Silverfish spill the Golden word!

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.