What Happens When You Make Urban People, Farmers For A Day?
TAFE

What Happens When You Make Urban People, Farmers For A Day?

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The nation celebrates National Farmers’ Day on December 23, 2017 to celebrate our farmers who are responsible for the food we eat every day and the clothes we wear.

We visit restaurants, cook lavish meals at home, order-in, but have we ever wondered the effort required to even grow that one herb we put on our dish for seasoning? On this year’s National Farmers’ Day, let us remember the farmers whose hard work and efforts sustain and nourish our nation and the world at large.

And what better way to celebrate this day than with the farmers? Tractors and Farm Equipment Limited (TAFE) through its ‘Be a #FarmDost’ initiative held a ‘Day at a farm’ event for the residents of Bengaluru. Held in the outskirts of Bengaluru, this initiative brought the urban population that is disconnected from this reality to step into the shoes of a farmer and become a farmer for a day – for free. The intended outcome of the event was to shine a light on the difference in our lives and that of the farmer. While we go to office every day and work in air-conditioned rooms; farmers toil day and night, 365 days, to ensure we don’t go hungry.



Around 100 people from Bengaluru and 25 farmers attended the event. All participants were taken to a farm and shown how to plant a sapling. They then got the opportunity to plant pomegranate, teak or sandalwood saplings in the farm. After this activity, batches of participants proceeded to the vegetable farm where some harvested radish plants, some harvested red chilies and some tended to the farm by de-weeding. They also got the opportunity to make organic fertilisers.



The event also had a ‘Build a farm’ challenge where the farmers and participants were clubbed into different groups and had to build mini mock farms that were based on realistic farm scenarios. The teams were totally engrossed in strategic discussions with the farmers about the choice of crops to plant and intercropping suggestions. They planned every detail of their farm from scratch like water sources, solar panels to generate electricity, and even aspects like irrigation and the boundary of the farm. The teams had to calculate the input cost and arrive at the annual earnings of the farm. The winning teams were awarded and the farmers were also felicitated for joining the event.




After a hard day’s work, participants were treated a performance by The Vasu Dixit Collective, who performed songs in Kannada with a rural appeal that had both the farmers and urban residents singing along. Later in a small feedback session, a lot of participants remarked how this was a beautiful day that exceeded their expectations and changed them as people forever.

The ‘Be a #FarmDost’ initiative is much needed in a time when most people are apathetic to the plight of farmers and all that they do for us. It wants to raise empathy by encouraging people to step into the farmer’s shoes, even if for a small while. The idea stems from the thought that if people realize the effort it takes to cultivate a single crop, they would truly realize what the average farmer has to go through, day in and day out.



The Be a #FarmDost’ initiative was launched in 2015 with the aim to help the urban and semi-urban population understand the importance of farmers in their lives.

A Day As A Life Of A Farmer

Agriculture drives this nation, and the farmers' efforts nourish and sustain us! This National Farmers Day let us pledge to show gratitude to farmers and work towards improving their lives. Join TAFE’s ‘Be a #FarmDost movement and bring back pride to farming.

Posted by The Logical Indian on Friday, December 22, 2017

Our lives are very different from that of farmers. The ‘Be a #FarmDost’ is a simple initiative to show gratitude to the farmers who are responsible for sustaining and nourishing us. In a country which was primarily an agrarian economy, it is essential that each of us realise the importance of farmers, express our gratitude and work towards making their lives better.

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