Week 1 at the farm
This first week has been an absolute whirlwind - in the very best way.
It’s crazy to think that an entire week has gone by, and yet, I’m in awe that I haven’t been living here for a full month already. I arrived at the farm on the morning of March 1st, just one day before a week full of activities, events and celebrations were about to occur. I had no idea that any this was going to take place but I genuinely could not have asked for a better surprise.
The farm was preparing to host a group of 40-50 women from all over the world who are all part of an international network of women founded in 1997 called Diverse Women for Diversity. These women have been working together along with Dr Vandana Shiva to fight against the many atrocities of the global industrial food system - from rewriting laws against seed patents, to lobbying government, protecting indigenous land and water rights, and much more. There are women from Japan, Italy, Puerto Rico, Colombia, Canada, The United States, Australia, India, Germany, Finland, Brazil, South Africa, France, and Spain.
As a Bijak (farm volunteer) I got to join in with the group and all of the festivities they had planned for the following four days.
It was immensely nourishing to be surrounded by such powerful, pure-hearted women and I was reminded that, while it’s easy to feel small when working against something so big, we are all interconnected whether in the same physical location or not. I imagined these lights all across the globe each shining brighter and brighter as we continue forward, holding the essence of love and the truth we know that is possible — our separate work enhancing that of the other.
There have been many goodbyes yesterday and today as the group has slowly left the farm. I am feeling the sadness of having such short time together and filled with gratitude that this has been the start to my journey.
Some highlights from our week together:
Diverse Women for Diversity Festival
The main event was an all-day festival that took place on March 4th at the farm. This festival was a celebration of the rich diversity of life, cultures, food and knowledge. Along with the 40+ women who had already arrived at the farm, more than 100 women farmers from states across India — all part of Navdanya’s farmer network —joined the festivities.
Women offered prays, sang invocations and traditional folk songs, shared stories, planted seeds from each region represented in a Mandala garden, hugged, danced, shed tears and witnessed the magic that happens when women come together for a common goal.
This day represented everything that we seeking to change the food system are fighting for - the richness of life, the possibility for each and every one of us to be sovereign in our health and our ability to feed ourselves, the intrinsic connection between diversity of seed, diversity of culture, and the diversity life, and just how food truly is the thread that connects every one of us. I know it will be forever etched in my heart.
Charba Village
We visited a local village about 45 minutes from the farm called Charba. There we were met with a group of women farmers whose strength and resiliency emanated through their presence. Charba village is special as it is one of the few that was able to prevent a Coca Cola plant from being built 10 years ago and completely wreaking havoc on their livelihoods and that of their entire village. Together with the help of Navdanya, over 500 people organized in protest and were able to stop the plant from being built. We got to connect with the women, listen to their local songs, dance and eat lunch together. Very few of the women spoke English, but the connection was very much still felt. There were a few of the Navdanya team present that were able to translate when needed, but there was plenty to be communicated through our hearts and body language that made the day feel so full - and seemed to be felt on all ends. I also met the sweetest young girls who were there with their mothers.
Ponta Gurudwara
We also spent one day at a Sikh temple about an hour from the farm called Ponta Gurudwara. This temple is known all across India and serves up to 70,000 people in one day. FOR FREE. This place was humongous and absolutely astonishing.
Holi & International Women’s Day
The celebrations concluded on March 8th with Holi & International Women’s Day - which happened to fall on the same day! Holi is the festival of colors and joy. On this day people celebrate the end of Winter and beginning of Spring by throwing colorful powders on one another and it’s truly a day of PLAY.
All the colors used were made on the farm from ground plants (flowers, roots, turmeric, beets and purple carrots for purple) mixed with arrowroot powder and dried for 5-6 days.
