Small holder farm enterprises – September 2018 – Issue 20.3

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Small farmers, the majority who depend on rainfed agriculture are increasingly finding it difficult to make living only out of crop production. Given the changing climatic conditions, reaping one single harvest is also becoming an uncertainty to most of them. In such conditions, farm based enterprises like small livestock, backyard poultry, mushroom production, kitchen gardens have a great potential to generate income and provide employment for a longer period of time. This in turn motivates farmers to remain in agriculture and pursue livelihoods that are familiar to them, rather than migrate to far-off places in search of wage employment.

This issue puts together some of the ground experiences which show how farmers are making a living by integrating various farm based enterprises. These stories highlight that, small scale farm based enterprises besides generating income and employment, also address issues like family nutrition and resource recycling. Being less risky, they have the potential to alleviate rural poverty.

We are extremely grateful to those who contribute articles, creating new hope and visibility to unsung initiatives. We are also thankful to all those who are supporting the magazine through voluntary contributions. You may also use this platform for wider sharing of eco-friendly services, products and events.

4. Editorial

6. Backyard Poultry – A Success story of a tribal start-up

Kanna K Siripurapu, Aneetha Kanukolanu, Sabyasachi Das and Chandrasekhar Nemani

10. The saga of sustainable Wadi

Ganga Ankad

13. Mushroom enterprise – A Collective effort towards empowerment

S Maurya, P R Kumar, R S Pan, A K Singh, Bikash Das and B P Bhatt

16. Inch of land with bunch of enterprises

P Anithakumari, Merin Babu and S Indhuja

21. Diverse farming – Need of the hour for small farmers

M N Kulkarni and t Suresh

26. Farmer Diary – Ecological farming is the way forward