Cultivating success in agroecology

Rehana’s story serves as an inspiring example of how passion, dedication and creativity can transform lives. Through agroecology, she not only transformed her farm’s productivity but also contributed to environmental conservation and community well-being. Her journey from learning the art of mushroom growing to creating an agroecological farm, showcases a positive impact made on the community.

Women, the guardians of agroecological knowledge, have played a fundamental role in agriculture for centuries, often as a primary producer of food and caretaker of land. In agroecology, women’s knowledge and skills are invaluable in promoting the sustainable farming practices that align with their community’s needs and cultural values. The extensive knowledge of local ecosystem, traditional farming techniques and seed preservation method has been passed down through generation.

Certainly, women have made significant contribution in creating sustainable and inclusive food systems but sometimes it goes unnoticed. Despite their involvement, women’s contributions have been overlooked in society. Empowering women in the field of agroecology can not only transform the status of family but also their pattern of predominant farming system.

Our story begins with Rehana, a hardworking and resilient woman who lived in a small town with her in laws. Rehana being a poor woman, faced several restrictions and had limited opportunities. All the farming decisions were taken by the male
members of her family. They struggled with conventional farming methods facing several constraints resulting in low yields. They literally lived from hand to mouth and facing financial challenges owing to high production costs and low incomes from agricultural activities. Despite facing numerous challenges and limited resources, Rehana always dreamt of providing a better life for her family.

Every morning after her routine work, she would head to the barn to tend to the cows and goats. She not only took care of the animals but also the plants in her field. Caring of these animals and plants was an essential part of her farming life but her dedication to farming and close connection with nature was unnoticed.

One day in her neighborhood she observed some women pursuing farming. They were the members of a Self-Help Group. They have collectively established a small unit of mushrooms production and rewarded for their work. Their remarkable achievements challenged Rehana to question the limitations placed upon her. She thought if they can do it, why can’t I?

In fact, she possessed an innate drive and an unyielding passion for farming. Her family has been in farming for generations. She had inherited a deep understanding of agriculture from her ancestors. Motivated by her surroundings, Rehana embarked on her own path of creating a Self Help Group (SHG) called “Hamari Ekta.”

She attended a training of mushroom cultivation at KVK, Tikamgarh and established her mushroom production unit at her residence. Initially, she started producing oyster mushroom cultivation on small scale by getting spawn from KVK. Later she started growing other varieties also. She motivated other women of her SHG to learn the production techniques of mushroom growing. Word got spread about the fresh mushrooms she grew and people started visiting her home to buy them. There were so many ups and downs. Some days, there was an overwhelming demand, and other days there was surplus production. Rehana being resourceful, decided not to let anything go waste. She began preserving the surplus mushrooms by drying and grinding them into a fine powder. She combined this powder with various ingredients to create unique papads (crispy snacks). These papads turned out to be incredible. However, she faced challenges in marketing her produce. Being highly determined, she approached the experts of KVK to find out the nutritive value and to certify her produce. This experience infused new confidence in her.

Feeling motivated, she turned her attention to farming. This was a turning point. She along with her husband, experimented by shifting towards integrated farming. She advised other members of her SHG to diversify their crops, integrating vegetables, fruits, grains, poultry and goatery, creating a balanced ecosystem that increased resilience to pest and climate fluctuations.

Some of the members of SHG started adopting companion planting, crop rotation, natural manurial methods like composting, cover cropping and mulching to enhance soil fertility and water retention. She also got trained on goat rearing and poultry farming, where she learned the scientific ways of goat and poultry management. She integrated livestock with crop production, promoting natural processes, thus minimizing negative environmental impacts. and reducing
environmental impacts. This integration led to increased biodiversity and a sustainable farming system.

Her efforts were always directed towards enhancing sustainable and eco friendly food systems by combining the empirical knowledge of traditional methods with scientific approaches. She gained new perspectives and insights in dealing with day to day challenges. Once a kid of her goat was sick and one of the members of her SHG advised her to offer the milk of cow because it contains immunoglobin that can be effective as means of providing passive immunity to protect from diseases. She immediately followed the advice with the kid becoming healthier. Collaboration is valuable in the field of agroecology. I also believe agriculture is not just a way to
make a living, it is a way to make a life.

Rehana’s farm is a model of symbiotic farming system under a single roof, where she experienced reduced dependency on external inputs, greater resilience to climate variability, improved soil quality and increased crop yields. Not only did she produce higher quality produce but also started selling her surpluses at premium prices in local markets. This ecological balance allowed her to restore harmony between humans and farming, thus promoting sustainable agriculture. Rehana’s story serves as an inspiring example of how passion, dedication and creativity can transform lives. Through agroecology, she not only transformed her farm’s productivity but also contributed to environmental conservation and community well-being. Her journey from learning the art of mushroom growing to creating an agroecological farm, showcased the power of turning challenges into opportunities and making a positive impact on community.

Mahak khatri

Senior Agriculture Development Officer (SADO),

Department of Agriculture Development and Farmers Welfare,

Tikamgarh (MP)

Haweli Road Sindhi Colony Tikamgarh (MP) 472001

E-mail: mahakkhatri09@gmail.com

Yogranjan Singh

Scientist

JNKVV College of Agriculture,

Tikamgarh (MP)

E-mail: yogranjan@gmail.com

Khushbu khatri