1. Shankar’s experiment with lady finger Shankar from Hittne Hebbagilu who had previously been growing tobacco for several years, managed to grow 15 varieties of lady finger through an experiment!

He did this using jeevamrutha (which has earthworm compost as one of its elements) and an organic mix of garlic and green chillies as the pesticide.

2. Shashidhar’s tryst with strawberries Shashidhar and his wife Jyoti have pioneered the production of strawberries in the Dharwad district of Karnataka.

The couple worked in the strawberry farms of Mahabaleshwar for a few years, spoke to farm owners in California, and finally replicated these learnings on their Karnataka farm.

3. Sunil’s farm of millets While the Karnataka region experiences severe droughts leading to farmer suicides and crops being destroyed, the village of Hanumanahalli is different.

Several farmers here have dedicated a percentage of their land to organic methods of farming, vermicompost and organic pesticides. The result: a booming field of millets with incredible yield, even in debilitating conditions of drought!

4. Ratnamma’s quest for self-dependency In Ramanagara district of Karnataka, women farmers are pushing for independence by operating seed banks, processing grains, milling edible oil and more.

Spearheaded by Ratnamma, the indigenous Seed Banks and Seed Production groups reduce farmers’ dependence on hybrid seeds, which cannot be replanted after the harvest. “If the mill gets a regular order, then we get work. My desire is for women in the village to get work here,” she says.

5. Krishappa Gowda and the ZBNF ZBNF (Zero Budget Natural Farming)  resulted in Gowda growing 170 varieties of trees using natural methods, on five acres and has increased his annual income to 25 lakh!

The method involves quoting the seeds with cow dung and cow urine and the process is called beejamrutham. Meanwhile, the jeevamrutham process (where cow dung and urine is mixed with jaggery and flour) increases the microbes in the soil and keeps away the pests.