Having spent over an year in developing water security, fences against grazing cattle, road access to the site, a room to stowaway tools and a basic shelter for overnight stops, the time has come at last to begin planting. Ahead of answering ‘what’ to plant, I cooked up a strategy in answer to ‘how’ to plant. Some basic rules emerged. …

A pond once dug, is forever- provided it’s given reasonable care. It will live eternally, filling and emptying, and enriching the neighbourhood. If you are looking for a purpose in life, dig a rainwater catchment hole -small or large - and watch water staying in when it next rains. No surprise then, that a popular form of individual munificence in old India, was to endow a well or a pond or a lake. A good sized pond however, requires some planning before you begin to dig. …read on

We struck water at 20′ and went on to drill down to 200′. There’s a 6.5″ bore well at pointReturn now. So, the hiatus has been broken and there’s some action at last. One line of decisions can be taken: the windmill is now on order. …read on

Once you are seduced by vetiver’s ability to restore sloping lands, there is little relief until you get hold of a stock and plant it. But there are several important aspects to consider along the way: where to find it, how to transport it, how to care for it and when and how to plant it. The experience narrated here could be of use to you. …read on

Discovery of a groundwater aquifer makes the process of developing wastelands faster than with stored rain water. And since the cost of a dug well is high, a small fortune rides on getting the aquifer location right. In rural India, the task of identifying an adequate source of ground water to feed a well has traditionally been left to water diviners. …read on

The two pit latrine has been proven to be an ideal system for mass sanitation and is widely being promoted in India. But sitting in urban India, try getting some information on how to go about putting one togther and you will hit a wall. Where can you buy the special pans that are central to it? Not easy at all. Maybe my experience will be of some use to others considering building one. …read on

The quickest way to fall in love with vetiver [ vetiveria zizanioides ] is to count the many ecologically gentle ways in which this simple, hardy, Cinderella grass can serve and better our lives. …read on

One of the reasons a sloping land gets abandoned is soil erosion. To arrest this, contours of the land should be determined and rain water run-off impeded across the contour. A simple way to mark a contour line is by means of a home made A-Frame. …read on

I hear many -often, young people- say, “I will buy a small piece of land and take to growing trees or growing crops or whatever”. The wish to get back to land is compelling and frequent. I succumbed to that once, 26 years ago and having seen a patch go green, have begun again with another bare lot.
I thought setting down my experience of the legalities of buying land might be of use to wannabe homesteaders. …read on