Permaculture Consult - Nashik, Maharashtra

Sub Tropical Organic Orchard & Gaushala

One of the most interesting projects till date, inspired by an enthusiastic and dynamic client, was to design a permaculture farm that would include fruit orchards, fodder fields, a 100 cow Gaushala, a dairy center and staff quarters. Planned to be built in a sizeable 15 acre property in rural Nashik, the site was stunning. Undulating roundly from hill top to plains, amidst other hilly mounds that were created by lava flows at this far corner of the Deccan plateau, the hillscapes of Nashik have an extraordinary, prehistoric look.

Pic above:Lush green vegetation on the rounded basaltic mounds created by prehistoric lava flows

Geotech reports of the land indicated a basaltic substratum, as was to be expected for the extended Deccan Plateau on which Nashik rests. The soil test, taken earlier, surprisingly indicated acidity, an anomaly that was later explained when I learnt that soil samples were taken only from the topsoil runoff at the base of the hill. In fact, soil management proved to be the second most challenging aspect of design, not only because of the overall alkalinity, very low organic matter and low phosphorus in soil, but also because Electrical Conductivity levels were extremely low, pointing to low Cation Exchange Capacity or nutrient holding capacity in soil. To tackle this shortcoming and regenerate soil across 15 acres is a stupendous task and will take tonnes of soil amendments and a 100% return to soil policy for all vegetative waste produced on site!

But, as I always advise clients, before soil comes water - which is almost always, the first challenge. Water is life. Before we regenerate soil, before we plant trees, before we construct anything, and before we make ANY plans, we need to ensure there is enough life giving water on site. It may be in the form of piped connections, ponds, channels, wells or borewells. And if it does not exist then we need to infiltrate holes in soil for water collection, thus "PLANTING WATER". In any permaculture design project, we focus on "planting water" before we plant plants.

So the foremost design challenge was to evolve a plan for "planting" water in the rocky hillside, collecting it in natural contours, storing it in well fortified natural ponds and then using this resource to ingeniously feed swales, holding tanks,and from there, underground channels and aquifers.

Pic Above: A swale on site, currently empty, will later link elevated pools with a holding pond.

The water management plan for this site is ambitious. It involves three pools in natural terraces on the plot hillside, interlinked with overflow pipes and dams, then connected to a central swale that leads down the hill to a large holding pond between the pasture fields. Besides this macro plan, I also recommended a few hundred micro water catchment structures to infiltrate the hillside, replenishing ground water sources for later use.

Pic Above: Beautiful pastures that will be the main feeding grounds for 100 cows

The challenge of ensuring water self sufficiency for a 100 cow gaushala (cattle rearing is ipso facto a highly water intensive activity as it needs to cover drinking, sanitation and fodder growth requirements), that too in a drought prone area - called for ambition, out of the box thinking and being bold. In my design I offered a complete blueprint for cowshed design, fodder management, orchards and integrated farming in an ecologically sensitive and resource sustainable way.

I have no doubt that this client is up to the challenge and will not leave any task unfinished. Cows have been brought in - about ten are on site already - and the team seems to be raring to go.

I cannot wait to se this site being transformed!