A dimension within Traditional Crop Cultivation
This theme focuses on sustainable agricultural practices, including traditional and organic farming, cultivation of traditional crops, and the use of natural manure.
149 voices speak to this
Each dimension splits this theme further — keep drilling to see how it breaks down.
Positive
Overall Community Sentiment
AI-synthesised pieces woven from many community voices on this theme. They may contain errors or interpretation — they're a reflection of the stories, not a record of fact.
Our community remembers a time when farming with natural manure fostered both abundant harvests and deep respect for the land.
Even without irrigation, our traditional seeds and old farming methods ensure our crops ripen, providing food for our homes.
Our ancestors lived long and healthy lives by cultivating traditional crops without chemicals and consuming nourishing forest roots, a practice many now wish to revive.
Farmers in Kandhamal advocate for restoring traditional, organic millet cultivation to improve health and revitalize local food systems.
Our fathers and grandfathers used to cultivate traditional crops earlier, fertilizing them with cow dung, and grew pulses like moong, urad, kulthi, along with millets such as ragi and bajra.
— Parikshit Majhi
In ancient times, we used to cultivate with ploughs. We used to cultivate black gram, horse gram, green gram, paddy, etc.
— RINA BEHERA · Sundargarh, Odisha
In our village, earlier, people used to cultivate fields with ploughs and oxen and worked very hard. At that time, they would sow Kodo, Sawa, Medo, and Mizri, and grow them without fertilizer. They used to sustain themselves with that, from which individuals...
— Ram Kumari · Sonbhadra, Uttar Pradesh
Our ancestors used to cultivate Bhadi kodra, jowar, pulses, and oilseed crops.
— Kachala Choudhary
Our ancestors used to cultivate millet without mixing any chemical pesticides; they used cow dung as fertilizer. And those foods were very good.
— Sastensh khura
We used to farm using cow dung and goat manure; this was the fertilizer for the crops, and all crops like Kodo, Menjhari, Barley, and Saawa were grown with this agricultural fertilizer.
— Kamleah Kumar · Sonbhadra, Uttar Pradesh
Before, all of us tribals used to plow the fields with a plow and bullocks. We would sow medo mujri and also kurthi, which was very nutritious food. It was sown without fertilizer and would grow readily.
— Babulal Ayam · Sonbhadra, Uttar Pradesh
Traditional agriculture
— Common Ground · Phiringia, Kandhamal, Odisha
Traditional agriculture
— KRUSHNA KHILLO · Semiliguda, Koraput, Odisha
Our ancestors generally followed traditional farming methods using cow dung manure.
— Jogeshwar Naik · Kalahandi, Odisha
People of the past used to cultivate saawa, kodo, menjhari, bajra, and maize, and their bodies were strong. But today, by eating grains grown with fertilizer...
— Kamleah Kumar · Sonbhadra, Uttar Pradesh
I am a farmer. Our father, grandfather, and uncles used to cultivate using traditional methods. They used to farm without fertilizer and without chemicals. And that farming was good for crops like horse gram and ragi.
— Parikshit Majhi
The things we used to cultivate before were black gram, green gram, cowpea, horse gram, etc.
— Batakrushna Sahoo
Sawa, Medo, Mijhri are our traditional crops, which our ancestors used to cultivate by plowing with bullocks and a plough. They consumed these crops throughout the year and saved seeds in their homes for the next year's sowing. We still practice farming today.
— Ram Kumari · Sonbhadra, Uttar Pradesh
My ancestors used to emphasize farming using organic methods.
— Madan Hantal · Pujariguda, Malkangiri, Odisha
Our ancestors used to cultivate mung bean, urad, horse gram, ragi, and mustard. At that time, it used to rain, and there were forests.
— Anirudha Marai
Our ancestors used to follow cow dung manure and clay soil farming methods and found them profitable.
— Premsila Naik · Kalahandi, Odisha
Our ancestors were cultivating. They grew urad and moong. The soil gave them a different kind of produce, and they nurtured the seeds for it.
— Mukunda Majhi · Udulibeda, Malkangiri, Odisha
From the time of our ancestors, they used to cultivate with a plow. Immediately after paddy cultivation, they would grow mustard, groundnuts, horse gram, black gram, and green gram. Our subsequent generations have forgotten this practice.
— RINA BEHERA · Sundargarh, Odisha
Previously, our ancestors used to farm with cow dung, and now urea and DAP have become common. The crops are growing well, but it's having a big impact on the body.
— Kamleah Kumar · Sonbhadra, Uttar Pradesh
Earlier, farming was done using cow dung and goat droppings; that was the fertilizer for the crops, and Kodo millet grew better with it.
— Kamleah Kumar · Kota, Sonbhadra, Uttar Pradesh
People of earlier times used to do this kind of farming for subsistence, and without water, without chemical fertilizers, and by eating that grain, there was also strength in the body. But nowadays, this urea and DAP fertilizer is causing a lot of harm.
— Kamleah Kumar · Kota, Sonbhadra, Uttar Pradesh
Grain used to grow without fertilizer. Use cow dung for farming in the fields; that's where paddy, maize, and all crops grow. Eating all that grain keeps the body strong and vital. Nowadays, even though there is more crop yield, the body becomes weak.
— Kamleah Kumar · Ammatola, Sonbhadra, Uttar Pradesh
Our ancestors used to farm with plows.
— Batakrushna Sahoo
Our ancestors used soil cultivation methods, farming with cow dung manure. They also used goat droppings as manure for cultivation.
— gobardhan pangi
The oldest seeds like Kodo, Mejdri, Sawa, Maize, Bajra, all these crops were cultivated with agricultural fertilizer.
— Kamleah Kumar · Sonbhadra, Uttar Pradesh
Old people used to do mixed farming, they used cow dung manure.
— Kachala Choudhary
Earlier, you all used to farm, and you cultivated using fertilizer.
— Niranjan Lauria · Boudh, Odisha
Previously, we ourselves used to cultivate moong, Didhan Lar Golandi, Mahipal paddy, red paddy, Kalachu paddy, and Sarai paddy.
— Padmini Bhoi
We farm using the old method.
— Amar Lal Dhurwey · Mandla, Madhya Pradesh
Was traditional farming in the past better or is modern farming better now? Traditional farming in the past was better. What all did they cultivate? Ragi, black gram, horse gram, foxtail millet.
— Sastensh khura
Traditional agriculture and heritage
— KRUSHNA KHILLO · Semiliguda, Koraput, Odisha
Even today, we farm with a plough and oxen and earn our livelihood. Since ancient times, our ancestors have ploughed fields with a plough and oxen, and sow only the seeds preserved at home, such as kurthi, sawa, medo, and mijhri.
— Ram Kumari
We are a tribal community, we farm using ploughs and bullocks, and we sustain our lives. We clear forests and bushes to make fields, and we cultivate sawa, medo, mijhri, and maize, which were grown by our ancestors, and we also preserve their seeds.
— Ram Kumari · Sonbhadra, Uttar Pradesh
Before, we used to cultivate crops without water: bajra, maize, kodo, mezhri, and arhar (pigeon pea).
— Kamleah Kumar · Ormaura, Sonbhadra, Uttar Pradesh
Traditional farming, meaning Yudung, Pandala, Janana, maize, finger millet, and so on.
— James
They were cultivating paddy using organic methods or traditional soil methods.
— Gourang Adhikari · Udulibeda, Malkangiri, Odisha
In ancient times, in previous eras, people collected nutritious foods like ragi, millet, etc., from the forest, ate them to stay healthy and strong, and lived for a long time. If farmers or tribal community people cultivate those essential crops of those ancient times again, it will guide them towards the development of their life's values in the future.
— Dillip pujari · Phiringia, Kandhamal, Odisha
In earlier times, what method did people use for farming? The answer is, they used to farm by applying fertilizer with a plough.
— Niranjan Lauria · Boudh, Odisha
We farm using traditional methods.
— Sunil oraon · Bero, Ranchi, Jharkhand
The voices in this theme were gathered by these organisations through their community reports.
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