Members of Living Farms, Odisha arrived at the NESFAS office on Monday October 14, 2019. They will be in Shillong till October 19 to learn and exchange ideas and explore future possibilities for partnership and collaboration.
Members of Living Farms, who are also part of the Kondh tribe of Odisha, visited Khweng later on their first day in Meghalaya, as part of their five-day exposure trip. On their arrival, they were welcomed by the community members from Khweng and had a meal at Kong Dial and Kong Plantina’s Mei-Ramew cafe.
The group then visited the school garden along with custodian farmers Ridian Syiem, Hawtilda Syiem, Rosilian Khymdeit and a teacher of the school. Senior associate at NESFAS Dr Bhogtoram Mawroh explained the importance of having a school garden and crop selection for planting in the school garden.
This was then followed by a visit to Rosilian Khymdeit’s garden where sustainable agroforestry is practised. They planted trees, which are used as feed for the muga silk worm, along with food crops.
After that, they visited Hawtilda Syiem’s homestead garden where she explained the crop diversity that could be maintained even in limited space. The 10 food groups by FAO was shared and Dr Mawroh emphasises on the need to consume at least five food groups in a day.
Lastnokhel Jalong and Wosli Muktieh explained to the group about the stages in rearing eri silk works, weaving, dyeing, spinning and weaving the silk after. Lastnokhel Jalong said, “Eri silk is now acting as an additional source of income to the community besides agriculture.” He then demonstrated the process of weaving the silk in his training centre.
