Upon realising that being ‘normal’ involved working 9-5 jobs, coupled with a complacency towards the regular consumption of mass-produced easily available products containing all kinds of toxins, Debal Mazumder and his family decided to change their ways.
“Our basic needs – pure food, good water and good air to breathe – were not being met in the city, no matter how many malls popped up daily or how many brands of phones we could afford.”
After moving to their village in Birbhum (West Bengal, India), the family bought a small piece of land and began farming on it. Among activities of farming and harvesting, making new friends, enduring intense storms and enjoying the frequent evening breeze, the family continues to grow.
Smell Of The Earth is a family-owned, family-run farming venture that looks toward creating meaningful experiences with more visitors, to get involved with others and participate in the rewarding task of tending to the earth.
This October, Smell of the Earth is organising the 15th in their series of courses for Natural Farming. Smell of the Earth is an individual effort. It is neither an NGO, nor a funded organization. With no permanent employees on the farm, the family does most of the work themselves, hiring help from the village only for big tasks.
Among the topics covered during the week long program, participants will gain exposure in natural farming techniques, pest management, water management, permaculture design, farm-based businesses, soil biology and urban gardening.
Other than the upcoming Natural Farming course other activities that one can engage in:
– Year-round volunteering (involving varied degrees of physical labour)
– Visiting Skill-Sharer Programs to share your skills with the neighborhood
– Training programs to learn about growing food and saving the planet
– Seasonal festivals to encourage nature-based cultural practices.
