hobli, Mangala Village road, Gundlupet Taluk, Karnataka 571111. INDIA

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