Growing food, growing children

The deeper vision behind Food Link, an activity of the Auroville Farm Group is to create community by linking the residents of Auroville to the farmers through educational initiatives. The efforts of the past, notably by Solitude and Buddha Garden, to make vegetable gardens in Auroville schools are currently being shaped into a more sustained initiative.

A few months ago, with some funds from Sri Aurobindo Institute of Integral Education and Research (SAIIER) and with support from Food Link, Priya of Buddha Garden offered a year-long course to students at Udavi School in growing vegetables. In keeping with her ethos of ‘farm to plate,’ the original vision was that the vegetables grown in the garden would be used in the Udavi School kitchen. However, this aim could not be fulfilled as the area under cultivation was insufficient and, as is often the case when people try organic cultivation for the first time, the bean crop was destroyed by aphids. Nevertheless, as depicted in the photo montage, it was a joyful learning experience for both Priya and the children!

This year, Buddha Garden plans to extend this educational initiative to other schools and to develop some educational material to facilitate learning. In response to a request from Deepanam students, Auroville farmers hope to offer a course in the cultivation and processing of grain (rice and millets). Food Link strongly feels that local issues, such as cultivation of food, should be part and parcel of the curricula in Auroville schools.