A day in the farm

An upcoming holiday at work is always an occasion to plan for a short vacation, particularly when you have just 2 days of leave. The challenge then is to find new and interesting places close to Guwahati, where we are based.

26^th November this year was one such occasion when we had 2 days to ourselves. Initially, we had planned and decided on spending a night at Orang National Park on the banks of the Brahmaputra river in Assam. As the time to travel came closer many of my co-travellers insisted on doing a day-trip and returning to Guwahati on the same day. And so we decided on visiting IKAI Organic’s farm in Ri-Bhoi district in Meghalaya.

I have visited this farm several times before but every trip here adds a new meaning to life. That’s because even though the farm is not too far from big cities like Guwahati, it remains pristine, with a lush forest cover and is nestled amongst a river, streams, mountains and nature.

So at 9:00 AM on 26^th November, our little group set out to experience life on the farm. It’s not easy to reach the farm as one has to travel on rugged terrain without proper roads in some areas. Fortunately, the officials from the farm guided us on the best route for our journey. As we crossed Barnihat and turned towards the villages in Ribhoi district we realized were now traveling parallel to a beautiful stream that would stay with us for a large part of our remaining journey.

Glimpses of village life now became a regular feature of the landscape and the excitement in the car began building up. You don’t see to many vehicles from this point onwards. The little stream that stayed with us transformed into a river in Umsohpai.

Soon a bridge that crosses the river came into view along with a narrow hanging bridge made of bamboo right next to it. 2 wheelers and pedestrians were using the narrow bridge to cross over. But cars and SUVs needed to take a diversion because the bridge over the river does not have approach road. This meant that our car would have to cross the bed of the river to go further. But the river water was 3 feet high and we were in no position to go past it in our car.

This is where our little adventure began. We had to leave the car, send our supplies on the motorbike of a farm official, cross over the narrow bamboo bridge and walk for the remaining journey. As we crossed over, we braced ourselves for a long walk ahead. Fortunately, a truck owner whose vehicle was parked on the other side spotted us. On realizing that we are headed to the farm he readily agreed to ferry us.

It was a beautiful day to be on the farm and a wonderful way to reach it. The sun was shining with all its might and the wind was blowing in full gust. From our vantage point we could see small plantations, thousands of trees, several small water bodies, a river and medium-sized farmer camps surrounded by hills on all sides. It was a breathtaking sight to see so many people living in such peace and harmony with nature.

When we reached the largest lake on the farm, we could see a flurry of activity as villagers came out to fish on the holiday. There was laughter, fun and merriment all around. Men, women and children were all a part of the festivities.   After the heart-warming scenes here and a wonderful meal made with organic food, we headed for the turmeric plantations.

At this time of the year the turmeric plant is closer to its last few weeks before harvest. So the sight is really not what one expects. Instead of a lush green patch of land, the plants almost fall over to form a brown cover. The browner the leaves, the bigger is the turmeric root. The turmeric grown on this farm is Local, Megha and Lakadong variety which are known to be high in Curcumin content. Curcumin is the active ingredient in turmeric that is responsible for the nutritional and medicinal value of the produce.

By the time we were done with out little tour of the farm, the sun was setting and the temperature was dipping. The landscape looked spectacular in its golden hues. Soon it was time for us to head back to the hustle and bustle of the city. Each of us packed small supplies of organic fruits, vegetables and spices with us. We drove away from the farm with a sense of joy and peace. Truly, there is nothing like oneness with nature.