Silverfish spill the Golden word!

 By Dr. R Sudarshan B rinjal is controversy's favorite child. Cautiinists say that Solanin causes arthritis. Nutritionists say it enhances cognitive function. Some mind influencers have asked for avoidance. Some chefs have crowned it as the king of vegetables. Brinjal got caught in the muddle of a genetic modification argument. It even got stuck in the middle of adages and aphorisms. But our Brinjal Boulevard on the farm is grand and gorgeous as we believe that nature's production is to be honored by human consumption. Yes, tomorrow at 8 AM, we will have some. And we assemble as always for the mid-week green celebration. Organic Farmers' MIDWEEK MINI MARKET - 29, Wednesday, 28 September 2022, 8 AM to 10 AM * * * Farmer's House, Silverfish Books, Kutz Bowl and the Farmer's Market, #  1A, 13th Cross,  Kalidasa Road,  VV Mohalla, Mysore.

 By  Dr R Sudarshan A few Pill Millipedes have begun to appear on the farm floor in the past week. You touch and they roll into a ball. Birds pick them but can't get past their exoskeleton and drop them everywhere, saving them a crawl. They exude an almond smell, adding to the charm of our fruit orchard.  The receding monsoon has left behind a whole load of rotting leaves and fruits for them to feast on. They help the biomass turn around into usable substances. They are often found in the woodlands, meaning that the farm matures into a wild food forest, to receive their patronage. All that aside, Pill Millipedes are unbelievably beautiful and add to the gorgeousness quotient of the landscape. Farmer's House, Silverfish Books, Kutz Bowl and the Farmer's Market, # 1A, 13th Cross, Kalidasa Road, VV Mohalla, Mysore.

By Dr. R Sudarshan O nce again, Dasara. This land's grand festival. At the end of the 14th Century, on one summer day, the ruler of Mahishuru, Chieftain Chamaraja Bhupati died. The evil Dalvoy Maaranayaka cast his eyes on the chieftain's family and terrorized them. Around then, two young men left their homeland Dwaraka, collected an army to fight the Dalvoy, and took the lordship of the place. Their elder, Yaduraya, started a dynasty, which to date has been in the center stage of Mahishuru that became Mysore and then Mysuru. Through a tumultuous Wodeyar dynastic history of 600 years, our city became a cultural capital of music, art, literature, and traditions, laying a strong foundation for a modern State. Vikram Sampath's narration is a story delight that every Mysorean should indulge in.  This Dasara, read the story of your own modern origins. For any relevant query, message 81051 12990. * * * * * Silverfish Books, Farmer's House, # 1A - 13th Cross, Kalidasa Road, VV ...

By Dr. R Sudarshan T hey call it to star gooseberry. Some call it grape gooseberry and we suspect the adage 'grapes are sour' came from that. They are known to have originated from Madagascar, traveled in prehistoric times to the Philippines, and then spread to the islands of the Pacific to be known as Tahitian gooseberry. They became a rage in Hawaii soon. We know not when and how it came to India, but it captured the imagination of the young in school breaks as nano gooseberry or 'kiru nellikaayi'. We planted it at the farm because our young one was once playfully deprived of it at school by her little friend, years ago. And now, the plant gives plenty while the young one is no more young enough to crave it. The first galaxy is shining bright on a plant on our farm now. Bring along your young ones and let them reach out to the stars. Nibbling on the stars in a tree house at the farm could mean an expression of freedom. Farmer's House, Silverfish Books, Kutz Bowl a...

By Dr. R Sudarshan W hen a person who created a piece of literary jewel signs the book's opening page, it is a personalized narration for you.  It is much like someone wise is looking into your eyes, sitting by the fireplace on a winter night.  It is a feeling of warmth, mildly perfumed fresh breath, and a hand of friendship that's cherished for a long. Indeed, an author-signed book is a collector's delight. Silverfish Books has procured 14 popular titles in multiple copies that bear the ORIGINAL SIGNATURES of the authors themselves.   Pick your choice, turn the pages, absorb the stories, and more than all, feel the presence of the storyteller. THE SIGNATURE COLLECTION The books that bear the authors' original signatures are huddled on a special shelf in the store. A limited edition, this signature collection.  A signature is an introduction to the person, the thoughts, their meandering river of creativity in spate. Turning the pages, one wonders how the same ha...

By Dr. R Sudarshan M ost of the FH community has known Shekhar, who retired as a senior banker and now audits some bank branches in this region. He is a passionate organic farmer that grows small quantities of vegetables in his kitchen garden and brings to Sunday market some quarter kilo of brinjal or 200 grams of cabbage to sell. His quantities have been small but his intention and effort have been big. And every week, he hardly takes home some 70 rupees or 85 rupees in sale proceeds. Suddenly some 3 months ago, Shekhar took to growing mushrooms. His whole universe has now turned around to this good fungus. And he calls every day in excitement about his experiments, failures and success. The pictures he often sends to us, look like they are from some deep space galaxies. He even held a workshop once at Farmer's House on how to grow mushrooms. We guess, even while he audits the banks, his mind may keep mulling about mushrooms. And yes, these days he takes home more money than what...

By Dr. R Sudarshan T he mind preference is slowly turning to smaller sizes concerning vegetables and fruits. Nobody wants the football-sized red lady papaya anymore but wants the first-sized solo. They look for marble-sized eggplant, egg-sized guava, guava-sized watermelon, etc. And so we have taken to growing kumquat, nano orange, mini peaches, etc. When it comes to greens, the community still wants hardcore natives. When it comes to fruits, they like exotic hybrids. Convenience is a split philosophy. Tomorrow at 8 AM, we have the midweek mini market.  Along with the usual, we want to see if people want to buy some exotic plants - blackberry, Taiwanese orange, cilantro ... Organic Farmers' MIDWEEK MINI MARKET - 29, Wednesday, 21 September 2022, 8 AM to 10 AM * * * Farmer's House, Silverfish Books, Kutz Bowl and the Farmer's Market, #  1A, 13th Cross,  Kalidasa Road,  VV Mohalla, Mysore.

By Dr. R Sudarshan T his father takes his child along on a research expedition and tells her there are no bears left on Bear Island in the Arctic outpost. A lingering feeling of legacy interferes with reality for her and she just can't believe what was told to her. She wants a bear and she does finally find one. And that polar bear is a hungry, lonely, long way from home and is missing something exactly like the child herself does.  Hannah Gold has written a remarkable children's book, narrating in a great style the story of the environment, climate change, a child's quest, her emotions, and existential responsibilities. Every child must read the book to figure out the intricate bonds of life on a planet that we all share. And none other than a polar bear's encounters with a child can turn the story of climate change into a lyrical fairy tale of concern. Unputdownable. For any relevant query, message 81051 12990. * * * * * Silverfish Books, Farmer's House, # 1A - 13...

By Dr. R Sudarshan S ome 3 months ago, we found a 2-week-old pup in the middle of a highway, rolled like a croissant, emaciated, and battered by rains. Cars and trucks passed over her but she was too weak to even fear. We brought her home, named her Khajoor, and relocated her to the farm after a week. As weeks passed, she turned into an intelligent dog, took ownership of the farm, and fiercely opposed intruders while melting in the arms of friends and family. She turned very playful and jumped in excitement even for a free-falling leaf from the trees. Two evenings ago, while on guard duty, she didn't realize that a surprisingly beautiful playmate she found was an unforgiving venomous snake. By the time the farm hands rushed in to attend to her screams, she had been bitten thrice and was so much loaded with venom that she lost life in a matter of minutes. From the wilderness of a highway, she came to the wilderness of a farm. Her fate was sealed either way. * * * Farmer's House,...

By Dr. R Sudarshan 102nd Organic Farmers' Market, Sunday, 18 September 2022, 9 AM to 12 Noon I t is we that needlessly recognize farming emotions with the seasons - spring ecstasy, summer anxiety, monsoon misery, winter joy, etc. At the farm for the wilderness, seasons are just only the changing opportunities for survival. Yes, the fruit season is almost over now. But squirrels haven't expressed their agony to us. Instead, they went in for an utterly unusual diet because that was the only low-hanging fruit on an all-season yielding generous plant. Amid this drama, we convene the 102nd market tomorrow. And we scour the farm this evening and early morning to gather all that's edible and marketable. For any relevant query, message 81051 12990. * * * Farmer's House, Silverfish Books, Kutz Bowl and the Farmer's Market, # 1A, 13th Cross, Kalidasa Road, VV Mohalla, Mysore.

By Dr. R Sudarshan A nubhav has done a 3-day recce of the farm to update the insect biodiversity. Hundreds of ultra-close photographs have been taken and the data will take a while for him to organize, identify, update and comment upon. Meanwhile, the record of 187 species, built from past efforts, is likely to be enhanced to over 200 species. We are curious about the new ones, their roles, the way they look, and how they arrived at our organic farm. This time, we allowed an exclusive trip of the children and teachers of Agile Shala, the school of alternate learning, to interact with Anubhav and walk the farm floor. The idea was to allow them to realize that the farm produce that makes their food is touched by hundreds of other creatures of nature and the strange-looking critters and crawlers too are as beautiful as the flowers and fruits are.  All lessons are not always obvious and immediate. If a thin strand of information has underlined the consciousness of these children, and i...

By Dr. R Sudarshan N obody believes if you say you are absolutely bold. And if you don't shiver in fear sometimes and feel the hair on the skin rise, what worth is this damn life!    Bibhutibhushan is a legendary storyteller from Bengal. He narrates nine complex stories here with enviable ease.  A shadow thickens at the end of a room, you hear some breathing in the dark, a child steps out of an old photo and personal ghosts haunt together. You just can't protect yourself with belief in reality. Because ghostly imaginations turn the border walls of reality porous. And fear seeps in. A terrific book on the shelf. Just the correct prescription for those that are suffering an illness called boldness. For any relevant query, message 81051 12990. * * * * * Silverfish Books, Farmer's House, # 1A - 13th Cross, Kalidasa Road, VV Mohalla, Mysore.

By Dr. R Sudarshan I n some four spots across the farm, we placed large earthen bowls and filled them with water for the birds to bathe, drink, and play in. Just to break the monotony of water, we placed a couple of Pistia, the water Rose plants.  Little did we realize that we had set up an uncontrolled and unpredictable system of life. Within 6 months, Pistia packed the pot.  A whole range of insects invaded the spot. Spiders bred in the folds of water roses to prey on the crawlers. Frogs hopped in, hoping for a meal. Little snakes too shared the mischievous pleasure of a lurking opportunity.  We are yet to figure out who hunts whom in the labyrinth of life. We hear that unbelievable things do happen and some spiders may even hunt frogs.  Meanwhile our original target, the birds swoop in too. That's not for a drink of water, but for the incredible banquet, the bowls have come to offer. * * * Farmer's House, Silverfish Books, Kutz Bowl and the Farmer's Market, # 1A, ...

By Dr. R Sudarshan W e all know that some 370 years ago, John Milton sat in a corner with his blind eyes, inside of which he saw on his 'mind so bright' the whole drama unleashed by Satan to avenge God. He dictated line after line to his daughter, who wrote down ' Paradise Lost '. Since God snatched the repute of angels from Satan, he decided to disturb God's perfect creation - the man, the woman, and their serene peace. He brought sin and death to Eden. Milton wondered if God was even justified at all. For centuries, people have read Paradise Lost and held it as one of the most prominent pieces of English literature. The epic floats on a poignant philosophy of the predicament of humans, thoughtfully and bitterly cast by an immensely talented blind poet. A new edition is on the shelf. For any relevant query, message 81051 12990. * * * Silverfish Books, Farmer's House, # 1A - 13th Cross, Kalidasa Road, VV Mohalla, Mysore.

By Dr. R Sudarshan E ven as we harvest for the midweek mini market, Anubhav , our insect conservation expert, is at work at the farm, watching the critters and recording them. Last time around, he found a species that had not been reported for over 100 years in south India. This time, he mentioned that he found some very rare Assassin Bugs. That's a work in progress. We assemble in the morning tomorrow at 8 AM with what we have for the midweek. Lots of purple figs for sure. Organic Farmers' MIDWEEK MINI MARKET - 28, Wednesday, 14 September 2022, 8 AM to 10 AM * * * Farmer's House, Silverfish Books, Kutz Bowl and the Farmer's Market, #  1A, 13th Cross,  Kalidasa Road,  VV Mohalla, Mysore.

By Dr. R Sudarshan T hose of us that are born in a land and society of relative peace will never understand the pains and perils of war. The extreme sufferings people undergo for no fault of theirs and their inescapable fate of circumstances are unbelievable stories for us, as we sip from our mugs of comfort coffee. The civil war in Syria is an ongoing reality of our times. Rania Abouzeid writes the real story of two pairs of sisters, surviving the bullets, broken homes, blasted childhood, and a routine of a revolting rut.  Those are real-life stories of how hope works. A reflection on how the one earth and one time that we all share is an unequal opportunity of existence. On the shelf - a mood that grips you and makes you grateful for what you have. For any relevant query, message 81051 12990. * * * Silverfish Books, Farmer's House, # 1A - 13th Cross, Kalidasa Road, VV Mohalla, Mysore.

By Dr. R Sudarshan I n the dark new moon night of a cloud-free sky, look up and watch all that you can through the naked eyes or through a far peering telescope. All the luminous spots you see of stars, galaxies, planets, and nebulae just form some 15 percent of the universe. The rest of 85 percent is what's unknown, called dark matter.  Govert Schilling explains all the theories and simulations that try to explain dark matter. He reels through the pages, how the best instruments, satellites, and computers have crunched truck loads of data to find no definitive clarity. The enigma of dark matter is such that there are doubts if even the fundamental theories of gravity that we believe in, are correct. A simple, lucid, and story-like narration of the deep science of dark matter written out on white paper. Yes, we still know nothing of our universe, our origin, and our suspension in the unending space of reality. We don't know about the elephant in the room... I mean the universe....

By Dr. R Sudarshan INSECT WATCH -THE MONSOON CENSUS: 7 AM, àWednesday, 14 September 2022 O ur organic farm is a haven for insects where the crawlers have the first right to farm produce. Most of you have known that over 175 species of insects at the farm have been photographed, identified, and recorded on iNaturalist ( https://www.inaturalist.org/observations?q=padma%20farms%20mysore&search_on=tags ).  And every few months, Anubhav, the insect specialist is invited from Chennai to visit, stay on the farm, and update our knowledge on the insects we adore and conserve. Anubhav is again at the farm today and will be watching and recording the species for 3 days and 2 nights in a row, in sunlight, moonlight (cloud cover may prompt him to bring out an incandescent lamp), camera, an endoscope for crevices, etc. On Wednesday morning at 7AM, you may walk with Anubhav at the farm to watch the world of insect freedom. Please register with Saud at 99722 91443 before tomorrow evening. The...

By Dr. R Sudarshan Y es, The mid-monsoon addition to the bookstore is another 500 titles this week. The curator uses a mental algorithm, based on the favorite genres that the community read in the recent quarter, and iteratively adds what the world is reading now. And young people like Sanjana spend a whole lot of silent moments by the bookshelves, browsing the new titles, picking up what appeals to minds, and walking in more often.  A bookstore is like a park where you touch the flowers, see the colors and inhale the aroma, unlike buying online a bouquet. And we see that the young people are increasingly seeing this point. And for such people of fortune, 500 now again. For any relevant query, message 81051 12990. * * * Silverfish Books, Farmer's House, # 1A - 13th Cross, Kalidasa Road, VV Mohalla, Mysore.

By Dr. R Sudarshan 101st Organic Farmers' Market, Sunday, 11 September 2022, 9 AM to 12 Noon A farmer is not just someone who owns an acre and tills the land. A naturalist is not just someone who conserves a piece of biodiverse landscape. The good life is a network of little nuggets of passion. And organic farming is more of a matrix of hygienic practices. Our housekeeping helper Savithramma brought the sugarcane she grew in a garden pot to market. Little Anushka tends to Ragi growing in a front yard spot. Just good intentions have built the market over 100 times. Tomorrow is 101st. For any relevant query, message 81051 12990. * * * Farmer's House, Silverfish Books, Kutz Bowl and the Farmer's Market, # 1A, 13th Cross, Kalidasa Road, VV Mohalla, Mysore.

By Dr. R Sudarshan F or those who lived in the middle of the last century in Mysore, he was their first and last Maharaja, who sat on the elephant that marched in Dasara. In 1971, with the 26th Amendment to the Constitution, all his privileges ended, but he didn't quickly descend from people's minds from royalty.  The Mysore Maharaja was a distinguished intellectual. He knew western symphony as much as he understood the Indian classical. He could speak at length on Vedanta as easily as he could articulate the philosophy of Spinoza. Life talked to him in beautiful metaphors. And no matter whether he was a king or a commoner in the eyes of the law, he held himself in a commendable scholarly dignity.  The biography of a king who lived among us in our city. And now, the shelf is honored. For any relevant query, message 81051 12990. * * * Silverfish Books, Farmer's House, # 1A - 13th Cross, Kalidasa Road, VV Mohalla, Mysore.

By Dr. R Sudarshan G inger loves water. And suddenly a lot of buds have sprung up at the farm and we are looking forward to a riot of pink shampoo ginger flowers. Farm adapts to the vagaries of weather better than we do. That's excitement. The 27th-midweek mini market is at 8 AM tomorrow. We are still going around the farm to check what could be new this week. If we find nothing new, then just the plain unconditional excitement of the market itself will surely spill over the market floor. Organic Farmers' MIDWEEK MINI MARKET - 27, Wednesday, 7 September 2022, 8 AM to 10 AM * * * Farmer's House, Silverfish Books, Kutz Bowl and the Farmer's Market, #  1A, 13th Cross,  Kalidasa Road,  VV Mohalla, Mysore.

By Dr. R Sudarshan 100th Organic Farmers' Market, Sunday, 4 September 2022, 9 AM to 12 Noon W e wouldn't say much this time. We just want to say that the Market tomorrow morning will be the 100th. Thanks to the farmers who have stood along with us in this tough journey of keeping the market alive. Thanks to the community for being supportive. And thanks to mother nature for being consistent and productive, in spite of the battering of weather and human expectations. We look forward to seeing you all tomorrow - at 9 AM. For any relevant query, message 81051 12990. * * * Farmer's House, Silverfish Books, Kutz Bowl and the Farmer's Market, # 1A, 13th Cross, Kalidasa Road, VV Mohalla, Mysore.

By Dr. R Sudarshan T he tender vines, that have just germinated newly from a seed, are so trusting that they wind around any available shoulder. The shoulder may not reach them to sunshine, it may not be strong enough to hold on, it may soon be dead by the termites and so a tender hope of a vine could as well be a wrong choice of life.  So we place a trellis with live wooden pillars that grow roots too and stand firm in support. Even they germinate and turn into live shoulders of moringa or neem. They are then trustworthy of investment of hope, for a long time. A farm is a wild gamble of hope for the just born. When assisted, their tender hope is our robust responsibility. Padma Farms (Gaddige Road), Farmer's House, 1A, 13th Cross, Kalidasa Road, VV Mohalla, Mysore.

By Dr. R Sudarshan R ishabh lives in Bangalore and like the unstoppable energy of the city, he does a hundred things by the minute. He felt excitement at the prospect of reading a book in the tree house and rushed to our bookstore. Next, he bought his favorite book and drove with his mother to the farm to scale the banyan tree. Rishabh became the first person buying a book at the Silverfish Store to drive out to the farm to spend half a day reading in the tree house.   For once, the boy discovered the quieter side of his ebullience. Padma Farms (Gaddige Road), Farmer's House, 1A, 13th Cross, Kalidasa Road, VV Mohalla, Mysore.