Why would anyone want to build a farm that takes away from the same natural ecosystem that you initially set out to enjoy? In our previous post, we discussed some critical aspects of farm design – familiarizing oneself with the land, the location, the climate and the soil. In this post, we take this discussion forward.
Understanding the Bioregion
Bioregion refers to defining a region by the characteristics of the natural environment rather than by man-made divisions.
The region, we were advised by the Ananas team, is a Savannah type ecosystem. Also referred to as Open Natural Ecosystem – a type that is most threatened and usually inhabited by specialist birds, mammals and reptiles that are facing extinction due to loss of habitat.
Typically, a Savannah biome has distinct layers – ground layer of wild grasses and herbaceous plants, mid layer of shrubs and stunted woody plants, and a canopy of trees. Most of the tress are drought tolerant, like Acacias and Ficuses. We ourself noticed that the area surrounding Earthness™ is dominated by grasslands and wooded groves. Trees can be seen in the valley and along the water body. Dominant species of trees included Palash, Banyan tree, Jamun tree, Honge, Wild Date palm, Mysore fig, Indian Kino tree, White-barked Acacia and Amaltas. The canopy trees are deciduous – ones that shed leaves in summer and get a new flush of pink and red leaves.
Vegetation:
While the exact site has a bamboo tree at one end of the farm perimeter, the ground is covered with native grass and the occasional Touch Me Not. Its fern-like leaves close up and droop when touched, usually re-opening within minutes. It has prickly stems and small, fluffy, ball shaped pink flowers in summer. This nitrogen-fixing pioneer, we were told, appears first in any disturbed soil, the thorns protect the soil from being grazed and it fixes nitrogen back into the soil for other native herbaceous plants to follow. Nature’s own way of defending and nurturing itself.
Fauna:
The soil on and around Earthness™ exhibited the presence of centipedes, butterflies, bees and jumping spiders. Other larger mammals spotted over time in the area included Jungle cats, Civet cats, Slender loris, Jackals, Spotted deer and occasionally even sloth bears that come around the jackfruit season. A significant variety of birds have been observed in the area. Species spotted include Coppersmith Barbet, Indian Paradise Flycatcher, Hawk Cuckoo, Black-shouldered Kite, Indian Grey Hornbill, Indian Pitta, Hoopoe, Grey Francolin, Blue-faced Malkoha, Jerdon’s Bushlark and of course, the unmistakably loud Yellow-wattled lapwing. Excellent news for birders.
Resources on and around the land
In our quest to build a farm that relies less on external resources and more on what our land already offers, this was important. The more local resources you use, the more regenerative your design.
The Ananas team shared a list of resources and their location, along with the purpose they could serve. This list included timber trees, boulders, hinge trees, poly houses etc. Which means, resources available for woodwork, firewood, storage space during early stages of construction and even space for the initial days of planning a nursery.
No farm exists in isolation. It shares the space with existing flora and fauna. The birds, plants and insects are your neighbors. Knowing their presence, their needs and their challenges will help you design a farm that exists in harmony with them.
For us, as it should be for you, building a farm means knowing the land and every aspect of it. The more one draws from the native habitat, the more resilient your farm will be.
There are other factors too that one should be cognizant of and we will take them up in future posts. Factors like earthwork, planting, water conservation and management, and more.
But we do hope we made the larger point here – that nature has a plan in place. With a little effort, you can ensure that your farm aligns itself to nature’s plan and does not work at loggerheads with it.
Thank you for reading till here and I hope this helps you when your turn comes.
