For generations in India, having a kitchen-garden was integral to a complete home, wherefreshness and nutrition from a variety of vegetables were a given and the words ‘pesticide’ and ‘chemical fertilizer’ were unheard of. There was no concept of wastage because everything was re-used in some form or the other. Natural resources were respected and utilized in an optimum manner so as to preserve for future generations – this was the prevalent culture! We wanted to revive this forgotten system and make that culture-change happen in urban life-spaces. But urbanization and the nuclear-family system meant lesser space and time to do anything in a sustained manner.
Though the Kitchen Garden concept looks very simple, it has lots of solution to many problems that we are struggling to cope up with. The problems that are on top of the list are our health and waste management. If the world is clean and pollution free, then it keep most of the diseases away by providing fresh air and water for us. If this is further augumented by chemical free and fresh food, then, we can think of creating a healthy world around us.A quick look around us will reveal that new diseases are surfacing at an alarming pace. Number of people with obesity, hypertension, diabetes, cancer aids and many other disease are on the rise. The healthcare industry is working hard to catch-up with the cures, while there are no known permanent cures for some of the diseases. Some of the diseases are being cured, with lot of side effects.
Deep analysis reveals that root cause for declining heath is quality of food, in particular fruits and vegetables. There used to be a time, when one could get fresh fruits and vegetables grown locally without using any chemicals and could taste the juicy and fresh vegetables. Now, with urbanization, most of the vegetables are grown using lots of chemical fertilizer and pesticides and also they are not fresh as it has to travel for an average of 24 – 36 hrs in most un-hygenic conditiions, once can imagine. Once we get these fruits and vegetables, 8 – 12% gets wasted during cleaning and peeling whereas additional 6 – 12% gets wasted due to rotting. We end up mixing these with other kitchen waste and dispose.
This is where the kitchen garden is a simple, yet very powerful solution. One can start with the kitchen waste, convert the waste into compost using simple techinques, grow simple vegetables in the unutilized balconies or terrace. Once the vegetables are harvested, they can immediately be used when they are fresh. In a small garden, it is very easy to manage pests and diseases without using any chemicals. With this approach, one can grow some of the vegetables required for their family and also recycle the waste that is produced in the kitchen and the kitchen garden.
Click here to down load a file with details to get started with your garden Today.
