Organic Sundays on a roll in Amritsar

Organic jams and pickles in Organic Market

Amritsar, 27th November, 2016: EcoSikh in collaboration with Dilbir Foundation has made a weekly fixture in the socio cultural life of Amritsar, the Organic Sundays Farmers Market is an event that brings families together to socialise, buy farm fresh vegetables and chemical free products. Raising the bar by declaring the event “Ab Har Sunday Kay Sunday” Dilbir Foundation (DF) has ensured that he weeks produce of the farmers reaches fresh to the citizens of the city, and the regulars have begun to stock their “Poison Free” food supplies for their families for the coming week.

News Coverage – Tribune, World Organic News , Punjab Post

The Fresh food and natural products market is hosted by Shahzada Nand College every Sunday from 10AM to 4PM. The event is a collaborative effort with its President Ms. Sushma Mehra, an avid supporter of the toxin free farmers effort. Dr. Rajinder Clinic was a new addition this time where instructions on mushroom farming and ready kits for homegrown mushrooms were on display. Also available at the clinic were exotic veggie & flower saplings.

Ready kits for homegrown mushrooms along with instructions for farming

In a shocking revelation, EcoAmritsar Project administrator Gurjit Singh acknowledged that farmers today have suffered heavily due to health issues, and each family has lost at least one member to toxic sprays. They realise the poison in the food being grown by them, and have set apart a small patch where they grow naturally cultivated vegetables for their family now. We are encouraging them to expand their nature farming areas and slowly convert to completely pesticide free farms.

A young farmer Kawalpreet has now sown a potato patch free of toxic fertilisers and pesticides. He concedes that working without herbicides, fungicides, weedicides and other chemicals increases their work, but is willing to sacrifice if sufficient market is available for their produce.

Speaking at the fifth Organic Sundays event Mr. Gunbir Singh, Chairman EcoSikh and DF was appreciative of the effort being put up by the farmer who is making the change. He said that this platform is a meeting point for sensible consumers and progressive farmers. The sustainability of the effort is dependent on the people of the city participating in this effort.

It is encouraging, he said, that pickle makers, jam makers, food specialists have now agreed to buy from these farmers Vegetables, fruit and spices to produce organic packaged foods without preservatives. These partnerships will take this Pure Food movement onwards to our goal of returning family health to Punjabis, and restoring the natural fertility to the soils of Punjab. This will also create options for the farmer to reduce dependence on rice and thus curb the degradation and depletion of water in the region.