Santosh Turmeric

Growing symbiotically amidst Suresh Desai’s sugarcane, this Santosh turmeric draws its distinct flavor from the warm Belgaum sun and from the robust, carefully nurtured soil where it resides. This root is named after Nandini’s Nani (grandmother), who called Belgaum home for many years, and whose ever-present warmth is so alike the radiant flavor of this turmeric.

Savor this finely ground root within your home, among any soups, stews, or lentils.

Regenerative Farmer: Suresh Desai

In the Belgaum district of Karnataka, India, Suresh Desai has been a vanguard of regenerative agriculture. A founding member of the 400+ member Organic Farmers Club of Karnataka, he has been both a pioneer for the regenerative model, and a prolific teacher of this farming technique. His groundbreaking research has been published in the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations as a case study for ‘Farmer Innovation, Community Development and the Ecological Management in Organic Agriculture’ ¹. Suresh’s structure of horticulture reduces water usage by 75-80% compared to conventional practices. Much of this is attributed by the painstaking care of soil fertility, which is sustained by focusing on four key factors:

• Reduced irrigation: With reduced irrigation, salt build-up is minimized, as are any losses of nutrients in the soil from leaching. Soil compaction, which can halt healthy root growth, is also curbed.

• Waste Composting: Utilizing natural waste as mulch and distributing it on the fields reduces evaporation of moisture in the soil considerably. This also serves to protect the soil from the direct impact of the elements.

• Green Manure: An intricate mixture of chickpea, cowpea, mustard, amaranth, horse gram sesame, sunn hemp and coriander make up the organic manure used on Suresh’s farm. This high-nitrogen blend helps balance the relatively large carbon content of the waste that is used as mulch.

• Soil Conditioning: A conditioner made of 250 grams of wet yeast, 500 grams of jiggery, 10 kilograms of cow manure and water is applied to the natural waste mulch at the time of irrigation. This enhances the proliferation of helpful and crucial fungi, who will assist in breaking down the waste contained in the mulch. This also boosts the water retention of the soil, allowing for reduced irrigation.