Land service
Agriculture in the fields of Kirpal Sagar continues to be advanced with great commitment and growing expertise. With suitable crops, which prove themselves and bring good yields, a healthy and safe supply of the local people is ensured. By selling agricultural products, Kirpal Sagar also strengthens its economic independence.
In the past two years, one focus has been to expand organic farming and circular economy. The nearby farm is already 100 percent organic, and the fields around Kirpal Sagar are between 80 and 90 percent organic. Mixed crops of fruit trees and vegetables, cereals and spices, herbs and flowers are still the norm in order to make the best possible use of the land, to create a conducive microclimate and not to leach the soil unilaterally.
The organic fertilizer is produced by the farm itself, as well as natural remedies against pests, for example, from herbs. The results are also checked in order to be able to improve them further; for example, different fertilizers were used on two rice plots next to each other, this way one can see the effect of one’s own fertilizer, which is very good.
Moreover, the variety of agricultural products is further increased, old crops are revived and new varieties are tried. In addition to its importance as food, medicinal uses are also being looked at, such as the use of extracts from the fruits and seeds of the jamun (Indian blackberry) tree, which traditionally play a role in the treatment of diabetes mellitus.
New and promising is the cultivation of so-called dragon fruits (pitaya), fruit of a cactus plant that is raised on poles. In Kirpal Sagar, a special variety with red flesh is cultivated, which is not common in Punjab. It is very juicy and tasty. It can be harvested all year round, even in winter there are yields. Already now, after barely one and a half years, the first fruits have been harvested from the two plots in Kirpal Sagar. The cactus plants can grow and give fruit for up to 25 years.
With its organic, multifaceted circular economy, Kirpal Sagar acts as a role model for the farmers in the region. They learn in practice about proven crops adapted to the local soil and climate conditions, which they can cultivate on their own land to become less dependent on one-sided grain cultivation. In this way, “land service” extends to the surrounding area – service to the land in harmony with nature and for the benefit of all.
