Santosh Salve was on cloud nine when WOTR began its work in the Ambad block of Jalna district in Maharashtra. As WOTR started working with the local community to promote climate-resilient agriculture, Santosh approached the team with a specific interest – building a low-cost setup to prepare vermicompost.
A few years back, Santosh ( a small farmer from village Shiradhon in Maharashtra), learnt about the benefits of vermicomposting and organic farming. In 2018, he even tried to build a vermicompost bed but couldn’t complete the task.
WOTR provided Santosh with thorough, step-by-step training to start a vermicompost unit. He was also given a starter culture of earthworms. With their hard work and commitment, Santosh and his wife got the first batch of the compost ready – in just three months! This took an initial investment of Rs 2,000 where WOTR supported him with 75% of the cost.
By creating 11 bags of vermicompost, Santosh made a remarkable saving of over Rs 25,000 in chemical fertilizers and pesticides. As a result, his fields are lush green, and the soil is growing healthy. Through his association with WOTR, Santosh learnt about various farming practices that effectively retain soil moisture and other nutrients.
Today, Santosh is not only a progressive farmer but a thought leader in his community. He actively participates in all the training programs and field demonstrations to promote chemical-free, sustainable agriculture.
And that’s not all! He is now ready to invest in building five more composting beds and sell vermicompost. This will not only serve as an additional income but will also give a boost to chemical-free practices.
Organic farming has opened new avenues of income for Santosh and his family.
