Ethical Farming is not a commercial activity, it is a way of life.
Preservation of the environment through natural farming, bio diversity creation, nature learning, yoga & meditation, ahimsa farm following ethical practices, a unique place to participate and experience sustainable living, a world in its natural habitat, a place that can ignite our consciousness. Yes, you got it right, we are talking about The Green Gardens (Coordinates: 11°36’27″N 76°14’6″E), a sustainable living model project of TGG Foundation. It is located near Edakkal Caves, a UNESCO approved world heritage site, a place that has the reminiscence of the stone age and its much-correlated theories with Indus valley civilization. It is certainly a location with some history worth exploring. This project has been developed by TGG Foundation to enhance the livelihood of underprivileged people engaged in agriculture activities and they are the beneficiaries of this project. 20% of the income from farming & livestock are used for administrative activities 10% is allocated to Mooldhan and 70% is utilised for livelihood.
A Responsible tourism project
For nature lovers, spiritual travelers, and people who are in search of solitude can choose our sustainable living experience offered at The Green Gardens once becoming a member of the Responsible Human Mission. We encourage long stay for all those opting for this unique experience that can detoxify their mind and body completely by engaging in a slow life, Yoga & Meditation, simple eating habits, barefoot nature walk, spending time with animals, enjoying the music of birds, chemical fee life and much more…it is a non-commercial activity and the amount paid by you for accommodation is treated as donation. 20% of the revenue from accommodation is used for administrative expenses, 10% is allocated in Mooldhan and 70% is utilized for developing TGG’s Center for Sustainable Develop to create infrastructure facilities. It is a noble cause and you are entitled to Income tax exemption under 80G for your donations.
We are trying to be self-sufficient, in which we consume mainly what is been produced on our farm; for example, Tea, coffee, spices, coconut oil, vegetables, fruits, eggs, milk, etc. comes from our farm. We also use effective waste management techniques resulting in close to zero waste as well as minimize energy consumption. The clay bricks that we use for construction are made using the soil and water from our farm. We also produce bio-fertilizer in our carefully designed compost system and is used in enriching the quality of the soil. Our next aim is to use renewable energy through wind, solar, and bioenergy for self-sustainability.
A carefully designed food chain system, zero waste, and zero budget are the principle that we follow in our sustainable living practice. The inter-dependency of each component makes the life cycle more important. The farm currently manages 4 cows, 12 goats, 16 chickens, 8 ducks, 4 gooses, 6 pigeons a plant nursery as well as various crops and plant varieties. We currently produce pepper, green tea, coffee, cardamom, ginger, turmeric, yams, avocado, jack fruit, guava, orange, banana, coconut, etc… We also produce milk & eggs and seasonal vegetables that are used for internal consumption at the farm – as meals are prepared daily for all workers. In the upcoming year, we also expect to cultivate mushrooms, Azolla, medicinal plants and add turkey to our livestock collection.
SOCIAL VALUE INVESTING
A development model initiated by TGG Foundation in its journey for equality is visible through this project. It balances socialist and capitalist mindsets through a neutralizing approach. Here the role of the TGG Foundation is that of a SUN in a solar system (constantly giving energy without any expectations and allowing the planets to orbit within its defined path). We envision a society that is consciously progressive and ethically clear.
KNOWLEDGE
The purpose of education is to create good human beings and to open the eye of the seekers to connect to the real world, a higher self imprint of understanding of the “what” and “why”. As we know that all inventions and innovations are a copy of something that already exists in this universe, we are not creating anything new on this planet, instead, we are only duplicating it in different ways. The realization of true knowledge enhances our perception, making us own up the responsibilities, ultimately developing compassion, altruism intent, and actions with others.
YOGA & MEDITATION
Being one with the nature can enhance the humanity of any living being. Yoga and Meditation at this peaceful settlement of The Green Gardens ignites the mind and the soul of the experience seekers. Here nature is the teacher and the role of the seeker is to unclutter all unwanted baggage which they carry in their mind. The bio diversity zone that we have created has evolved over a period of time and one can find many species including variety of plants, birds, bugs, reptiles etc. in this natural habitat.
PRESERVATION OF ENVIRONMENT
Each year, we spend our savings to create additional revenue verticals in order to attain self-sufficiency. Our research and innovation division has created a handmade green and white tea processing unit which is 100% energy efficient that is ideal for small tea growers allowing us to produce premium quality green tea in our own garden. Livestock in our farm has fulfilled our fertilizer requirement, milk and egg, we are presently working on setting up a biogas unit to make us self-sufficient in cooking gas requirements as well. Plant nurseries developed by us have enabled us to create saplings for our internal plants. We are preparing biofertilizers and biopesticides such as vermin compost, panchagavya, jeevamrutha, indigenous microorganisms & nitrogen bio-fertilizers.