thebetterindia.
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January 19, 2017
This Space-Savvy Integrated Farming Unit Lets You
Grow Fish, Poultry & Vegetables Organically
At present, there is a huge demand for organic farming in the country especially after recent
reports surfaced, warning that vegetables containing high levels of chemicals and toxins
are being sold in the market. Many urban dwellers have even taken up kitchen gardening
although their efforts are often restricted due to constraints of space and time.
Now, the Centre for Wildlife Studies (CWS) at Pookode, under
the Kerala Veterinary and Animal Sciences University, has
come out with an integrated capsular farming concept titled I-
farm to address these issues.
An I-farm unit
The farming unit is based on the principles of Integrated Aquaponics, a technique that
marries horticulture, aquaculture and poultry farming to help farmers raise fish and hens
while also growing plants.
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“The idea originated when I decided to start farming for my family at my home in Wayanad.
The thriving monkey population in the area meant that my vegetable gardens were often
uprooted and destroyed by their visits.
“I wanted to design a way of farming that would help families grow food for themselves
without obstructing or relocating wild animals. So I did some research, tried aquaponics at
home and designed a unit for this purpose. Next, I pitched the design to the Kerala Veterinary
and Animal Sciences University,” says the officer-in-charge, a veterinary surgeon at the
Centre for Wildlife Studies at Pookode.
The 8x5x6 feet welded-mesh shed of an I-farm unit houses an aquaponics unit (consisting
of two aquaria), a poultry unit and one tray for growing vegetables. In an I-farm, the water
from the aquaria is directly used to grow plants in submerged gravel beds. Rainwater
harvested through channels can also be utilised in this system. Vegetables are grown in
PVC channels fixed to both the sides of the unit and grow-bags with standard potting
mixtures.
Simply put, aquaponics create an efficient and environmentally-friendly system to farm fish
and plants together in a mutually beneficial cycle. Fish are kept in large tanks and the plants
are grown hydroponically (without soil). They are planted in beds, with a little gravel or clay,
and their roots hang down into the water. The gravel serves as a home to nitrifying bacteria
that convert ammonia to nitrites and then to nitrates.
The water is cycled through the system, so that it collects “waste” from the fish. This waste
is turned into nitrates by microbes. Although a build up of nitrates aren’t good for the fish,
they work as a great fertiliser for plants. Nutrient-rich water is then pumped to the plant
beds, where it is filtered naturally by plants and can then be returned to the fish tanks.
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Unlike traditional farming methods, no chemical fertilisers are needed for plants: they all
come from fish-waste. It is necessary to stay organic, because the use of pesticides
are damaging to the fish. Per square foot, it’s one of the most productive forms of
agriculture and is a perfect example of a self-sufficient assembly of plants and animals that
function like an ecosystem, producing food for people without creating waste products or
pollution.
The I-Farm unit also consists of an Aishwarya poultry unit to house the Athulya White
Leghorn breed of poultry. Each hen lays more than 300 eggs per year. The Aishwarya
project is aimed at helping urban residents keep poultry in the limited space available with
little or no odour. The cages given under the project are equipped with an automatic
drinking system that provides water to the birds for one week. Each cage has an egg tray, a
protective cover, a PVC sheet to collect bird droppings to be used as manure, and a stand.
To prevent bad odour, a specially formulated acidifier deodoriser spray is also provided.
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An Aishwarya poultry unit
The I-farm also has a simple compost unit to ensure the convenient management of poultry
manure and kitchen waste. Poultry manure is very high in nitrogen and also contains a
good amount of potassium and phosphorus. However, the high nitrogen in chicken manure
is dangerous to plants if the manure has not been properly composted. Untreated chicken
manure used as fertiliser can burn, and even kill plants. Composting chicken manure
mellows it’s nitrogen content and makes it more suitable for the garden.
To further increase the productivity of the unit, the roof of the I-Farm has been made of
welded mesh that can be used to grow a green roof of flower, vegetable or fruit-bearing
climbing plants such as passion fruit. The entire unit can be easily installed (and
dismantled) on the roof of terraced buildings, small courtyards or in the kitchen garden.
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The I-farm is dedicated to sustainable farming and is aimed at bringing out the farmer
in each of us. “The ‘I’ in the name stands for three things: an Individual who farms for his
family; Intelligent, referring to the unit’s ability to maximise productivity while minimising
wastage; and Integrated referring to how it combines the rearing of poultry with aquaculture
and organic agriculture,” says the officer-in-charge, adding that the unit can be easily
customised.
“There’s a lot that can be added to this unit. Let your imagination decide where to stop. For
instance, one can place a nesting box for sparrows inside, with an entrance and exit from the I-
farm. If a house sparrow family decides to settle, they may help pick out worms that can harm
your plants and support your organic adventure! You would also have played your part in
sparrow conservation!”
The Kerala Veterinary and Animal Sciences university aims at making the unit available to
all families interested in growing their own food at a reasonable price. Each I-farm unit
costs ₹35,000 and this includes all components from seeds to supplies. However, the
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demand for the units is already outweighing the supply. The University has installed pilot
units on its campus to demonstrate how integrated capsular farming works and to
encourage interested individuals to take it up.
Some of the I-farm units have also been distributed to tribal communities to help them
supplement their meagre incomes. The introduction of I-farm units has also
encouraged peaceful co-existence of people with wild animals in Wayanad, by allowing the
cultivation of crops and the production of eggs in human-wildlife conflict areas.
“I always ask people one question: how long has it been since you thought about your
toothbrush?” says Yogesh Shinde.“Yes, a toothbrush! It’s such a small product amidst the
plethora of personal care products that we use. Let me share some facts about the toothbrush
that are certain to make you want to take your toothbrush seriously.”
“Plastic toothbrushes are the secind largest plastic waste generated after plastic bags. Just in
India, more than 150 million plastic toothbrushes are thrown into the garbage every month.
Every part of the toothbrush – the handle, as well as the bristles – is made from petroleum-
based plastic, which does not biodegrade for thousands of years. So, all the plastic
toothbrushes made since 1938, when they were made for the first time, still exist somewhere
on this planet.”
Yogesh is an agricultural entrepreneur who started Bamboo India, a company that makes
bamboo-based eco-friendly products. The company has engaged farmers from the village
Velhe, near Pune in Maharashtra, to manufacture products like toothbrushes, speakers,
clothing pegs, desk organizers, utility stands and sky lanterns from bamboo. Although the
company has informally been active for over two years now, Bamboo India set up their
official online store only recently, in June 2016. Since then, the company has completed
over 2,000 orders and has had a turnover of over Rs. 50 lakh, according to Yogesh.
“It’s still a very nascent company, but we have made a good start. 2,000 orders don’t
exactly equate to 2000 products sold. For example, one of our clients was the company
ToothBox based in Hyderabad. They had ordered 3,000 toothbrushes from us and that was
just one order,” he says.
Born and brought up in an urban middle class family in Pune, Yogesh had no connection to
agriculture. After completing his Masters from the University of Pune, he joined the IT
industry and became settled in the comfortable lifestyle of an IT professional. The change
happened when he travelled to Europe and stayed at different places in the continent over
a span of four years. During his stay, he came across a very different picture of farmers –
independent, financially well-off and happy. He had never witnessed farmers like this in his
own country.
“I came back to India eventually, but that wonder remained rooted in my mind. I remember
feeling that something needed to be done for our farmers after I had seen that farmers could be
rich and happy. Eventually, I bought a farm house near Velhe. As I started spending more time
at the farm house, I started getting to know the local farmers, made acquaintances with them
and came to understand their problems,” says Yogesh.
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In pic: Different products by Bamboo India.
After thorough research, and advice from Hemant Bedekar, a Pune-based septuagenarian
who conducts research on bamboo, Yogesh came to the conclusion that making bamboo
products could be the best entrepreneurial option for the farmers in the villages of Velhe,
Bhor, Panshet, and Mulshi, all adjacent to Pune.
He then quit his job as the Assistant VP of Barclays Bank, gathered 10 farmers from the
village of Velhe and set up a small manufacturing unit in his farm house. Initially, everything
was trial and error. Yogesh himself learned how to make the products and taught the
farmers personally. He then started selling these products to his friends, family members,
and acquaintances.
Word-of-mouth sales meant he was soon getting orders from
friends-of-friends and friends-of-acquaintances.
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In pic: Bamboo toothbrushes in the making.
At present, Yogesh has a lot of plans for the expansion of Bamboo India. He has 40 new
products in the pipeline and plans to engage over 100 farmer families in the business by
the end of 2017. Although the company has seen a profitable beginning, there’s still the
major hurdle of cost effectiveness.
“It is true that more people are becoming aware and are asking for alternatives. But the fact
remains that there’s a huge difference in the prices of plastic products and bamboo products.
While a bamboo toothbrush costs Rs. 100, a plastic toothbrush can cost as low as Rs. 20.
Many toothpaste companies give free toothbrushes nowadays. Naturally, it’s hard to compete
with that kind of pricing,” says Yogesh.
Though there are hurdles, Yogesh is optimistic about the future. He is currently trying to
collaborate with partners from the corporate field as well as the government. The
entrepreneur believes that bamboo is the product of the future and is looking forward to that
future.
“Bamboo is a strong, environment-friendly, sustainable and renewable material. There’s so
much that we can do with bamboo. This is just the beginning. My mission is to help reduce
plastic waste in the world. The more bamboo products I sell, the less there’s plastic waste. So
our pledge is to reduce one million kilogrammes of plastic waste from being generated in the
world by the end of 2017. I know it sounds ambitious but my team and I are hopeful, as well
as determined,” he concludes.
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