Fri Nov 08 17:22:40 UTC 2024: ## Students Turn Organic Farmers in Tirupati Universities
**TIRUPATI:** In a unique initiative, students at Sri Venkateswara University (SVU) and Sri Padmavati Mahila Viswa Vidyalayam (SPMVV) in Tirupati are embracing organic farming, becoming the first generation of farmers in their families.
The two universities have established organic vegetable gardens on their campuses, with the help of NGOs Welfare Organisation for Rural Development (WORD) and Society for Human Rights and Social Development (SOCHURSOD). WORD provided technical expertise in natural farming methods, while SOCHURSOD supplied seeds, arranged labor, and trained the students.
The gardens, spanning one cent each, feature a diverse array of vegetables, including brinjal, chilli, tomato, lady’s finger, carrot, beetroot, radish, bitter gourd, bottle gourd, ridge gourd, and marigold, planted in a dense, pest-resistant pattern.
“The yield from this 20ft x 20ft plot is sufficient to feed a family of five to seven persons for four months,” says Professor B. Hemavathi of SPMVV Department of Bioscience and Sericulture, who is coordinating the SPMVV garden.
Both universities have formed “green teams” of 21 members to monitor the plots, educate visitors, and share knowledge about growing vegetables at home. WORD general secretary K. Gangadharam, an advocate for natural farming for nearly three decades, encourages agricultural entrepreneurs to adopt this model to provide chemical-free vegetables to the public.
First Piper 