The Punjab area of India is home to innovative farmers who make the best of expensive land. Although equipment is small by our standards, there is usage of technologies such as laser leveling to improve water usage and production. The farm visits varied from small holdings (land ownership is limited to seven hectares in India) to cooperative rental and crop sharing.
As the area is home to extensive irrigation, we also enjoyed visiting aquaculture and the area’s first turf grass farm, where the turf was dug and rolled up by hand by women earning 2.00 day. In India there is a saying, that a guest is a god and we most certainly were treated this way. Each stop involved six or more separate presentations of sweets and chai tea.
It was a humbling experience to deeply connect with these farmers and their families. Despite the chaos and the struggle, there is a calm to India that wraps around you – keeping one forever in her warm and hospitable embrace.
