ISKCON Farm --- in Mysore                                                                       
Biodynamic Vanilla, Sugar Cane, Rice, Spices & Vegetables

Rice as far as the eye can see!

The ISKCON Farm is a 200 acre property near Mysore, which has been practising biodynamic management for over 7 years.

The farm has a large area growing coconut and banana, under the shade of which is grown vanilla. Gliricidia is used extensively for shelter, poles to support the vanilla vines and the foliage is one of the components of the compost along with other biomass grown on the farm, and the dung from the herd of 50 indigenous cattle of different breeds. As much as 1500 cubic metres of biodynamic compost is made annually.

This compost, along with up to 5 applications of preparation BD500 and CPP per year, has transformed what was very marginal land into very fertile soil with a high humus content and resultant good structure and water holding capacity. It has the lovely soft feel of strong biodynamic soil.

 
Making Compost

 
Compost Heaps in between sugar cane

This farm makes its own preparation BD500. The quality of all the crops grown on the farm is enhanced by regularly spraying with silica BD501, particularly when the Moon is in opposition to Saturn.

Making BD Prep pits

 
Burying BD500

Class Participation!

Filling the pit!

As well as vanilla, the farm is also growing commercial crops of sugar cane which is processed into jaggery, and rice, ginger, turmeric, pepper and a full range of vegetables.

Interestingly the rice production is about 25% greater than that of the local farmers, who prefer to buy Jai's rice for seed as it is very reliable.

The farm produce is sold at the Hare Krishna Temple in Bangalore, and in other towns of Karnataka.

The vanilla is exported as certified organic.

Packing dried vanilla beans for export

Vegetables

Intercropping - finger millet growing between sugar cane where compost had been made, a fertile environment for the Mycorrhizal fungi!

The above text as Biodynamic Management of Vanilla & Much More