Hello brothers & sisters!!
Hope you are safe & healthy amidst this chaos & uncertainty.
There has been not a better time to look at self-sustainable & natural solutions for farming, gardening & life as such. Being a Science oriented person, after doing my Bachelors in Botany & Masters in Microbiology I was aimless and clueless. Then life on an Organic Farm changed my fate forever. Just like Master Masanobu, I realised the essence of life. I began looking at life differently, you can say that the Jungle got me (or I got the Jungle). However, after that, I wandered around teaching natural farming methods for a village in West Bengal (I am from Kerala, Southern part of India). I realised it a losing battle. Those farmers lost their livelihoods when "Green Revolution" in India began which is the uncontrolled use of Chemical fertilisers and Pesticides.
Farmers at first rejoiced as the scientists & SIRS gave them the magic powder to boost their productivity at least for a while. They stopped using natural practices and slowly most of their farm turned into barren lands. I was preaching to the next generation of these farmers who at the end of my class/session would ask " Sirji so what are you selling" I had no product, I said & they were amazed. A guy who travelled 4 days on a train to educate them has no product to sell, how will he survive? Is he really sane? Did he actually study in a college? They had their doubts, I've had mine on how I can impact them.
I returned to my hometown, I cut my wings down for a while till 2016. I was in a cocoon, exploring my options. Challenging my knowledge and all expectations about natural farming. I kept complaining that nobody is doing anything to promote natural/organic methods. Yes, even I was not doing anything until that moment. I was doing my yoga as usual and I felt the sudden urge to go out and I took me showed, worked like a mad person with just some lemon juice in my tummy. I didn't know what I was doing, maybe it was the 2 or more hours of meditation and yoga that kicked up a storm. Once I arranged the sand into raised beds in our front yard, I collapsed. Nobody was home to take my pictures, but the next day I took some pictures. Like a dream, I set up raised garden beds in the way usually water would flow through our yard. My parents or anybody who saw it couldn't understand what I was doing. Even I didn't have a clue, it was like some faded memory. I didn't know Permaculture then, only "One Straw Revolution". Since then we changed our patters, we observed nature, we observed the world-changing with time. But as I sat down on the soil, I felt like it wasn't me. I wasn't myself anymore. I wasn't the complaining raging mean person. I was the observant, humble, loving brother for everyone around me.
I consider Lord Shiva (Sun) as my father and Lord Parvati (Earth) as my mother. Lord Krishna as my Guru as throughout my life they taught me lessons and the knowledge portal was opened by my mentor Saraswati (Moon) as night was the time that I would reflect and learn. Since then, life has been a roller coaster. Had near-death experiences, some which made me more close to Earth; others which tested my strength and beliefs. I broke my knee cap and as I lay down in the bed I prayed to God, to redeem my past and to recuperate my soul, to give me power so that I can do more. I can show the light to the world, share the thoughts and knowledge we gained. Even though doctors were doubtful I smiled in pain, i cried with tears in my eyes and a wry smile on my lips. Got up after 3 months, started walking slowly towards fulfilling that dream garden of ours. Never did I stop, never will I stop. I take it as my responsibility & birthright to take our land towards a brighter future. I believe that I can change the world, one garden at a time.
One day my soul-mate said to me, "You should show yourselves to the world, show them that it can be done" Here I am, blurting out honestly my story which only few people know. Now on the internet, heck why let it die with me?
Now we have 500+ subscribers on Youtube, posting content as we embark on new adventures & experiences. Join us, let us go "Back To Earth" well, that's the name of the channel too. You can hit me up on Insta @nikzboz & @nikzb on Twitter. Do show your love and share our videos. Let the world know, what's in store for us- a regenerative, sustainable, resilient way of living- PERMACULTURE!!!
Our Permaculture Playlist & One video is in the links. Do support and share your comments and thoughts on the videos. We love to expand our horizons!!
From India with Love
Nikhil Bose
Our Permaculture Playlist-
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLaoVL522mISRu598JTcgujvKK8uWVnMao
Our Hugelkultur Tutorial-
https://youtu.be/0oyMnHdq2r4
Namaste <3
my wife, my father, and my mother are also part of this beautiful ecosystem.
