Blog - AuroOrchard

Recipe Alert!ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ

Golden milk is a good start in the morning. It’s good for gut bacteria and has a lot of benefits. Home » Blog » Recipe Alert Golden milk (turmeric milk) June 01, 2025 · Natalia Why Golden milk? Golden milk is a good start in the morning. It’s good for gut bacteria and has a lot of benefits. Golden milk is a traditional Indian drink that people make with turmeric, which gives it a yellow or gold hue. Golden milk may have several health benefit Boosting the immune system Preventing cell damage Improving mood supporting brain function and improving memo Preventing heart disease Possibly reducing the risk of cancer Lowering blood sugar levels Lowering blood sugar levels Boosting the immune system Improving bone health Aiding digestion How to make it? To make golden milk, a person will need: ½ cup non dairy milk, such as coconut or almond milk 1 tsp turmeric 1 tbsp grated fresh ginger or 1/2 tsp ginger powder 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon 1 pinch ground black pepper (optional) 1 tsp honey Star anise cinemon 1 tsp moringa powder I just add moringa and star anise because I have access to it and it’s healthy – you can add what you feel for. Combine all the ingredients in a pot. Next, bring the mixture to the boil, then reduce to a simmer. Let the mixture simmer for about 10 minutes or until it is fragrant. To serve, strain the mixture through a fine strainer to remove the spices. Golden milk will keep in the refrigerator for around 5 days.https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/ Previous ArticleNext Article Featured Articles Abundance Product of the Month 22 Oct 2025 Monthly Updatesㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ 22 Oct 2025 Lessons from Auroville Farm Assessment 2023 22 Oct 2025 Recipe Alert!ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ 22 Sep 2025

FARMACYㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ

According to Ayurveda, the qualities of summer are hot, sharp, and penetrating. That’s why our Home » Blog » Farmacy FARMACY June 01, 2025 · Dr. Be TIME TO SUMMERNATE Ayurveda healthy tips According to Ayurveda, the qualities of summer are hot, sharp, and penetrating. That’s why our pitta dosha – the subtle fire that controls metabolism and transformation – can cause us to overheat. The sun saps the energy from the body, from the plants and the earth, increasing heat and dryness. Pitta needs to be looked after to maintain a good energy, mental clarity, joyfulness, good digestion and blood circulation, a beautiful glow of the skin and a sound sleep. When Pitta is out of balance it will give skin problems, hot flashes, exhaustion, indigestion or loose stool. Emotionally, excess Pitta manifests through irritation, short-temper, impatience, judgement/criticism, perfectionism… Before Pitta reaches uncontrollable heights, remain cool, calm and pamper the liver: With the food: As Agni (digestive fire) weakens, it is better to eat light, unctuous (slightly oily), cooling food such as salads and juices. Favorable taste: Bitter taste, Sweet taste (to take moderately in case of diabetes and high triglycerides). Salty taste should be taken reasonably Drink water stored in earthen pot Raw food/salads are taken at lunch mainly Proteins: mungdal, chickpeas, beans, sprouts, nuts and seeds, non-veg: white meat, fish, seashell, dairies for breakfast or lunch, eggs Cereals for energy: jasmine rice, barley, red rice, millet (fermented ragi) Vegetables: pumpkin, bittergourd, bottlegourd, snakegourd, ashgourd, cucumber (taken separately), salads, green leafy vegetables, broccoli, cabbage, celery, carrots, drumstick (moringa), zucchini, plantain Fruits: amla, pomegranate, banana, ramphala, chiku, papaya, apple, grape, date, watermelon and melon (to be taken separately), coconut Beverages: buttermilk, sweet lassi, coconut water, mint, lemongrass, cardamom, chamomile, nannari (sarsaparilla), amla juice, watermelon juice, vegetable juice, cucumber milk (blend ½ cup of peeled cucumber in 1 cup of milk – cow or other veg milk- with a pinch of sugar), electrolyte (1 lemon juice + 1tsp of sugar + 1 pinch salt in a glass of water), Lipids: ghee, olive or sunflower or coconut oil Spices: cumin, coriander, black pepper, turmeric, fennel seeds, fresh aromatic herbs (dill, coriander, fennel, mint, parsley, saffron) Avoid: Pungent and sour tastes (especially for people who are Pitta dominant) Pitta increasing items: chillies, fermented food (apart from idli and dosai), deep-fried, sour buttermilk or curd, red meat, alcohol (strong liquor, red wine), coffee … Drinking beverages coming from the fridge or freezer during meals Ice-cream at the end of a meal (best to be taken when the digestion is finished, around 4pm) Routine to favour: Avoid direct sun contact specially between 11am and 4pm, and protect from the heat by keeping a humid towel/cap on the head A nap of half an hour after lunch is allowed Body massage with coconut oil – if there’s no time every day to apply oil on the body, then massage ears, hands and feet + pour 4-5 drops of coconut oil on the fontanelle Bath with cool water and apply a paste of sandalwood on the face, heart and lower abdomen (these are the 3 main parts that should remain fresh to maintain the coolness in the whole body); foot bath in the evening with vetiver roots, rose water or hibiscus flowers Swimming, aquagym, any water activities. Qi-Gong, Tai Chi, light running: max 30 minutes early morning or late evening; walks in green environment, forest Soft yoga, pranayama (Sheetali, Sheetakari, ida nadi inhalation-left nostril inhalation), meditation with Gayatri mantra Walk under the moonlight, full moon bath Wear loose and comfortable cotton or linen clothes (white, blue, green, gray colours) Cooling jewellery: sandalwood beads, jade, pearl, amethyst crystals, moonstone, silver, aquamarine To refresh the ambiance use lemon or orange peel, jasmine flowers, lavender, wet cloth hanging at the open window, vetiver curtains Cooling plants for the summer: Amalaki – Amla: refrigerant and full of Vitamin C, rejuvenative fruit Aloe vera: rejuvenates blood and tissues Aegle Marmelos – Bael fruit: make juice from the pulp and decoction with leaves, it calms body and mind. It is slightly laxative, do not take during pregnancy Coriander: seeds soaked in water for urinary infections, kidney weakness Red Hibiscus: leaves and flowers for shampoo and conditioner; flowers for herbal tea Manduka parni – Centella asiatica leaves: rejuvenative and tonic for brain and nerves Pudina – Mint leaves: herbal tea or dishes Radha consciousness – Clitoria Terneata flowers: herbal tea or juice Sarsaparilla – Nannari syrup: soothing and cooling Shataavari – Asparagus racemosus: cooling, calming Pitta, very good for Vata women to harmonize hormones Vetiver roots: for bathing Yashtimadhu – Licorice: to refresh the body and to calm irritation, inflammation or ulcer in the digestive tract Let’s be all well, happy and healthy.Be at Santé Clinic Previous ArticleNext Article Featured Articles Monthly Updatesㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ 19 Sep 2025 Abundance Product of the Month 18 Sep 2025 Recipe Alert!ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ 22 Sep 2025 Food and Agriculture in Auroville, India 18 Sep 2025

Exploring a natural way of farming

For two weeks in February, life at AuroOrchard has been documented by Taisiia Latypova, a volunteer from Russia. Being a biologist major and a photography enthusiast, Taisiia took a snapshot of the farm’s life and summarized the main techniques used at AuroOrchard. Such work can be helpful for future volunteers and brings a new perspective of the farm for those who have worked or are working here. — AuroOrchard is the oldest farm of Auroville, established back in 1968, and the second-largest farm, currently occupying 25 acres of land. It supplies Auroville with vegetables, fruits and poultry, being a year-long supplier for the Auroville community, participating in the evolution of consciousness. The latter began with the work of Sri Aurobindo and The Mother. Home » Blog » Exploring a natural way of farming Exploring a natural way of farming Mar 20, 2025 · Taisiia Latypova For two weeks in February, life at AuroOrchard has been documented by Taisiia Latypova, a volunteer from Russia. Being a biologist major and a photography enthusiast, Taisiia took a snapshot of the farm’s life and summarized the main techniques used at AuroOrchard. Such work can be helpful for future volunteers and brings a new perspective of the farm for those who have worked or are working here. — AuroOrchard is the oldest farm of Auroville, established back in 1968, and the second-largest farm, currently occupying 25 acres of land. It supplies Auroville with vegetables, fruits and poultry, being a year-long supplier for the Auroville community, participating in the evolution of consciousness. The latter began with the work of Sri Aurobindo and The Mother. From the perspective of The Mother: “work, even manual work, is something indispensable for inner discovery. If we do not work, if we do not put our consciousness into matter, matter will never develop. To allow the consciousness to organize a little matter by means of one’s body is very good. To create order around us helps to create order within us” (“To be a true Aurovillian”, The Mother, 1970). In this sense, coming to Auroville even for a short period of time, one should consider volunteering or participating in workshops to introduce consciousness into matter. Being a biologist and sincerely enjoying putting my hand to planting, farming experience was the best option for me to support the spiritual experience with manual work. In line with sustainable farming, at AuroOrchard farmers are constantly experimenting with farming techniques and finding new ways for optimization of vegetables, fruits and chicken eggs production, at the same time maintaining a balance between natural processes and manmade agriculture. Methods of plant farming, which are used at the farm, can roughly be broken down to composting, soil preparation, planting, irrigation, pests’ managing, harvesting and pruning. Some of these techniques will be briefly discussed below. The life of a plant starts with a seed. Most vegetables’ and fruits’ seeds (about 90%) at AuroOrchard are saved. Only a few plant species’ seeds, which haven’t yet been grown on the farm, are bought outside, such as cacao recently. Some of the seeds are being saved at the farm continuously for over 40 years! Any seed is needed to be planted in a soil rich in nutrients. Soil composition may vary greatly, depending on a desired crop. At AuroOrchard, the nursery soil is made “from scratch” and is composed of garden soil, compost and coco-peat. The compost is made on the farm itself near the cows and it has to be rich in nitrogen and carbon in different proportions. The soil at AuroOrchard is bronze in color and quite soft to touch. Working with such soil, which hasn’t been simply put into a package and shipped from another region, or even country, is a true pleasure. The main source of nitrogen is organic matter. Atmospheric nitrogen is fixed either by free-living bacteria in a soil or by symbiotic bacteria (Rhizobium), which live in root nodules of legumes and exchange nitrogen with carbohydrates from plants. When a plant dies, it is decomposed by bacteria and fungi, which release nitrogen in the form of ammonium into the soil, enriching it. Ammonium is then sequentially transformed into nitrite and nitrate, and the latter can readily be reabsorbed by plants. The other source of nitrogen is cow dung and urine. The main sources of carbon are dry leaves, chipped wood and wood from regularly done pruning, as well as green manure. Green manure is a fast-growing crop which is grown to be incorporated back into the soil for adding organic matter to it. It is a good source of both nitrogen and carbon, whose proportions may vary depending on which green manure is being used. Old forests have soil high in carbon and its microbiota are fungi dominated, however grassfields are nitrogen-enriched with a bacteria-dominated microbiota. To prepare the soil, green manure is grown in a desired place to be then plowed into the soil just before it starts blooming. The latter is crucial, as flowers, being reproductive organs of plants, tend to accumulate all the nutrients. Such cycle is repeated 2-3 times, till the soil is ready for fruits and vegetables planti At AuroOrchard, the method of soil enrichment was optimized by using a tractor with a disc harrow, which goes through green manure and digs up the soil at a shallow depth, so the plants fall down to be further decomposed. The same method can be used for seeds planting. Such an approach can be included in no-till farming, which is aimed to minimize soil disturbance. Conventional plowing leads to oxidation of soil nutrients and disturbance of soil structure, e.g. micro-, meso- and macropores, bacterial colonies, fungal hyphae and soil aggregates. Even though using the tractor might not seem natural, it is about a balance between benefiting from technological progress and being organic and sustainable. To my belief, achievements of science and engineering might benefit organic farming in a way of making it even more sustainable. By using modern technologies mindfully farmers can

Volunteer reflectionㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ

DIY Self-Care Workshop at AuroOrchard

This month at AuroOrchard, we hosted a hands-on DIY self-care workshop exploring ways to create natural, eco-friendly products that benefit both our bodies and the environment. Participants learned how to make everyday essentials like creams, deodorants, bug repellents, soaps, and chapsticks using simple, natural ingredients. Home » Blog » DIY Self-Care Workshop at AuroOrchard: Learning to Care for Ourselves and the Planet DIY Self-Care Workshop at AuroOrchard: Learning to Care for Ourselves and the Planet Mar 14, 2025 · Amber Hill & Natalie Rodriguez This month at AuroOrchard, we hosted a hands-on DIY self-care workshop, exploring ways to create natural, eco-friendly products that benefit both our bodies and the environment. Participants learned how to make everyday essentials like creams, deodorants, bug repellents, soaps, and chapsticks using simple, natural ingredients. We delved into the world of essential oils, discussing their benefits and how they can be used for skincare and wellness. From lavender for soothing skin to tea tree for its antibacterial properties, each oil brought its own unique healing touch. We also explored various extraction methods, including oil infusions, alcohol tinctures, grinding/maceration, and distillation, to unlock the medicinal properties of plants. A highlight of the workshop was a farm walk, where we identified local plants that could be used in our homemade products. Inspired by nature, we returned to our workspace and got creative, crafting herbal-infused creams and natural deodorants. The hands-on experience was both empowering and fun, sparking enthusiasm among participants who were eager to continue their self-care journey. The workshop was a great success, fostering a sense of community and a deeper connection to the natural world. Many participants expressed interest in staying in touch to share recipes, ideas, and inspiration. We look forward to hosting more sessions like this in the future! Previous ArticleNext Article Featured Articles Monthly Updatesㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ 19 Sep 2025 Abundance Product of the Month 18 Sep 2025 Recipe Alert – Stir Fried Sweet Potato leaves with Tofu 22 Sep 2025 Food and Agriculture in Auroville, India 18 Sep 2025

FARMACY: Ayurveda and the use of TURMERIC

Late summer, with its amount of rains, brings lots of humidity and dampness in the air that affect the body and its Dosha in many different ways: Pitta ferments and shows signs of Home » Blog » Farmacy: Ayurveda and the use of TURMERIC FARMACY: Ayurveda and the use of TURMERIC Anti-inflammatory and anti-oxydant Mar 13, 2025 · Be@Sante Clinic The harvest season of Turmeric is slowly coming to an end. The fresh plant comes at the right time to support our health during Spring when Kapha toxins (cold, heavy, sticky, slimy, viscous, stagnant) need to be expelled from the body otherwise they create a state of fermentation (bloating in the belly), stagnation (swelling in some parts of the body), inflammations (in body tissues and joints), leading to hayfever, allergies, cold, cough with mucus, mild fever. Healthy Kapha in our body is felt in our immunity and helps to resist any external factors, viruses or unhealthy bacteria, it keeps our respiratory system clean and clear and brings strength, endurance and perseverance in the energy, it is warm and generous at heart, soft and kind in its words. Turmeric is a great plant that helps Kapha to maintain its best potential. Here some uses: Early morning, to boost energy and immunity (at Kapha time – between 6am and 10am): drink hot water with some fresh turmeric, fresh ginger and a lemon juice As appetizer for lunch, to stimulate the gastric enzymes for a better digestion: one tsp of fresh turmeric grinded with fresh ginger, lemon juice and a pinch of salt (the mix can be kept in the fridge for some weeks) As digestive, to stimulate the digestion or get rid of heaviness, bloating or indigestion: mix of ginger powder, turmeric powder and black pepper powder (= Be No1), take ½ tsp in a sip of warm water after a meal or anytime when feeling heavy or stuck in the digestion In case of hayfever, allergies, cold and cough with mucus: ½ tsp of turmeric powder or 1 tsp of turmeric flakes with lemon juice and honey, before any meals. An ayurvedic preparation for Kapha allergies (hives, dermatitis, rhinitis, itching, fungal infection) is called Haridrakhanda (it contains turmeric as main ingredient) – 1 tsp twice a day before meals. For sore throat and mucus in sinuses or throat: gargle with hot water, salt and a pinch of turmeric As anti-inflammatory for joints: take 1 Tbsp of sesame or olive or coconut oil + 1 flat tsp of turmeric powder + 1 pinch of black pepper – once or twice daily before meals and apply daily a mix of castor oil and shallaki oil on the painful jointAnti-inflammatory in general: a mix turmeric powder, ginger powder and fenugreek powder (= Be No4), take ½ tsp in warm water early morning To purify the blood and clear the skin of ailments, rashes, prickly heat: mix of turmeric powder or flakes with neem powder and black pepper powder (= Be No2): ½ tsp in warm water twice a day before meals for 2 to 3 months. This great plant (fresh, sun-dried or powdered) is available at AuroOrchard and some other places in Auroville. Nature’s gift to end spring and start summer in the most harmonious way.Take good care and be well Previous ArticleNext Article Featured Articles Monthly Updatesㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ 19 Sep 2025 Abundance Product of the Month 18 Sep 2025 Recipe Alert – Stir Fried Sweet Potato leaves with Tofu 22 Sep 2025 Food and Agriculture in Auroville, India 18 Sep 2025

The hydrological cost of growing our food

In my last note, I shared about the economic paradigm that is taking us towards a ‘world without agriculture.’ I would like to explore this economic paradigm a little more by isolating the costs of the food that we grow. Let’s take water as the first one. As per several studies, agriculture accounts for about 70% of all freshwater use globally. This number is more than 80% in a country like India where over 50% of the population is still engaged in agriculture. Within Auroville, farms (perhaps along with Matrimandir) are the biggest users of freshwater. The challenges of groundwater depletion, rampant use of free electricity borewells in the bioregion for non-edible crops like casuarina and other fast-growing timber, the beginnings of salination of groundwater and so on offer an opportunity to us to reflect on the hydrological cost of growing food and how can we not only reduce our water consumption but, perhaps what I think is more important to focus on, optimize the use of water in agriculture. Home » Blog » The hydrological cost of growing our food The hydrological cost of growing our food Mar 11, 2025 · Anshul Aggarwal In my last note, I shared about the economic paradigm that is taking us towards a ‘world without agriculture.’ I would like to explore this economic paradigm a little more by isolating the costs of the food that we grow. Let’s take water as the first one. As per several studies, agriculture accounts for about 70% of all freshwater use globally. This number is more than 80% in a country like India where over 50% of the population is still engaged in agriculture. Within Auroville, farms (perhaps along with Matrimandir) are the biggest users of freshwater. The challenges of groundwater depletion, rampant use of free electricity borewells in the bioregion for non-edible crops like casuarina and other fast-growing timber, the beginnings of salination of groundwater and so on offer an opportunity to us to reflect on the hydrological cost of growing food and how can we not only reduce our water consumption but, perhaps what I think is more important to focus on, optimize the use of water in agriculture. There are different ways of thinking about what we should grow and what we can grow depending on people’s preference and the weightage we can give to the ecological and social costs of growing food. Should something be grown only because it’s easier to grow, or because it is more water efficient, or because people really ask for it, or it is less labour intensive and so on. The answer to these questions is never black and white and they change from situation to situation and from time to time. For instance, farmers cannot impose water efficiency over people’s preference for a certain kind of food. At the same time farmers cannot simply chase what the market demands, prioritizing it over its ecological costs. Flood irrigation Flowering Avocado tree A classic case for this is Avocado. It is common knowledge that Avocado is a water guzzling crop. AuroOrchard received its first Avocado seeds from the Mother herself in the early 70s. These we now call the Mother trees. From these trees, many more trees have been planted at AuroOrchard as well as outside. These Avocados are some of the best that we can find in the region, some would say anywhere. There is a huge demand for these Avocados in Auroville and also the Ashram community. Should we be planting more Avocado knowing that we can grow them well? Or should we turn our heads and let people buy Avocados from Pondy market which are nowhere near as good and definitely have a higher ecological cost. Again, the answer is not straightforward and we need to find a balance. We have planted more Avocado trees in the last year but we are exploring how Avocados can be grown with other fruit crops so that water can be used optimally. In such a scenario, the hydrological cost of Avocado gets distributed to many other crops that are growing with it. However, such a solution would then add to the management costs of the system and perhaps the management is even more costly since water for the moment is free. Therefore, if farmers are delegated with the responsibility of conserving our natural resources while farming, there are costs associated with conservation as well and these are to be borne collectively. The hydrological costs of water must not be seen only as the cost of water used to grow food but also the cost to the farmer to be water-wise, to protect the water-source, to optimise farming within the water resource they are entrusted with. Avocados growing with Papayas Previous ArticleNext Article Featured Articles Abundance Product of the Month 22 Oct 2025 Monthly Updatesㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ 22 Oct 2025 Lessons from Auroville Farm Assessment 2023 22 Oct 2025 Recipe Alert!ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ 22 Sep 2025

Recipe Alert!ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ

An ordinary omelette with some not-so-ordinary additions, both telling the story of a farm and how it functions except you’d have to take several bites and think on all the different taste-textures that meet your tongue Home » Blog » Recipe Alert! Rocket & Agathi Omelette Feb 14, 2025 · Deepa Reddy An ordinary omelette with some not-so-ordinary additions, both telling the story of a farm and how it functions except you’d have to take several bites and think on all the different taste-textures that meet your tongue—the creaminess of fresh farm eggs; the soft, layered, lightly bitter bite of the petals of Sesbania grandiflora flowers (agathipoo in Tamil), the crunch of onions and the sharpest burst of rucola flavor—to know what I mean. Rocket grows bountifully in AuroOrchard in this season. A few leaves pep and omelette as you see or a sandwich, a few more make a rocket-lifting salad or a pesto, and even more are a simple addition to the humble sambar. True, it’s a pity to cook arugula, but when there’s more than we can use that’s exactly what we do. Thought sambar was just an idli accompaniment? Nah. It’s the medium through which to consume all kinds of usual and unusual ingredients. And rocket has all the virtues of cruciferous vegetables (think: broccoli, kale, brussels sprouts) plus being from your local Auroville farm. It’s also said to reduce insulin resistance, which means it’s good for diabetics and better for general nutrition. Rocket is the cultivated half of this story, agathi flowers are its wilder counterpart, bountiful in this season, too. The trees are a nitrogen-fixing barrier between two planting areas. Locals know the greens as potently medicinal, eaten infrequently to keep GI tract in good health; they’re usually cattle fodder. The flowers are gentler but pack a nutritional punch: high in Calcium, protein, vitamins A and C plus a range of trace minerals the body needs to stay in good overall health. And if not on an omelette, then stir-fried with beans! So, the wild and the cultivated, the raw and the cooked, the bitter and the sweet, the sharp and the creamy—everything in their right proportions for good health and happiness! Previous ArticleNext Article Featured Articles Monthly Updatesㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ 19 Sep 2025 Abundance Product of the Month 18 Sep 2025 Recipe Alert!ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ 22 Sep 2025 Food and Agriculture in Auroville, India 18 Sep 2025

What’s in seasonㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ

Rucola, also called Arugula, is very tasty and delicious. And Auroorchard offers fresh organic Rucola of the best quality. You can eat it raw in salad, pizza, wraps etc. This green nutrient dense food is high in fiber and phytochemicals. Home » Blog » What’s in season What’s in season Feb 07, 2025 · Fresh Arugula from Auroorchard · Natalie A Rodriguez Rucola, also called Arugula, is very tasty and delicious. And Auroorchard offers fresh organic Rucola of the best quality. You can eat it raw in salad, pizza, wraps etc. This green nutrient dense food is high in fiber and phytochemicals. It has several vital nutrients including.Arugula is a member of the Brassica, or Cruciferous, family. This classification includes mostly cruciferous vegetables, such as Brussels sprouts, kale, cauliflower, and broccoli. Fresh Arugula salad with tomatoes, olives oils and pomegranate, and so healthy and delicious. Harmony is the key for me. As I joined the management core team of the farm years ago, I discovered the incredible perspectives of what we call “the others”. The difficulties to communicate between different cultures and backgrounds when you have no clue, when you don’t know the codes. I could really sense the various parameters related to the local culture and get rid of many of my conditionings, beliefs. Rucola Has benefits like Calcium, Potassium, Folate, Vitamin C, Vitamin K and Vitamin A. Some research associates a high intake of cruciferous vegetables, like arugula, with a lower risk of cancers, including cancers of breast, bladder, lungs, and prostate. (Source: https://www.healthline.com/) Previous ArticleNext Article Featured Articles Monthly Updatesㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ 19 Sep 2025 Abundance Product of the Month 18 Sep 2025 Recipe Alert!ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ 22 Sep 2025 Food and Agriculture in Auroville, India 18 Sep 2025

Unravelling Auroville’s food system

I arrived at AuroOrchard in the summer of 2023, intending to help farms produce more food for Auroville. Mostly I wanted to be closer with people passionate about the same. Home » Blog » Unravelling Auroville’s food system Unravelling Auroville’s food system Jan 31, 2025 · Nidhin Anand I arrived at AuroOrchard in the summer of 2023, intending to help farms produce more food for Auroville. Mostly I wanted to be closer with people passionate about the same. By this time I had already spent a few years working on 2 other farms and supported farm-group-related coordination work. Over the years of interacting with farmers, distributors, and consumers, I realized that the Auroville system is complex and that there isn’t a community-mandated framework and policy to create a conscious food system. Most farms were on their own to support themselves and lacked vision. Production increments in large established farms were hindered by challenges relating to the organizational model of distribution, human resources, accountability structures, and lack of capital funded through the BCC budget. Despite this, I noticed that Aurovillians deeply appreciate Auroville-grown food and that much work could be done within the current system. While I don’t see Auroville farms producing most of Aurovile’s needs due to ecological constraints and dietary habits, I see that there is scope for setting up farming systems to produce many valuable crops and create a fair economy around them. I soon realized that this would require a concerted effort from farmers, distributors, working groups, and other food actors in Auroville toward a common vision. The ‘coming together’ remains an aspiration and a work in progress. This month, I joined Foodlink, the main distribution center of Auroville, after seeing that current frameworks regarding standards of production, pricing, and production planning needed reforms AuroOrchard has helped me see what ecological and social possibilities lie within a 25-acre farming system within Auroville’s geographical context. It helps me ask and answer important questions such as ‘Can we grow all the food we need in Auroville?” and “What is stopping Auroville farms from producing more? The answers I found were complex and included a large share of human behavioral challenges alongside organizational blockages. However, I now see that the tropics offer enormous ecological dynamism and we have the possibility to cultivate a lot more than today’s capacities. This invitation largely remains unresponded. Next Article Featured Articles Monthly Updatesㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ 19 Sep 2025 Abundance Product of the Month 18 Sep 2025 Recipe Alert!ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ 22 Sep 2025 Food and Agriculture in Auroville, India 18 Sep 2025