What is permaculture?
When the principal agricultural crop is grown, cheek by jowl with the other species of permanent or temporary vegetation, it qualifies as permaculture or permanent agriculture. Makaibari, has taken permaculture to a new height altogether, the tea is one part in a unique 6 tiers system of canopied vegetal diversity.
The primary woodlands, occupy twice the tea area. The 5 species of albizzia are grown every 20 meters within the tea, to provide shade, and as it's leguminous, a natural source of Nitrogen, from the root nodules, with every leaf falls. The third tier consists of 5 species of temporary legumes, consisting of crotalaria, medulla, lacinia, flemingia and indigofera, which are sowed in within the tea every four to five years across the length and breadth of the garden. Alternative repellents, fruit trees, grasses are planted over a hectare between 10 hectares of teas.
The tea comprises the fifth story and the ground flora of weeds, herbs, grasses and a variety of clover complete the sixth level.
The mulch bank provided by the six tiers, provide abundant and unique mulch in between the rows of tea bushes. The mulch takes the impact of the torrential rains we experience in Darjeeling, hence the soil is protected from its fury and there is no topsoil loss and erosion. The mulch suppresses weeds, but does not kill them, lessening weeding costs, yet increasing diversity.
During water stress periods of drought, the ground moisture is retained, enabling the tea bushes to cope with the adversity excellently. Last but not least, when the mulch decays within 3/4 months it recharges the humus as well as imparting a specific personality, which is translated to the tea when you sip it.
All of this is supplemented by biodynamic cow manure, which replenishes the nutrients that are removed by harvesting the tea.
Hence by just growing trees, Makaibari unintentionally pioneered organic practices to global tea, and there are over 70 countries in the world growing tea today. It was an evolution.
Why Biodynamic cow manure?
Simply, because the cow is HOLY. The cow is the only horned animal that masticates whilst asleep. No other horned beast chews in its sleep. Not the bull, the buffalo, the goat, the bison, or antelope, ONLY THE COW MUNCHES AWAY IN ITS SLLEP.
Why does it do so? The answer lies in its horns. The horn of the cow has a helical groove, which enables it to retain cosmic energy from the sun. At night, there is no creature can digest, except the cow, as the stored energy flows down through its specially evolved 4 stomachs.
Effectively the cow is the only creature which is a 24 hour digestive machine. Hence the dung is the only excreta in the world that is exposed to 24 hours of sunlight. When this dung is converted to excellent farmyard manure and dynamized by biodynamic preparations, it comes alive. The farmland receiving this manure is then an ever evolving dynamic organism.
What is Biodynamics?
Will then talk briefly on Rudolf Steiner and how he created it. Summing it up with - biodynamic is holistic agricultural practices that caters to economics, politics and the environment. Will then enumerate what holistic translates to in real life, which in turn translates to healthy soil. This results in the Makaibari credo - HEALTHY SOIL IS HEALTHY MANKIND.
Stunning pictures of soil created by decay of mulch.
Can we close it by having a film display of the last film recently made, how our sustainable efforts influenced one of Japan's most celebrated sons to volunteer his services to the marginalized people of Darjeeling, where he's now revered as a god. This is the true power which sustainable practices poses to influence others from faraway lands to contribute to the common good of mankind, in peace, and amity.
