Ancestral Seeds, Diverse Harvests
By cultivating a variety of crops, preserving ancestral seeds, and exploring animal husbandry, we build a resilient livelihood for our community.
By Jagannath Baraik, Farmer · Ranchi
Responds to — livelihood insecurity
Here in our rural areas, we know the importance of not relying on just one thing. We cultivate many different crops like chickpea, mung bean, urad dal, red lentil, black gram, pigeon pea, and green gram. These are our 'other crops' or 'second crops,' ensuring we always have something to harvest and eat.
This knowledge of what to grow, and how to keep it going, comes from our ancestors. We don't just grow, we also preserve these seeds in a traditional way. These are the seeds we received from them, and we make sure to save them for the future.
Beyond the fields, we look to other ways to sustain ourselves. Mushroom cultivation is something we can do, and we also consider goat farming. If we can get a little support, we even plan for poultry farming. It's all about having many paths to a secure life.
The recipe
Diversify your farming by cultivating multiple crops, preserving ancestral seeds, and exploring animal husbandry.
Crop diversitySeed savingTraditional knowledgeLivelihood diversificationFood securityRural resilience
