Kalpataru, according to mythology, is a divine wish-fulfilling tree. In today’s world, finding such a tree is not just difficult, but almost impossible. But even if not a single tree, it is possible to create a piece of land that works like a Kalpataru.
Planting different kinds of vegetable seeds and fruit saplings in a fixed plot of land. With regular care and attention, that land itself can become the key to fulfilling your needs, your own ATM.
Here, agriculture is largely rain-fed. The Kharif season brings in some income, but for the rest of the year, people depend on forest produce-mahua, tamarind, tobacco leaves-for their household needs. Yet, this is not enough to ensure proper nutrition.
Most families earn between 30,000 to 60,000 annually. From this limited income, expenses like mobile phones, cold drinks, bikes, and televisions are managed. However, vegetables are still missing from daily meals. Despite anaemia rates crossing 70% in the distric. Dietary diversity remains poor.
It was the month of June. Fields were being ploughed, paddy seeds were sown, and everything turned green. But the upland fertile plots near the houses remained empty. There was little enthusiasm for vegetable cultivation, mainly due to the fear that excessive rainfall would damage the seeds.
Being new to the area, I did not dismiss this belief. Instead, I respected the local knowledge and began searching for a model that could work in this context-a model that would ensure year-round vegetable production.
The goal was simple: to ensure nutrition at the household level and generate some additional income by selling surplus produce.
In this search, I came across a model popular in South India-the Kalpataru Model. If explained well, I believed farmers in Dantewada would gradually invest their time and effort into their land. Perhaps, even the local gambling culture around weekly markets would slowly lose its grip.
I first learned about this model from Manoj Sahare of the Centre for Sustainable. Combining local practices of Dantewada, my own learnings from Medinipur, and the experiences of Sai Raman, I tried to adapt and implement the Kalpataru Model in Binjam.
Today, this model is being introduced to farmers as the “ATM Model” by Bhumgadi FPO (my organization) and the Dantewada Agriculture and Horticulture Department.
But why do we call it an ATM model? ATM stands for “Any Time Money.” In Dantewada, more than 90% of families depend on water, forest, and land. Many have never deposited money in a bank. So, if their land itself can provide something throughout the year, it effectively becomes their ATM.
A single plot can supply a family with a wide variety of vegetables all year round- amaranthus, spinach, fenugreek, brinjal, tomato, bottle gourd, bitter gourd, beans, carrot, beetroot, papaya, lemon, drumstick, curry leaves, and more. There will hardly be a time when the land remains empty. A model that can feed a household throughout the year truly deserves to be called an ATM.
But how does this model actually work? Can a small piece of land really meet a family’s vegetable needs?
Since last October, I have been practically trying to implement this model in Dantewada. Based on that limited experience, I have been searching for answers to these questions. Those experiences-and the answers-will be shared in the next part of this series.
Stay tuned.
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