Convert your Land to a Food forest Now!

 

Climate driven challenges, food driven health challenges and the limits of soil and water exploitation are making industrial farming methods more and more unviable and unsustainable with each passing year. Returning to natural methods and food forests are the only answer. But it takes years for the food forests to become sustainable. Hence, it is best to start as soon as possible. 

We work with many Individual Farm owners, communities, and Big India Farms, to guide and convert their lands to Food Forests. Once our team finds them fit for Aranyaani products, then only we include their products to our supply.

We use farms/ food forests that have a score of above 80 on the following Aranyaani scale:

Aranyaani Index Calculator

What is needed to have a food forest that can be used as an Aranyaani project base:

A.  If you have a farm land that has been tilled and chemical used: 

If you already own a farm land that has been tilled, chemicals used, and has lost bio-diversity, it will take a long term commitment to be our partner.

If a land has been tilled recently (within 3 years), it sets us back by 2 years. If pesticides and chemicals have been used, then it sets us back by additional 2 years. If the land has lost bio-diversity and water channels due to crop patterns, and has lost honey bees, then it sets us back by another 3 years. Please factor that kind of periods when starting with us. We do not understand any fly by night methods. 

Once started on this path, the journey shall be enriching and full of learning. With each season of honest work, a new element of nature will awaken and increase the speed of food forest formation.

B. If you have an Organic certified farm:

If you own a land and have Organic Certifications, please note that we still shall use Aranyaani Index to assess. 

Most (not all) such Organic certifications do not qualify as food forests. These are developed in Western countries for their specific needs and limited understanding, but India’s weather and bio-diversity are best understood in our food forests.

All our food products are Organic, BUT most Organic products in the market are not forest foods. Organic systems are typically neither closed loop, nor regenerative or Self-sustainable. An Organic food is a short term solution to pesticide free food, but it still involves other harmful practices like Tilling the earth, Destruction of water channels and biomass, wastage (and destructive use) of sunlight and usage of Genetically modified species of plants. For example, a mono-crop orchard of G.M. Pomegranates can not sustain Honey Bees and Earthworms around it. An ecosystem needs flowers and leaves and roots of different sizes and shapes and a certain active part during each season. Absence of that leads to sub optimal fruits without the essence of nature. Yet Organic style is a few steps better than pesticide ridden foods, but does not come close to what the nature gifts when allowed to fully build itself.

C. If you do not have land: 

If you want to buy a farm land so that we develop food forest, please note that we do not have any land buying expertise or agency. 

Only for MP and in areas where we work, many of the existing land owners have acquired land with the help of brokers. For connecting to them, please contact our partner company Big India Farms: www.bigindiafarms.com. 

Our people

Natural foods and food forest work is only a medium to express humanity and establish ties again with nature.  

Aranyaani effort is a very distributed one. All folks involved in Aranyaani effort be it volunteers, visitors and knowledge seekers, customers, villagers, land owners, our full time folks and institutional participants have played an important role to support the food forests - each contribution more valuable than anything else. 

The following pictures selected randomly bear a testimony to this spirit and participation over years. These are just a few of the lot.

 

Experience Food forest Stays!

 Welcome to stay in our food forest project sites!

Currently we have 3 beautiful locations where stay is possible:

1. Sohagpur, DIstrict Hoshangabad, Madhya Pradesh (Our head office and main learning site)

2. Sahjivan, Solan, Himachal Pradesh (our associated food forest)

3. Thapla village, Srinagar district, Uttaranchal ( our associated project)

1. SOHAGPUR FOOD FOREST:

What to Expect?

Each season has a different flavor. Facilities will be rustic, and comfortable. Its the last tribal village adjoining Satpura Tiger reserve forests. Our food forests are also now dense vegetation

 in half the area.

So one will get the feel of living in real unseen India, a vibrant tribal village and food forest. 

Best for those looking to discover and experience any of the following:

• A forest dweller life set in the dense Satpura forests, the tribal village festivals, vanishing customs, foods etc.
• The power of nature to heal and reset the mind and health
• Reconnect with one’s own self by connecting with nature
• How we create food forests
• An idyllic life, doing and creating impressions in a food forest, sleeping on machaans, reading books with concentration, etc
• Enjoying life as a tribal society
• Experience the real problems this world is going to face once nature looses

Location: Sohagpur, Village chedka , Aranyaani Food forests (near Satpura Tiger reserve).

Facility: 150 acre dense Aranyaani food forest near Madai (entrance to Satpura Tiger reserve).

Stay is open all year round, but discuss with us before coming in Monsoons i.e. from July to September month.

Duration of Stay: Upto you. Expected cost will be Rs.700 per day for your lodging. We do not charge for boarding. Any extra consumables might be charged extra if not produced in our facility.

Typical activities that occur during stay are:

• Participating in normal farm work according to season: Pruning, mulching, taking care of animals and birds, preparing pulses, millets, sun drying foods, preparing stems and seed balls, watering etc.
• Learning to make your own facilities with our help : machaans, temp huts, etc.
• Learning some skills like pottery, wood work, brewing etc.
• Teaching village kids about your experiences or a particular subject, and learning from the 
  villagers.
• Food forest activities: Camping, Campfire, Trekking, walk in the woods, sports (we have basic tennis , etc set up)
• Aranyaani knowledge sharing: How foods and nature heals, sharing life philosophies with our core team, etc

Please visit Airbnb.co.in and block your dates there by searching for ' Aranyaani' , or Whatsapp on +91 99265 37777.

2. SOLAN SAHJIVAN PROJECT:

The Sahjivan food forest project is 12 kms from Solan. The place belong to Gopal Negi ji who is a practitioner of Fukuoka's philosophy. We envisage it as the regional centre for all food forest project in Solan valley.

Sahjivan Eco Farms has presence at Solan and Kinnaur . It is open for long (fifteen days to three months) for enthusiastic and passionate volunteers to learn natural farming, foodforest and Eco-constrution basics and advanced techniques, For retreats, workshops and seminars in sustainability, those who want to gain health and get in to immunity boosting.

There are 8 cottages all made of stone and mud, two composting toilets two bathrooms. It is designed for giving feel of primitive living at altitudes of 1500m and 3200 m.

The guests will be enjoying 70to 80% food products that are either produced in the farm or outsourced from the nearby farm, spring water and fresh air. There is enough scope of tracking and rock climbing (pls bring your on gears). Surroundings are pristine forest.

In the farm there are apricot. Apple, peach, pears, plum. Persimmon tree ans there are wild berries, Kafal and kachnar trees with abundance of oak trees. and wild pears as well.

Smoking is allowed only in the smoking area. Alcohol and drugs are not allowed.

Food is vegetarian with an option of vegan.

For details contact 7807912508 or write at sahjivan14@gmail.com, or Whatsapp to Aranyaani on +91 99265 37777.

3. THAPLA, SRINAGAR, Uttarakhand

This beautiful place is 35 kms from Srinagar, Uttarakhand. One can see the snow capped ranges from here.

The accomodation is in a heritage house (it will soon go for renovation) and new cottages being made. It is owned by the Mamgain family.

The food forest project and local enablement project here has just started. Primary stage here is collection of data and traditional recipes. 

For stay or project work related enquiries, Whatsapp to Aranyaani on +91 99265 37777.

 

Our Food Forests

We have multiple food forests across India associated with us, each having a different nature of its own. The following map shows our current work footprint.

It takes us more than 7 years to create a natural farm ecosystem. Many of our  Food Forests have around 175 types of big and small flora. Trees, flower plants, legumes, and vetiver- all come together to provide a good and abundant food place for honey bees, birds, hens and cows. Thus form our regenerative, self sustainable and closed loop food forests.

The typical layers in Central India are as follows:

• First (topmost) Layer: Large Trees like Neem, Morninga, Subabul, Gooler, Teak, Mango, Mahua, Indian Gooseberry, Chakrota (pomelo), Kadamba, Mulberry, Giloy, etc
• Second Layer: Papaya, Lemon, Sweet Lime, Custard Apple, Cheeku/Sapota, Guavas, and many such trees
• Third Layer: Toor (arhar dal), Urad, Mustard, Suran, Millets like Kodu/kutku/sama
• Fourth Layer: Ginger, Turmeric and similar structure plants, medicinal herbs, and other vegetables like Cherry tomatoes, Okra, Brinjals etc.
• Fifth Layer: Vetiver, Alfaalfa, Lemongrass, Aloe vera, Safed Musli
• Sixth Layer: Free roaming Poultry
• Seventh Layer: Cows
• Eight Layer: Honey bees: Pristine Mono floral Honeys available: Mango honey, Moringa Honey, Neem Honey, and many other varieties
• Isolated Ninth Layer: Silkworms and similar insects
• Isolated Tenth Layer: Water based Kamal Kadki, Fishes

These change as we go into Lower Himalayas, Western Ghats and Arid areas. 

A view of our food forests is below:

Central India:

In MP: 40 different villages in 5 districts. Each project differently and more beautiful than the other.

We have classified them into 4 types based on the feeling one gets in these forests:

Aranyaa (अरण्या)

Called Aranyaa due to its dense teak and forest like terrain, it is our main forest farm spread over 150 acres, and located in Sohagpur, Hoshangabad district. It has a guest house for our visitors, and a tiger reserve next to it.

   

  

Madhuvan (मधुवन)

Named Madhuvan due to the Honey bees favorite area, these are our multiple food forests spread over 500 acres, located around Umaria, better known for the Bandhavgarh National Park.

  

Amar Van (अमर वन)

Our many food forests farms are spread over 400 acres, located on the foothills of Amarkantak and around Narmada river.

The area was once the main source of heavenly medicinal plants, but now most of it is lost in the destruction humans have caused to nature.

We have started setting up these food forests, and one day we hope to get revive the medicinal plants again in our forests.

  

Sheetal Van (शीतल वन)

Located in Amarwara in southern MP, these are huge 300 acres farmland we are converting to food forests. These are a good source of pristine Sweet Potatoes, Millets, and Papayas.

In addition, we are also guiding village communities around our farms, and with many large land owners, to develop food forests that qualify for our consumption basket.

 

North India:

Our collaborations are in multiple locations.

Srinagar (Uttarakhand), Vilĺage Thapla:

Entire set of mountains is calling for setting up a role model for Garhwal and kumaun. We have started with one patch.I realized the potential of high altitude food forests. The area once was the natural habitat of very diverse flowers and exotic herbs. More about the flora and products in another post.

The terrific views of snow clad mountains and Pauri below, from this farm, add to the beauty of food forest here. One wont get a better experience in upper himalayas than this project.

Kinnaur and Solan :

Beautiful sahjivan farm is our base and guide.

Apart from planning many products for Aranyaani from Sahijivan project, we also are planning how to restore mountains around.

'

Bithoor (Kanpur):

Ganges belt. Multiple small.guava orchards are the starting point. We are working with the farmers and UBA-IITK to change the orchards' economy and ecology.

First year of our work, will slowly convert to full ecology food forests.

South India:

Chandrapur: Another project 12 kms from city , in the midst of open mines.

In addition, we have received dedicated interest from many areas and have prima facie reached a comfort level with long term goals in some places. So these shall start sooner than later- Delhi, Imphal, Sikkim, Chandigarh ( Punjab may have many more Projects as word spreads) , Shimoga, Tanjavore.

Apart from it, from seeded areas, the word backed by the sight and action spreads to neighboring villages afar.