Experiments with…

My first weeks at AuroOrchard have been a mix of discoveries, challenges, and moments of reflection. Coming to India to live and work on a farm has allowed me to experience a different rhythm of life and to start seeing everyday things Home  »  Blog  »  Experiments with Shumei Natural Farming Experiments with Shumei Natural Farming October 2026 · Sean Kuwata, Junta & Anshul Aggarwal In February 2026, Anshul approached the Shumei Natural Farming team to better understand their philosophy and practices. A series of exchanges led to a visit to AuroOrchard by Kenichi-san and Vishal from the Shumei India team, based in Mumbai. During their visit, they introduced the farm team to Shumei’s philosophy and approach to natural agriculture. As a step towards exploring this approach more deeply, AuroOrchard offered to host trials of Shumei natural farming. Anshul also met with Shumei practitioners online to learn more about their experiences and how they put the philosophy into practice. The intention behind these exchanges is to learn from Shumei’s philosophy and methods, explore their relevance to the farm, and see how agriculture in Auroville can continue to develop through dialogue with ideas and practices from across the world. A brief explanation of Shumei Shumei is a spiritual organisation founded in Japan in 1970. We have three main practices – Jyorei healing, the appreciation of art and beauty, and natural agriculture – for the creation of a world free from sickness, poverty, and strife. As we share the ideal of Sri Aurobindo, human unity, we strive to hold hands despite our differences, for future generations – aiming to become “World Citizens”. About Natural Agriculture This farming method was discovered by Mokichi Okada in Japan, who is the founder of Shumei. Realising that pesticides and fertilizers harm the body, he experimented with this farming method – having deep respect and concern for nature. After the success of the experiment, this farming method has been spreading ever since. Now there are many farmers throughout the world, especially in Japan, who practice this method, achieving wonderful results. The quote below by Mokichi Okada is the discoveries of this experiment. “Used over a period of time, there will not be any need to spend money on fertilizers. Pest damage, such as from insects or parasites, will be reduced to a fraction of what it is now, and damage from wind and water will decrease by more than fifty percent.  Also, especially noteworthy is the delicious flavor of the crops grown by this natural approach. Once you taste the rice, wheat, and vegetables grown in this manner, you will become unwilling to eat anything grown with the aid of fertilizer. Fruit also improves greatly in quality after one stops giving the plant or tree man-made fertilizer. The blooms of flowering plants also grow larger and more beautiful, and if they are used for ikebana (the Japanese art of flower arrangement), they do not wither for a long time—a feature which brings much pleasure. The Natural Agricultural approach also brings a drastic decrease in the amount of insect damage. Noxious insects increase as a result of an increase in the use of fertilizers, and it is therefore only natural that if we get rid of the fertilizers, the pests will go with them.” Seen from the discovery above, almost every aspect of crops and even flowers have a drastic improvement when it is practiced through natural agriculture. Next is the reasoning of the decrease of pest damage and the improved roots of natural agriculture plants. “Damage from wind and water occurs almost every year. If you use the Natural Agricultural methods, you will find that this damage decreases noticeably. This is because when the original crops absorb fertilizers, they become extremely weak from the poisoning caused by the absorption of these fertilizers. I have also discovered that this poison provides an attractive diet for pests. Furthermore, these pests can actually be generated by fertilizers, and then, of course, they eat the crops and multiply. Once they appear in the roots, these pests are sure to devastate the root hairs and leave the plant weak and sickly. This process is the cause of withered leaves, drooping or bent stalks, falling blooms, fruit that does not ripen, and such things as yellow dwarf potatoes. Many types of pests also establish themselves in places other than root hairs, but a healthy plant has the capacity to overcome them. If, however, the plant has been weakened by absorbing fertilizer, it is too feeble to resist and is destroyed. When a naturally grown plant encounters wind and rain, it is tough enough to resist being beaten down. The reason for the difference is obvious if we examine the roots. The natural plant has root hairs that are longer and thicker than those of the fertilized plant, and as a consequence are more firmly rooted.” Here is an argument by Mokichi Okada regarding soil and fertilisers. “One point I must stress concerns the properties of the soil. Soil was made by the Creator in order to produce crops to nourish and sustain humans and animals. Therefore, its essential nature is that of a fertilizer. We could even say that it is no less than a great mass of fertilizer. This fact has been unknown before today, and people have mistakenly assumed that fertilizer provides nourishment to crops, and therefore have used all sorts of fertilizers. As a result, the essential nature of the soil has been almost destroyed. Consequently, if you want to increase crop yield, you must strengthen the soil itself as much as possible. To do this, you must avoid mixing anything impure into the soil; you must use only natural compost. That is, you must purify the soil as much as possible, and this will be enough to ensure wonderfully good results. This approach is so revolutionary that a mind sucked in the past can never grasp it.” “The center of the earth is a huge ball of fire

Learning from the Land

My first weeks at AuroOrchard have been a mix of discoveries, challenges, and moments of reflection. Coming to India to live and work on a farm has allowed me to experience a different rhythm of life and to start seeing everyday things Home  »  Blog  » Learning from the Land  Learning from the Land October 2026 · Rahul Tola & Charan GP From 14–16 August 2026, at Pebble Garden and AuroOrchard, we explored ecological restoration, farming, seed saving, food and our relationship with the land. Learning from the Land brought together practical work, walks and conversations, with opportunities to connect ideas with what we could observe and try ourselves. We had a wonderful group of people interested in this work. Some were just beginning to explore farming, some already had land, and others came with well-developed projects. There was joy in being together as a learning community, sharing our experiences, challenging our assumptions and opening ourselves to learning from each other. Land, ecology and culture We began by looking at the relationship between landscape and culture through Ainthinai, the five ecological landscapes described in the Tamil Sangam tradition. Each brings together particular plants, animals, occupations, foods and ways of life. This gave us a starting point for discussing how soil, rainfall and vegetation shape agriculture and how, over time, agricultural practices become part of a culture. At Pebble Garden, Bernard and Deepika shared their experience of working with land that once had exposed rock, gullies and very little topsoil. We looked at the contour bunds and small water bodies that helped slow and retain water, and the pioneer plants that established themselves in these conditions. We discussed the role of plants such as Dodonaea viscosa, Stylosanthes hamata and acacias and how they contributed biomass and shade, gradually creating conditions for other species to grow. Termites and monsoon flows also featured in the account of how soil had moved and accumulated across the site. Seeing these changes on the ground helped us understand the sequence of the work: what could be planted initially, what those plants made possible, and how the choices changed as the land recovered. The group at Pebble Garden Looking at the farm together At AuroOrchard, Rahul’s session on systems thinking helped us examine the relationships between different parts of the farm. We considered water, soil, plants, compost, people and markets, and how a decision in one area affects work elsewhere. What we plant, for example, depends on the season and soil, but also on the people available to care for it and where the harvest will go.   Anshul shared his developing ideas on integral agriculture, drawing on the physical, vital, mental, spiritual and psychic dimensions of Sri Aurobindo’s integral philosophy. We discussed how farming involves ecological conditions alongside labour, economics, technology, community and our own motivations and experiences. This opened questions about how we assess a farming practice. How do we understand something that works well ecologically but is difficult to sustain financially? What changes when we adopt a new technology? And how does working on the land affect the people involved? These conversations drew on the practical difficulties of running a farm, where different needs do not always fit neatly together. Farm walk with Anshul Working with soil and plants The practical sessions included working with beds, irrigation and plants. They gave us opportunities to relate the discussions to particular tasks: checking moisture, observing how water moves, looking at plant growth and deciding what attention was needed. We also explored soil care and composting, including the use of mulch, the return of organic matter and ways to avoid compaction. In discussing compost, we looked at how different materials, moisture and air contribute to decomposition, and what we need to pay attention to when managing a pile. Moving between discussion and work was useful. An explanation could give us a starting point, but applying it brought further questions. How wet is the soil below the surface? Is water reaching the roots? What are we noticing about a plant, and what might we need to observe for longer before acting? Food and the meals we shared Charan’s session on food and health brought the conversation to our eating habits and the relationships between food, culture and the body. We discussed how the history of what we eat continues to influence our meals, and considered the connections between everyday food choices and health.   The meals during the workshop included produce from AuroOrchard, grains from other Auroville farms and preparations drawing on Tamil food traditions. These gave us something concrete to connect with the discussions about crops, diversity and food culture. We also explored the diversity within familiar crops such as brinjal, alongside yams, winged beans and perennial leafy vegetables. This led to conversations about the relationship between conserving a variety, knowing how to grow it and continuing to use it in the kitchen. Session on food with Charan Saving seeds At Pebble Garden, we learned about Bernard and Deepika’s work conserving and sharing 136 varieties. The session covered seed viability, physical and genetic purity, pollination, and the use of isolation or hand pollination when maintaining particular varieties. We discussed how seed harvesting and processing differ between crops. Beans can be left to dry on the plant, while crops with seeds enclosed in fleshy fruit need different handling. Knowing when a seed is mature and how to prepare it for storage requires familiarity with the plant and attention over time. Their experience helped us appreciate the regular work involved in seed conservation: growing plants, observing them, selecting, harvesting, processing and sharing seeds so that the varieties continue to be cultivated. Continuing the learning Across the three days, we kept returning to the relationship between observation and action. At Pebble Garden, we could see changes built through years of work. At AuroOrchard, we encountered the ongoing decisions and uncertainties of a working farm. The practical sessions and conversations allowed us to examine both. We came away with questions to

Initiating the Centre for Mango Conservation…

We get asked this question quite a lot! As Permaculture becomes more and more popular and perhaps projected as a wonderful solution for diversity and abundance, it is a general perception that “being a Permaculture farm” is the next big innovation in farming. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Home  »  Blog  »  Initiating the Centre for Mango Conservation & Research Initiating the Centre for Mango Conservation & Research July 2026· Anshul Aggarwal​ & Charan GP This year’s abundant mango harvest has felt like an auspicious beginning to the work of establishing a Centre for Mango Conservation & Research at AuroOrchard. The orchard has offered mangoes in a remarkable range of shapes, colours, fragrances, flavours and textures. Some are well-known varieties, while others are local, distinctive or still unidentified trees that have grown at AuroOrchard for many years. The harvest has brought renewed attention to the diversity already present here and to the importance of documenting and conserving it. India has one of the richest mango traditions in the world. Across different regions, hundreds of varieties have been selected, named, cultivated and shared over generations. Each carries its own flavour, use, growing characteristics, cultural associations and relationship with a particular place. Yet this diversity is becoming less visible as markets increasingly favour a smaller number of standard commercial varieties. Over the next three years, we hope to develop AuroOrchard’s existing mango orchard into a living collection of more than 100 varieties. This will include local, heritage, rare, regional and traditional mangoes, along with important commercial varieties and promising seedling selections. Our mango orchard currently contains 210 trees and more than 15 known varieties. The main orchard blocks were first surveyed and mapped and the trees were numbered in 2022. We have again surveyed the orchard and the existing records are being updated. This year’s harvest has also allowed us to begin observing and recording the flavour, fragrance, texture, colour and ripening period of the different fruits. The project is being developed in collaboration with Shyju Machathi and the Nattu Manchottil Educational and Indigenous Fruit Plants Conservation and Research Trust in Kerala. Shyju and the Nattu Manchottil community have played an important role in identifying, conserving and propagating indigenous mango varieties. In recognition of this work, the community received the Plant Genome Saviour Community Award in 2021. Their experience in identifying varieties, collecting scion material, grafting, nursery development and community-based conservation will help guide the work at AuroOrchard. The proposed Centre will include a living mango diversity collection, a professional nursery for grafted plants, a research and documentation programme, and a learning space for farmers, students, volunteers, researchers and visitors. We also hope to organise mango walks, tastings, exhibitions, grafting workshops and other programmes that allow people to experience mango diversity directly. Through this Centre, we hope AuroOrchard can become a home for mango varieties that may otherwise be forgotten, and a place where this diversity can continue to be grown, tasted, studied, propagated and shared. Previous ArticleNext Article Featured Articles Dry Tropical Syntropic Agroforestry 30 Jul 2026 Initiating the Centre for Mango Conservation… 29 Jul 2026 Dry Tropical Syntropic Agroforestry 30 Jul 2026 Initiating the Centre for Mango Conservation… 29 Jul 2026

Natural Beekeeping and Apiary Project

In January 2026, Erik spent six days at MadhuSree Honeybee Farm in Kerala. The farm has over 45 years of experience and manages more than 2,000⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Home  »  Blog  »  Natural Beekeeping and Apiary Project Natural Beekeeping and Apiary Project July 2026 · Erik Jansegers & Anshul Aggarwal Between August 2025 and April 2026, AuroOrchard’s natural beekeeping project made significant progress towards developing a larger, resilient apiary and creating opportunities for learning about bees and small-scale honey harvesting. The project began in August 2025 with two main aims: to gradually expand the farm’s apiary to 100 hives, with the possibility of eventually reaching 200, and to offer workshops for farmers, students and people interested in natural beekeeping. Learning from experienced beekeepers In January 2026, Erik spent six days at MadhuSree Honeybee Farm in Kerala. The farm has over 45 years of experience and manages more than 2,000 colonies of the Indian hive bee, Apis cerana, and the stingless bee, Tetragonula iridipennis. The visit offered valuable practical learning in hive design, colony management, honey production, multiplication of colonies and the organisation of a professional beekeeping operation. It also helped inform the next stage of hive development at AuroOrchard. New hives and growing colonies Almost 30 new hives have been made using three designs developed and adapted by Erik: One Kenyan top-bar hive Five Warré hives Twenty-two stingless bee boxes designed for honey production These designs build on research and experimentation at AuroOrchard since 2015, together with Erik’s earlier beekeeping experience in France. The dimensions, ventilation, entrances and internal organisation of the hives are designed around the needs of the bees and the conditions of our region. The stingless bee boxes include a separate honey chamber, allowing honey to be collected with minimal disturbance to the brood area. The number of Apis cerana colonies at the farm has increased from three in 2025 to seven. The number of stingless bee colonies has grown from around fifteen to more than forty. The colonies are healthy and developing well. We are currently placing particular emphasis on stingless bees, which have shown themselves to be highly resilient in our local conditions. Expanding the apiary In February, the existing roofed apiary structure was extended and an old shed was repaired. Together, these spaces can eventually shelter between 100 and 200 stingless bee colonies. Honey harvesting is expected to begin in January 2027, during the main flowering season from December to March. The coming months will continue to focus on strengthening the colonies, observing the new hive designs and improving them through experience. Sharing the learning On 18 April 2026, AuroOrchard hosted a new three-and-a-half-hour workshop titled “The Secret Life of Honeybees: An Introduction to Natural Beekeeping.” Twenty-five people participated in the workshop, which introduced the lives of honeybees, the differences between bee species, hive design and the principles of working with bees in a respectful and attentive way. The response was very positive and encouraging. Natural beekeeping has been an area of exploration at AuroOrchard for more than ten years. This project is helping us deepen that work, create a strong home for bees at the farm and share what we are learning with a wider community. Previous ArticleNext Article Featured Articles Remembering the Beginnings…ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ 27 Aug 2026 Monthly Updatesㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ 26 Aug 2026 Remembering the Beginnings…ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ 27 Aug 2026 Words of appreciation…ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ 26 Aug 2026

The Story of How AuroOrchard Started…

In December last year, I wrote about the dilemmas of agriculture with animals. Home  »  Blog  »  The Story of How AuroOrchard Started Offering Meat The Story of How AuroOrchard Started Offering Meat July 2026 ·Madhuri Kadam & Anshul Aggarwal In December last year, I wrote about the dilemmas of agriculture with animals. In this post, we would like to share a little more about how these dilemmas play out in the context of the farm, and what we have been doing with our chickens. Inevitably, during any conversation about the activities of the farm, the question of chickens comes up. Do we need them on the farm? Aren’t Aurovilians supposed to avoid eating meat? Is this appropriate within a conscious community? Is it ethical to keep animals for food production? How is Auroville different if we also participate in animal farming, however well-managed it may be? Our sincere answer involves the following points: A large number of Aurovilians consume milk, eggs and meat for different reasons. At present, they have few sources of animal protein whose production conditions, feed, antibiotic use, animal welfare and traceability can be properly verified. As farmers, we feel responsible for engaging honestly with what the community is already eating and for trying to improve how that food is produced. If farms within Auroville withdraw completely from animal-food production, it does not necessarily mean that consumption will stop. Much of it will simply continue through outside systems over which we have very little knowledge or influence.   Our poultry also currently generates around half of the farm’s income and contributes significantly towards supporting vegetable and fruit production. If we stopped poultry within our present system, we would need to considerably expand horticultural production, increase prices, develop another dependable source of income, or reduce the activities of the farm.   Auroville is meant to be a field for exploring solutions that may have relevance for the wider world. Animals remain integral to the land, livelihoods, nutrition and farming systems of millions of households in India and elsewhere. If our agricultural solutions completely exclude animals, we may resolve one ethical contradiction while leaving many other agricultural realities unexplored. Expecting farmers to keep domesticated animals indefinitely without receiving food or livelihood from them is also economically unrealistic in many contexts. Our exploration is therefore not simply about whether animals should be present on farms, but about how these relationships can be transformed: how animals are cared for, what conditions they live in, how the food received from them is valued, and how responsibility is taken for their entire lives. Surely, there are counterpoints to each of these arguments. Auroville has a substantial vegan community, as well as many vegetarians by birth or by choice. For many people, this issue is deeply sensitive. For some, the ethical objection is fundamental: animals should not be used or killed for food under any circumstances. We take these objections seriously, even when we arrive at a different practical position. Our position has emerged from the particular realities of food production and consumption within Auroville. We do not claim that better animal welfare resolves the ethical contradiction of using and killing animals. We do feel, however, that as long as animal foods continue to be consumed, there is value in producing them locally, transparently and with greater care. Poultry has been part of AuroOrchard for around 45 years. During this time, it has moved from cages to deep litter and eventually to free-range systems, with the standards improving continuously. Free-range is not the panacea of poultry farming. It is the most responsible system that we currently know how to operate at the required scale within our present conditions. Can it be improved? Of course. We are trying every year to first come up to the best international standards within free-range, and hopefully then surpass those standards. Standards are minimum requirements, not the highest goals. This brings us to the question of what the goal should be. We feel that farmers cannot answer this on their own. As a community, we need to ask- What do we want our food to be? How do we want it to be grown? What standards are we prepared to support, even when they require more labour, infrastructure and money? In the last few years, we have made good progress in understanding the global free-range poultry ecosystem and connecting with people who can help us improve our work. We buy one-day-old chicks from a large commercial hatchery. This itself raises many questions and remains an unresolved part of our system. We have limited influence over the breeding system, the parent flocks and the wider hatchery process before the chicks arrive at the farm. Once the chicks arrive, however, we care deeply for them. They have enough time and space to move, scratch, forage, dust-bathe and express many of their natural behaviours. They are protected from predators and provided with appropriate shelter, feed and care. The difficult question arises when their egg production declines significantly, usually when they are around two years old. At this stage, we need to make space for a younger flock if the poultry activity is to continue. Until last year, we would announce that the older birds were available, and people from the neighbouring villages would come and take several birds at a time. Some would keep them for a while and receive the few eggs they continued to lay. Eventually, however, almost all the birds would be killed for food. It felt wrong to care for the birds for two years and then, once their role on the farm was over, hand them to someone else and distance ourselves from what happened next. We were outsourcing the killing while avoiding the consequences of our own farming decisions.    We felt that if we chose to keep birds for eggs, we also had to take responsibility for what happened when we decided to cull the flock. We also felt that if people in

Interview with Christian Tarpin, 2019

Following is an English translation of the French interview with Christian conducted by Emilie Ponceaud Goreau and Anthony Goreau Ponceaud and published in Open Edition of Journals, a French platform for the humanities and social sciences. Christian worked on the farm from 2012-2019, and was the key driver in  Home  »  Blog  »  Interview with Christian Tarpin, 2019 Interview with Christian Tarpin, 2019 May 2026 · Anshul Aggarwal​ Following is an English translation of the French interview with Christian conducted by Emilie Ponceaud-Goreau and Anthony Goreau-Ponceaud and published in Open Edition of Journals, a French platform for the humanities and social sciences. Christian worked on the farm from 2012-2019, and was the key driver in transitioning the farm to fully organic.  In this interview, he describes how he began his work at AuroOrchard and reflects on his ideas about agriculture, consumption, and creating a new relationship with the soil. Reference: Emilie Ponceaud-Goreau and Anthony Goreau-Ponceaud, “Entretien avec Christian Tarpin. Ferme AuroOrchard, 12 décembre 2019,” Les Cahiers d’Outre-Mer [online], 281 | January–June, published online January 1, 2022. URL : http://journals.openedition.org/com/11323 DOI : https://doi.org/10.4000/com.11323 Photograph 1: Christian Tarpin, originally trained as a civil engineer and urban planner specializing in mobility systems, is now a farmer at AuroOrchard, the historic farm of the Auroville community, founded by Gérard and Bithi in 1969. Photograph 2: The “Groundnut Field” and the First Cowshed of AuroOrchard What were your impressions upon arriving here? I discovered the farm on February 15, 2012, shortly after Cyclone Thane had passed through (December 31, 2011). It was devastated, yet I fell in love with it. Forty years of conventional agriculture had damaged it; the cultivation practices,  maintaining the soil bare and clean, ready to receive new crops, had destroyed its fertility. This is true in general, but even more so in this climate. On top of that, the cyclone had passed through and caused major damage. I still remember Gérard1 standing in front of the four hectares where there are 300 large mango trees, extending his hand and saying: “and there, the mango orchard”… and I could see nothing, the trees were so entangled, broken… The road entering it was not even visible anymore! But I also saw that Gérard had done incredible work. To what extent does the farm at AuroOrchard fit into the evolution of the local landscape? Hmm… To understand that, we will have to take quite a few detours… In fact, the climax ecosystem of this region is the Tropical Dry Evergreen Forest (TDEF)2. This country experiences intense sun and intense rains; only trees are strong enough to withstand and protect the soil from these aggressions. The region is also described as arid because evaporation exceeds precipitation. In reality, it is bistable: either one strips and damages the land and moves toward desert, or one protects and cares for it and moves toward forest. Agroforestry is therefore unavoidable… agriculture must navigate, oscillate between these two “temptations”: desert or forest. The history of this place is linked to that of Pondicherry. The city was built mainly out of wood, which explains the deforestation. It was also burned and rebuilt several times because of the quarrels between the English and the French. In the eighteenth century, the inhabitants also cleared a ten-kilometre “buffer zone” around the city to protect themselves from leopards and elephants. Auroville was established in this place, intentionally desertified by humans. The landscape evolved toward desertification, especially because cattle are left free to roam here; it is a local tradition. At the beginning of Auroville in the 1970s, the plateau was desert-like, though it nevertheless became green during the rainy season… The inhabitants had developed a rainfed agricultural system consisting of enclosing the fields at the end of spring in order to protect them from cows; they sowed as soon as the first rains of the small monsoon arrived in June, and harvested one or two crops. Afterwards, they opened the fields again, the animals ate the stalks, trampled the soil, deposited their excrement… This ecosystem was fragile; the older Aurovilians experienced sandstorms. Today only 2% of the original forest that once covered the eastern coastal strip of the Indian subcontinent remains. Most often, only the sacred groves around temples survive; when entering them, the presence of these old trees is striking, one can breathe there… It would take centuries to recreate this forest! The history of the landscape here has been deeply marked by human beings. It was once an extremely rich, wooded landscape, but today we continue moving toward the desert. When I arrived at AuroOrchard eight years ago, I had difficulty outlining the farm on Google Maps because the surroundings were still green. Today the green form of AuroOrchard emerges like an island of resistance, green amidst the red of exposed earth! We are still pushing the cursor toward desertification because this is an “economic development” zone, highly coveted along the highway… How did you come to take responsibility for the farm? I always had gardens; I was self-sufficient in vegetables, cultivating more than 1,000 square meters of land to feed my family. It was part of my life, but I had no training as a farmer, even less in tropical agriculture. At first, I considered myself an apprentice; I listened to Gérard, conducted small experiments, and continued the BRF3 approach that he had started in 2011. It was a very good direction, which I developed extensively. Bernard and Deepika4, the founders of Pebble Garden, the seed-conservation vegetable garden where I volunteered, encouraged me. I began here in February 2012, initially one day per week. I observed what was being done, learned their methods, and gradually became more and more involved. By October 2012 I was full-time, responsible for the vegetables… One day, because of an excess of potassium, a field bloomed with green, slimy, foul-smelling algae, like the green tides in Brittany, and I really became angry: “either we switch to organic farming or I leave.” Gérard received this very

The Six Seasons of Aurovilleㅤㅤㅤㅤ

Does Auroville only have one long summer season? That is how it feels. But even the subtle differences make a lot of difference in farming. When I came to Auroville in 2019, I had only farmed in the mountains. I was used to four distinct Home  »  Blog  »  The Six Seasons of Auroville The Six Seasons of Auroville April 2026 · Anshul Aggarwal Does Auroville only have one long summer season? That is how it feels. But even the subtle differences make a lot of difference in farming. When I came to Auroville in 2019, I had only farmed in the mountains. I was used to four distinct seasons- of course with their own subtleties, but still the distinction between summer, autumn, winter, spring was quite pronounced. It took me about two years to understand that Auroville actually has six seasons! We have been planning our crops based on this understanding since 2022. Only much later, and recently, I found out that ancient Tamizh literature like Tolkaapiyam, also identifies six seasons for Tamil Nadu. This system of six seasons is called Paruvangal. Each season lasts exactly two Tamizh months, beginning with the Tamizh New Year in mid-April. Interestingly, my observations align perfectly with this age-old system.  I will first describe how I observe seasons. The typical cycle of seasons is based on the position of the Earth in relationship to the Sun. The four main events in this yearly cycle with the Sun are- the two equinoxes, where the Earth is in perfect alignment with the Sun and the two solstices, where the Earth is tilted closest or farthest from the Sun. Since we are very close to the equator (12 degrees North) in Auroville, we don’t see the pronounced effects of these movements, and yet there are subtle changes.  We can use the visual of breathing in and out- the most fundamental cycle that we experience. As the Earth moves in her cycle, it too breathes in and out. The beginning of the in-breath starts with the Autumn Equinox (September 21st)*. This is the period of going inwards, the year is winding down, we begin to reflect on the activity so far, some have the need to retreat into contemplation and silence, the land starts to cool down after summer and the rhythm of life becomes more relaxed. The peak of this in-breath comes at the Winter solstice (December 21st), the longest night of the year. In-breath, the period of inner activity continues until Spring Equinox (March 21st). We then move to the out-breath, where life starts to wake up from its slumber, flowers bloom, the land and air start to get warmer, microbes and insects multiply, and there is an impulse for external activity. The peak of this cycle is reached at the Summer solstice (June 21st) and this period itself continues until the Autumn Equinox (September 21st), after which it repeats itself. While these periods and patterns don’t apply as per dates and months in the same way to all locations on the Earth, the principles apply to all places and people. Even if not coordinated with seasons, we can easily observe these cycles in our own life. This is the template on which Auroville’s six seasons are based. The breathing cycle of the Earth * These descriptions apply to all of us in the Northern hemisphere of the planet. These patterns will be the exact opposite for people living in the Southern hemisphere. In the case of Auroville, or perhaps larger Tamil Nadu, the two extreme points are Summer and Monsoon, and, in my scheme, they become the reference for all the other seasons. And due to our location close to the equator as well as our proximity to the oceans, our seasons are not only influenced by solar cycles but also by oceanic and wind phenomena. The correlation of these seasons with the calendar months and the Tamizh Paruvangal is as follows: English calendar Solar event Breath cycle Paruvangal Tamizh calendar Pre-Summer Mid-Feb to Mid-April Spring Equinox Out-breath Pin-pani (Late dew) Masi & Panguni Summer Mid-April to Mid-June – Out-breath Ila-venil (Tender heat) Chittirai & Vaikasi Post-Summer Mid-June to Mid-Aug Summer Solstice Peak of out-breath Mudhu-venil (Mature heat) Ani & Adi Pre-Monsoon Mid-Aug to Mid-Oct Autumn Equinox In-breath Kar (Dark clouds) Avani & Purattasi Monsoon Mid-Oct to Mid-Dec – In-breath Kulir (Cold) Aippasi & Kartikai Post-monsoon Mid-Dec to Mid-Feb Winter Solstice Peak of in-breath Mun-pani (Early dew) Margali & Tai I will now describe what these seasons mean to us and how we organise our work based on them. Pre-Summer Paruvangal: Pin-pani (Late dew) | Tamizh calendar: Masi & Panguni | English calendar: Mid-Feb to Mid-April I will put this as the first as this is right after the Pongal festival in mid-January. The first season of a new cycle, and I will call this Pre-Summer. The days are still a bit short and the mornings and evenings are still cool. During this season, we continue planting summer crops like pumpkins, cucumbers, and gourds from the late previous season. We could continue planting some winter crops like spinach, lettuce etc. but the quality of those in this season is not that great due to hot days. The flavour is different and the texture is harder. During Pre-Summer, life is blooming, we can see a diversity of flowers on crops and trees. This is also the best time to save seeds. This season is closely associated with the Post-monsoon season, the last in the cycle (Mun-pani). Summer Paruvangal: Ila-venil (Tender heat) | Tamizh calendar: Chittirai & Vaikasi | English calendar: Mid-April to Mid-June Then, the sun starts to rise in the sky and the days as well as the nights are warmer. This is what I would call the real Summer. The production during this time starts to be limited to a few crops. It’s not so much due to heat but due to limitation of water and pressure from pests. Like many places

Food Sovereignty and Seeds of AuroOrchard

Since the Second World War, the agriculture paradigm has shifted dramatically to keep pace with the evolving industrial and economic paradigms. The culture of mono-cropping has grown on some ill-found assumptions and hard realities of the changing social structures in farming communities. As much as monoculture is believed to be the only way to produce high-yields, and a dominant solution to feeding the world, it is also easier for farmers who have no option than to resort to mechanization due to lack of hands working on the fields. The farmers who lack the resources to buy machines or employ family members on the farm suffer the most. However, despite the illusory success of turning large acres of land into monocrop systems, the inequity in food distribution couldn’t have been higher than ever. As per studies done in recent times, collectively we grow food already for about 10 billion people (calorie equivalence) but over a third of this food is wasted while harvesting, storing, shipping and so forth (Holt-Giménez et al., 2012). Home  »  Blog  »  Food Sovereignty and Seeds of AuroOrchard Food Sovereignty and Seeds of AuroOrchard March 2026 · Anshul Aggarwal​ Since the Second World War, the agriculture paradigm has shifted dramatically to keep pace with the evolving industrial and economic paradigms. The culture of mono-cropping has grown on some ill-found assumptions and hard realities of the changing social structures in farming communities. As much as monoculture is believed to be the only way to produce high-yields, and a dominant solution to feeding the world, it is also easier for farmers who have no option than to resort to mechanization due to lack of hands working on the fields. The farmers who lack the resources to buy machines or employ family members on the farm suffer the most. However, despite the illusory success of turning large acres of land into monocrop systems, the inequity in food distribution couldn’t have been higher than ever. As per studies done in recent times, collectively we grow food already for about 10 billion people (calorie equivalence) but over a third of this food is wasted while harvesting, storing, shipping and so forth (Holt-Giménez et al., 2012). Small farms feed the world Interestingly, over 70% of the food that we end up eating, still comes from small-farms (25 acres or less) managed by communities and families for subsistence, and not from large mechanized monocrop systems as we are made to believe. Also small farms have been found to be 4-5 times more productive than large farms because of their intensive diverse cropping integrated with animal rearing(Lerman & Sutton, 2008; Small farmers feed the world, Grain, 2014). We do have enough food to feed the planet and almost three quarters of it comes from small farms. So where does large scale industrial agriculture fit in this story and how can it help if production is not really the primary challenge? The industrialization of agriculture has led to large scale disempowerment of small farmers, degraded rural lands and culture and polluted our soil, water and air and the poor stay hungry no matter how much more food is produced on this planet. Our overwhelming stress on strategies and policies to feed the world are focused only on producing more food. But we forget that this also means more food of a certain quality.  As the world wakes up to appreciate the subtle nuances of relationships of humans with nature, other humans and themselves, the subtle qualities of food and their relationship with human health must also be considered. Cheap food does not mean good food and as a global collective, feeding the world population is rather an insufficient objective. That all on this planet should have access to clean and wholesome food is an idea worth living and fighting for, and large scale industrial agriculture has very little to offer in this regard. The solution of lack of access could lie in decentralization and localization of production and distribution. But the road ahead is difficult, especially for small farmers. Changing climatic patterns and a demand from consumers of non-seasonal, non-local produce due to changes in diet preferences, loss of knowledge of using traditional and local foods along with loss of traditional seed varieties due to lack of skill and subsidies on hybrid seeds has led to a loss in agricultural biodiversity and a degradation of local food systems. As a result farmers have had to grow food based on the lopsided market demands and economic incentives. This trend is, of course, changing slowly and research and experimentation in rediscovering a balance of natural farming in the current ecological and social paradigms is emerging both on the fields and within the new food distribution enterprises.  Human role in agro-bio-diversity One of the aspects of re-discovering this balance and re-establishing the lost relationship with the land is letting go of our conceptions of order and monocultures towards revitalising the biodiversity in our ecosystems. Since human impact has surpassed that of all others, we have been shaping the evolutionary process of biodiversification, consciously and unconsciously. Our very existence has a definite impact and our role in the ecosystem implores us to walk, work, eat and modify our environment for survival. Yet, in the last few centuries or even since agriculture began thousands of years ago, our impact on our environment has been steadily increasing as we slowly seem to be losing track of what is important and are moving from modification to exploitation. Communities based on land and in forests have evolved with their ecosystems since millennia. They themselves have been a part of the biodiversity of the land. Not only have humans evolved within the ecosystems, they have also contributed in protecting and furthering the evolution of these systems. The Amazon forests, which are now being referred to as the oldest food forests, are the perfect example of how human culture can support and enhance biodiversity and create a synthesis of wild and humanized ecosystems (Panko, 2023;

Vermicompost at AuroOrchardㅤㅤㅤㅤ

In December 2025, we decided to revive the vermicompost experiments at the farm. The earlier experiments done with different varieties of worms are documented Vermicompost, made using earthworms, has several advantages over other forms, including a better compost structure, better soil biology, and faster composting. Vermicomposting is primarily done in India with red wriggler worms (Eisenia Fetida). These worms are readily available outside, but since the garden team at Matrimandir has been preparing vermicompost, we reached out to them and received worms from their compost. Home  »  Blog  »  Vermicompost at AuroOrchard Vermicompost at AuroOrchard Febuary 2026 · Chintan Jadwani In December 2025, we decided to revive the vermicompost experiments at the farm. The earlier experiments done with different varieties of worms are documented here. Vermicompost, made using earthworms, has several advantages over other forms, including a better compost structure, better soil biology, and faster composting. Vermicomposting is primarily done in India with red wriggler worms (Eisenia Fetida). These worms are readily available outside, but since the garden team at Matrimandir has been preparing vermicompost, we reached out to them and received worms from their compost. A few days before introducing the worms, we prepared a bed in two compost containers that we had at the farm. The bed was prepared using charcoal, coconut husk, leaves, soil from the farm, and cow dung slurry. Since we had two containers, we planned to have two different setups – in one container we wanted to introduce only the red wriggler worms, and in the second container we wanted to add some indigenous worms from the soil at the farm. The indigenous worms are generally found deeper in the soil, while the wriggler ones stay on the top. Multiple containers allowed us to have this simple comparative experiment to see if there are any differences in the compost. After introducing the worms, we have been periodically observing how and whether the worms have been spreading across the container, introducing certain foods, and maintaining the moisture. Initially, we introduced chopped banana stems, but we did not notice much activity around them. We did not want to introduce other vegetables and fruit peels in the first weeks, as these would potentially introduce other insects and worms, so we decided to feed them mainly cow dung slurry twice a week. The activity, growth and spread of worms have been slow in December and January. These two months have been colder and have had a longer winter season than last year, and we think the activity was reduced due to this. In early February, we introduced some raw kitchen waste from the farm in one of the containers and quickly noticed an increase in activity. Also, as the weather is getting warmer, we are seeing an increase in the number of worms and their spread across the container. For the coming months, we will continue feeding them with kitchen waste, cow dung, and later reintroduce banana stems. Please reach out to us if you have suggestions on how we can improve. Previous Article Featured Articles Monthly Updatesㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ 23 Feb 2026 Year-end updatesㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ 20 Dec 2025 Vermicompost at AuroOrchardㅤㅤㅤㅤ 24 Feb 2026 The World of Bananasㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ 24 Feb 2026

Experiments with Faulkner’s Method …

AuroOrchard soil is red sandy loam with very low baseline organic carbon (~0.2%). Whatever organic matter we add decomposes rapidly under heat, termites, and rain. Unless we keep feeding the soil, the carbon disappears. This challenge is not only ecological but also practical. Raised beds, which we also practice, protect soils well — but they demand immense labour to establish and maintain. With today’s scarcity of farm workers, scaling raised beds across large areas is difficult. Home  »  Blog  » Experiments with Faulkner’s Method of Shallow Ploughing Experiments with Faulkner’s Method of Shallow Ploughing January 2026 · Anshul Aggarwal​ AuroOrchard soil is red sandy loam with very low baseline organic carbon (~0.2%). Whatever organic matter we add decomposes rapidly under heat, termites, and rain. Unless we keep feeding the soil, the carbon disappears. This challenge is not only ecological but also practical. Raised beds, which we also practice, protect soils well — but they demand immense labour to establish and maintain. With today’s scarcity of farm workers, scaling raised beds across large areas is difficult. In 2022, we came across the work of American agronomist Edward H. Faulkner, who advocated for shallow soil disturbance with a tractorised disc harrow. This paper describes our trials with this approach. Treading lightly with machines Mechanisation in Indian farming is often debated in absolutes: either as the culprit of soil degradation or as the saviour of productivity. On the one hand, mechanisation is unavoidable. With rural labour scarce and costly, even small farms depend on machines. On the other hand, not all mechanisation is equal. Large rototillers dig deep, pulverise soils, and burn fuel. They are unsuited to fragile sandy soils where organic matter is easily oxidised and lost. Our guiding question was whether we could use the tractor differently, in a way that it helps build soil structure rather than breaking it. Faulkner (1943) wrote in his Ploughman’s Folly: “No one has ever advanced a scientific reason for plowing… The sole reason for plowing is tradition.” Faulkner suggested that shallow stirring, not deep inversion, keeps soil fertile. And this is where the disc harrow comes into the picture. The disc harrow makes it possible to cut at 3–5 inches, slicing biomass without inverting the soil. The result is that the surface residues remain, decomposition is encouraged, and deeper horizons are undisturbed. The outcome is dramatically different from that of a roto-tiller, which has become ubiquitous now. Reconciling the ideal of no-till Globally, conservation agriculture promotes no-till, leaving soils undisturbed and residues on the surface. While effective in temperate soils, its results are mixed in sandy tropical contexts. Meta-analyses (Ogle et al., 2019) and sandy-soil trials (Wang et al., 2025) show that no-till does not automatically raise soil carbon in these contexts unless there is abundant residue input. Residues on the surface often decompose or disappear too quickly, leaving little trace for the following crop. Brazilian research confirms that in sandy soils, no-till only works when combined with continuous cover cropping to sustain organic inputs (Silva et al., 2024). Our practice of shallow disc-harrowing is not a rejection of no-till. We disturb only the top 5 inches, just enough to fold residues into the biologically active layer, while still protecting deeper horizons. In other words, we are guided by the same principle—minimise disturbance while maximising residue cover—but adapt it to the faster carbon cycle of sandy tropical soils. Cover Crops and Organic Matter Cycling We paired the disc harrow with cultivating cover crops — Sunnhemp (Crotalaria juncea) and Cowpea (Vigna unguiculata) and developed two methods: Surface ploughing: Residues are chopped and left on the soil. Within three weeks, termites, worms and microbes reduce them to humus. This was done when the field can be left on its own for a while before planting. Shallow incorporation (~5 inches): Biomass is lightly mixed into the topsoil, speeding decomposition and providing a fertility “pulse” for crops. This was done when planting was urgent and a faster decomposition was required. Both methods reduced weeds, conserved moisture, and returned organic matter to the soil. Studies confirm that tropical soils, especially sandy ones, lose organic matter quickly. Adekiya et al. (2023) have concluded in their research that: “tropical soils are characterized by rapid decomposition of organic matter, leading to relatively low levels of soil organic carbon.” Our shallow disc harrow practice seems to strike a balance: speeding up decomposition enough to feed the soil, while avoiding deep inversion that accelerates carbon loss. Our first trials We tested this approach on a 0.5 acre field which had not been cultivated for over three years. It was full of wild grasses and cows would frequent it for grazing. We grew two cycles of biomass-one legume and one cereal and incorporated them in the soil with shallow discing. This entire process took about six months. We harvested 4 tonnes of sweet potato from this field after five months of planting. Local averages are about 5–6 tonnes per acre, so our yield was significantly higher per unit area. Of course, yields depend on many factors, but this result raised the possibility that shallow incorporation can improve both fertility and productivity. Research from northeast Thailand shows that even a 1 g/kg increase in SOC can boost yields by ~300 kg/ha in rice (Arunrat et al., 2020). While soils and crops differ, the principle is the same: small gains in SOC can translate into meaningful yield improvements in sandy soils. The most surprising allies were termites. After surface ploughing, termite galleries appeared quickly, pulling residues into the soil. Within weeks, what looked like rough mulch became humus. Earthworms followed, leaving casts across the field. The social aspect of mechanisation We also maintain over fifty raised beds (30 sq. m. each) managed under no-till. These systems protect organic matter well, but they require a lot of human labour to maintain, especially for weeding. With today’s scarcity of farm workers, scaling raised beds to larger areas is difficult. This work is physically demanding, and we observe less