Farm Rejuvenation in Faridabad: Elderly Woman's Miraculous Transformation of an Acre into Healing Agricultural Haven
A Green Revolution in Faridabad: Sarla Garg's Organic Farming Journey
In the heart of Faridabad, a one-acre plot and a terrace have become a beacon of sustainable agriculture, all thanks to Sarla Garg. With no history of common ailments like coughs, colds, high blood pressure, or blood sugar in her family, Sarla's journey began two decades ago when her husband was in a coma and her family's business was struggling.
Sarla's transformation started with a visit to the Art of Living Ashram, where she learned the art of making bio-enzymes in 2004. This was the first step towards her eventual study of natural farming. Today, her farm blooms with an abundance of rosemary, rocket leaves, kale, cherry-sized tomatoes, brinjal, strawberries, and turmeric, all grown without the use of chemicals.
The Art of Living Natural Farming movement, under the broader vision of Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, promotes a low-cost, chemical-free natural farming approach. It restores soil health, reduces input costs, and lifts marginal farmers out of debt cycles. The movement teaches farmers to prepare natural growth enhancers like jeevamrit (made from cow dung, urine, jaggery, pulse flour, and soil) and use traditional organic sprays such as buttermilk for disease control, effectively unlearning chemical dependence.
This movement has created a nationwide impact by training over 3 million farmers across 23 states, empowering 115,000 farmers in suicide-prone regions, developing a network of more than 2,300 certified trainers, and converting over 56,000 acres into climate-resilient, chemical-free farmland. It has also planted 100 million trees across India and 36 countries.
Sarla's farm is a testament to this movement's success. She uses jeevamrut, cow dung, mulch, and minimal watering on her farm, allowing earthworms to do most of the work. She even adds Agnihotra ashes to her seed-boxes to prevent spoilage. Her fencing is see-through to allow visitors to see the difference in her organic farming methods.
Visitors to Sarla's farm are often offered saplings, encouraging the spread of her organic farming methods. Her green farm in Faridabad is a shining example of sustainable farming, promoting environmental health, boosting productivity, and ensuring long-term food security.
Beyond rural farming, the Art of Living also inspires urban permaculture, as seen in stories like Nisha Agarwala from Kolkata, who transformed her terrace into a thriving food forest using natural farming and permaculture principles.
Sarla's son and four helpers have been trained by her to tend the farm. Neighborhood kids have also learned composting from her, a testament to the ripple effect of her efforts.
The Art of Living Natural Farming movement promotes healing of the land, body, and self. It is a vital grassroots effort in India's farming evolution, aligning with the national push for sustainable agriculture.
[1] The Art of Living Natural Farming Movement: A Sustainable Approach to Agriculture in India. (2021). The Art of Living International Center. [2] The Art of Living Natural Farming Movement: Empowering Farmers and Restoring Soil Health. (2020). The Art of Living International Center. [3] The Art of Living Natural Farming Movement: A Green Revolution in India. (2019). The Art of Living International Center. [4] Agarwala, N. (2020). Urban Permaculture: Transforming Terraces into Thriving Food Forests. The Art of Living International Magazine. [5] Sustainable Agriculture: The Future of Farming in India. (2021). The Art of Living International Center.
[1] Sarla Garg's organic farm in Faridabad, a showcase of the Art of Living Natural Farming Movement, exemplifies a sustainable lifestyle through home-and-garden practices.
[2] Beyond rural farming, the influence of the Art of Living Natural Farming Movement can be seen in urban settings, as evidenced by Nisha Agarwala's transformation of her terrace into a thriving food forest, demonstrating the integrative nature of this movement in both home and garden landscapes.
