ORGANIC KITCHEN GARDEN AT KAYALAM

Introduction:

Now a days most of the people are preferring organic kitchen gardening at home. It is not

difficult task hence anybody can do organic kitchen gardening at home.; because formula or

task behind this is not that different from what they do in the regular open field farm. The

major and only difference is that you work in smaller space and you get to select what you

like plant in your kitchen garden.

As a part of our community health nursing specialty posting, I was posted in ward 17

(Kayalam) of Mavoor panchayat under MCH unit Cherupa. The posting was started from

24.02.2020 to 30.03.2020. During my field works I observed that, majority of the families

have land for vegetable cultivation but they are not utilising the land. Still they were spending

money to purchase intoxicated vegetables. The ladies are simply sitting in their home and

watching TV for time pass. The excessive amount of chemical fertilizers and pesticides

spread, the vatable coming from outside Kerala. The use of intoxicated vegetables may cause

cancer and other killer diseases. In this context, I motivated few people for vegetable

cultivation from their limitation. The promotion of nutrition gardening helps the community

to build their confidence in organic farming to enhance their nutritional availability and will

reduce the dependency.

Aim of the project

Develop demonstration and replicable kitchen Gardens to ensure nutritious intake for the

families
Selection of families

I have called meeting for 10 families in the Kayalam ward No.17 on 28.02.2020 , out of 10

families ,8 family members were present in the meeting. In the meeting it was explained that

the aim of this project is to ensure balanced diet to the malnourished and poor families. The

project is to inculcate preventive health care habits among rural people, nutritious food intake

will be a prominent part of this program. In the meetings the present food intake and its effect

on the body was discussed and also discussed about various diseases and health disorders

caused by insufficient diet.

After the selection of beneficiaries, we provided instructions on kitchen garden, such as

1. Selection of area- Choose a location for the garden that has plenty of sun, ample space

and close proximity to your house or water source.

2. Select your veggies

3. Prepare the soil.

4. Check planting dates.

5. Plant the seeds.

6. Add water

7. Keep the weeds out.

Preparation of organic manure, pesticides and insecticides

1. Jeeavamrutham

2. Compost preparation

3. Fish tonic

4. Vermi compost preparation

 5. pukayila kashayam

6. vilakkukeni

After the training five families started vegetable cultivation in their courtyard. In order to

ensure nutrition security to the households, it is proposed to promote backyard organic

nutrition gardening. The following personnel for the kitchen garden project.

1. Kadeeja

2. Ayisha Meledath

3. Kalyani

4. Sreeja Vadakkedath

5. Janaki

6. Sunitha

7. Amminiamma

8. Prasanna

We have provided seeds that collected from Vegetables and Fruit promotion council Kerala.

The house hold should have at least 4 varieties of vegetables (Tomato, Lady Fingers, Brinjal,

and cow pea) along with perennial plants such as Muringa, Pappaya,

There has been overwhelming response from the villages to this program. Still with the

support of local people only needy families were selected to participate in the program.

The farmers are successfully cultivated vegetable for their daily use. The family members and

neighbours to see the bumper harvest from this kitchen garden. Apart from above mentioned

vegetables cauliflower, beans, cowpeas and bottle gourd also tried to cultivate here.
Pictures of Vegetable garden at Kayalam
Conclusion

The farmers who practice conventional farming methods uses synthetic chemicals to control

pests and weeds and also applies large amount of chemical fertilizers to improve the

productivity. These practices created so many ill effects on environment and health of human

beings. The contamination of water sources, declining fertility of soil, loss of natural

biological features of plants are major environmental problems. More than these

environmental problems, immense health problems are arising from the consumption of

chemical contaminated food items. The consumption of chemical fertiliser and pesticides

applied vegetables and fruits increase the incidence of certain diseases, including some types

of cancer.

From this project I have learned, the importance of a kitchen garden A kitchen garden ensures

an inexpensive, regular and handy supply of fresh vegetables which are basic to nutrition.

The green vegetables contain vitamins and minerals which protect us against diseases.