ECOLOGICAL DESIGN EXPERIMENTS FOR A PROSPEROUS FOOD FOREST

The Hyderabad collective was blessed with wild, forest-friendly Sitaphal produce. We also witnessed the last of the monsoon grasslands that are extremely beneficial for the development of a forest ecosystem. The Lake Soil Experiment was initiated to improve the soil health of the cultivation patches and make them more suitable for growing. We hope to see favourable results. Our staff at the farm was successful in procuring the waste rice straw from nearby villages. We are using this ‘waste’ in several farm activities like mulching, making veggie beds and composting. The first stage of forming an ecosystem is in place with a focus on veggie beds where resilient, native species are planted. Windbreaks to protect veggie plants were planted too. The upcoming months are full of anticipation, hope and more attempts to enhance the ecosystem.