Project FARM (Facilitating Agriculture Resilient Measures)

Region: Dumka District, Jharkhand State
Focus Area: Dhundphari, Gummaphari, Bhagadih, Majarabadi, Jeyapani
SIF Partner: Jharkhand Vikas Parishad 

The project FARM will empower the marginal farmers to improve their food and nutritional security. 
It will help in the formation of Farmer’s clubs to create a common platform for learning farming methods by demonstration. They will also learn about vegetable cultivation, cash crop cultivation, making organic manure, making organic pest repellant. They will also learn about various government schemes.
It will help organize nutrition and hygiene awareness campaigns and support village resources centers to maintain and provide information on nutrition and hygiene.

Objectives:

• 5 active Farmers’ Club. 
• 50 farmers will enhance their income by improving vegetable cultivation.  
• The farmer clubs will maintain rules and regulations and proper documentation. They will tap government schemes namely crop insurance, seeds and training.    

Activities Planned:

• Farmer Clubs (5) will have monthly input sessions on conducting meetings, cropping patterns, and organic inputs. 
• Training of Famers Clubs on rules and regulation, documentation and process of government linkage 
• Training of marginal farmers on an improved method of vegetable farming to enhance productivity. 
• Training on mixed multi-tier cropping pattern and livestock management for smallholder farmers. 
• Support of improved seeds (pulses, vegetables, and cereals) and required inputs for a demonstration to smallholder farmers
• Farmers’ Fair at Cluster level

Activities done so far : 

1. Five Gram sabha meetings were conducted each in different villages (822 male farmers and 443 female farmers). Topics discussed were, formation of MahilaKishan Club, making a compost pit, vegetable farming using organic manure, making a kitchen garden by bed method, and cultivating pulses, maize, millet, and vegetable with the advanced method.
2. Five MahilaKishan Clubs were formed in five different villages (each  with twenty-five members). 
3. Thirty eight MahilaKishan Club meetings were held in the different villages with 720 participants Topics discussed were, proper nutrition, making a compost pit, vegetable farming using organic manure, kitchen garden by bed method and cultivating pulses, maize, millet, and vegetable with the advanced method.
4. Three Training Programs were conducted to make farmers aware of rules, regulations, and processes of government linkage . Training of marginal farmers on improved methods of vegetable farming, multi-tier cropping patterns and livestock management for smallholder farmers.
5. Twenty-five marginal farmers from five different villages are selected for seeds distribution, 

Output of the various training sessions:

• After learning the method of seed treatment, the farmers decided to do seed treatment at their home itself.
• Farmers decided to make a compost pit.
• Farmers decided to do vegetable farming using organic manure.
• Farmers decided to make a kitchen garden using the bed method.
• Farmers decided to cultivate pulses, maize, millet and vegetables with advanced methods.
• Got the information about the benefits provided by the government regarding the agriculture schemes.
• Farmers got the information about how to get the seed and manure from lamas through the Kisan Credit Card.
• Knowledge of selecting the right agriculture scheme.
• Learned the benefits of animal husbandry and Out of 50 farmers 45 farmers decided for animal rearing.
• Out of 50 farmers 40 farmers will adopt organic farming.