With watershed, Biogas and vermi culture JJ has already been addressing the issue of greenhouse gases and the effects of climate change. During the course of time JJ became aware of yet another major concern - ill health and increased medical expense of the common man. Getting to the root cause, JJ realized that one of the major reasons was the presence of poison in the food people consume – food contaminated by chemical fertilizers and pesticides. Amir Khan’s “Satya meva jayate” episode “Poison on your plate” was an eye opener. In response to this JJ decided to promote Organic Farming in an intensive manner.

SAS (Jana Jagaran) has started creating awareness on Organic Farming in Belgaum district; it motivates and assists members of Self Help Groups to experiment with organic Kitchen Garden and Organic Farming methods. JJ is providing the women with practical lessons and the required expertise with assistance from Resource Persons from Belgaum and Kolhapur District. Its focus is to promote traditional and modern ways of vegetable garden and farming in the villages. Through this intervention JJ strives to renew the face of the earth and lead people to greater health and happier lives.  

Loving the Mother Earth

“We must love our mother earth just as we love our mothers.” With these spirited words Organic farmer Mr. Ramnath Naik, the lover of nature and farming motivated the sixty women of twenty-two SHGs who gathered on 26th May 2014 in the Reach-Out Center, Belgaum. The JJ animators explained to the women the advantages of Organic Farming. It can be experimented efficiently in the kitchen garden. Mr. Parashuram Rangi and Mr. Shankar Kalluri emphasized that food from chemical fertilizers is poisonous which we can avoid through organic farming. Mr. Yeshwant Bhandurge with his melodious voice got the women to sing the Marathi song Bin Bhintichi Shala (School outside the four walls) and made them realize the importance of nature and the amount of wisdom available in the nature. Mr. Piraji Mahut advised the women to use the crop calendar to sow according to the seasons and climate. Fr. Joe Chenakala also guided the women to use more pulses in the food. The women were also initiated into discussion of what they could grow in their fields, kitchen garden and about the vitamins that the crops give us. The women were presently surprised with the fact, that the amount of poisonous food they consume and are sold in the market. They were deeply motivated to cultivate organic kitchen gardens to enjoy poison-free vegetables in the near future.