Preserving traditional farming practices for GenNext

Mangaluru: Armed with a handicam, they travel to villages to meet farmers, who are over 70, to document their life stories. With many  no longer able to pass on their knowledge to their children, who are now more keen on jobs in the cities, they are working on storing the farmers’ practical knowledge for those who may turn to agriculture for a living in future.  

“We are documenting real life stories of farmers, their struggles and so on as they are the real grassroot scientists and have rich knowledge, which can help us build a better tomorrow,” says Mr Shrinivas Pejathaya, secretary of the Arunya Foundation, which is doing the project in collaboration with UNiQE Media.

Once ready, the “Knowledge document” will be uploaded on  www.inlandpostcom. "We have created a database of  farmers who are over 70 and our team visits and speak to them of their experience of over five decades. These farmers may have tried to bring some changes in  crop patterns, come up with solutions for crop damage due to pests or other reasons and so on. All this needs to be documented as unlike in the past when the younger generation would learn from the elders,  now the children of farmers are joining  other professions. It’s important to preserve the knowledge of the farmers to provide a reference to others  venturing into agriculture," Mr Pejathaya explains, adding that the foundation is in talks with three colleges to help it with the project although its own members are working on it for now. 

“But going to every corner of the district will be difficult. So we would like the help of the students, who will  be equipped with a camera to interview the farmers," he says.