“If we experienced life through the eyes of a child, everything would be magical and extraordinary.” This quote came to my mind when I saw the children's excitement about seeing the cows and their calves at our Goshala.Both our Kinder gardener and Be A Farmer program participants came to Organo Goshala located at Bakaram Village to learn about types of cows, fodder, biogas, the journey of milk and so many other things about goshala. After four learning sessions about plants, their fifth session was about learning about animals.
For hundreds of years, Indians have respected, revered, and treated cows with dignity. They have a massive significance in our culture and traditions. Their role in Indian agriculture and villager's daily life is irreplaceable. For ages, they have been an important source of food and labor. This leads Indians to believe that protecting these animals is a way of paying their gratitude to these animals. The concept of Goshala is believed to be introduced by Raja Rao Yudhishter Singh Yadav in the Rewari region of Haryana.
When all the children gathered, OES Program Co-ordinator, Ms.Garima Goel greeted all of them warmly and mentioned the purpose of this trip to Organo Goshla. She was very happy to see all the participants getting excited about seeing and meeting the cows. One of the main reasons for organizing this educational trip was to satisfy the inquisitiveness of children, from where the cow urine and cow dung came from that they used for making Jeevamrutham.
She then introduced Prabha Dhamodharan and Lakshmi Battula who are General Manager - Farming at Organo and manage and run Organo’s Dairy Incubation Center at Bakaram. They both started explaining to the children, how desi cows differ from western cows. Prabha Dhamodharan said we can easily spot a desi cow from a western cow with their unique features such as having a hump, a curved back, a long tail, and a triangular tail bone among many other features. She also explained how the milk of desi cows is more beneficial to human health.
After learning about desi cows, they all went to the fields where the fodder for the cows is grown. Prabha and Lakshmi showed the children & parents how the food for the cows is grown organically in the Bakaram farm. They also talked about different types of fodder grown in those fields. Super Napier and Hedge Lusan are the two main varieties of fodder used for these cows as they are rich in protein. Prabha also shared with the parents her experiences in growing fodder with hydroponic methods and told them about its significance.
Coming from the fields, children were shown the biogas plant. Lakshmi Battula described how cow dung is converted into gaseous energy using it.
Children were taken to the cow shed to have a unique experience. They were all delighted to pat the cows and feed them bananas. There was a newborn calf among the cows, it was gently caressed by parents and children alike. After feeding bananas children were also given fresh grass to feed the cows. They very happily ran to the cows along with grass and started feeding them.
All of them were shown how to milk the cows. Chotu, supervisor at Goshala practically demonstrated the milking process for all the children. He talked about why it is essential to feed the calf before milking the cow. Children were astonished to see how the milk was coming from the cow’s udder.
After an informative tour around the goshala and farm, seeing Gir cows, fodder, biogas, the milking process, and milk products, they all sat to clarify their doubts. Prabha Dhamodharn patiently clarified all their doubts regarding cows, milk and goshala.
Toward the end of the session, all parents and participant children were offered fresh buttermilk and Paayasam made with farm-grown in-house rice from Bakaram. They all liked both the snacks and enjoyed the freshness at the same time. One of the participant who initially said she doesn't like buttermilk, took some to taste, after trying she liked it so much that she asked for more buttermilk.
Before leaving and bidding goodbyes, children and parents were invited to take some fresh carrots back home. These carrots are grown using natural farming methods at Organo Et School Childrens’ Farm. They all were very happy with a Sunday well spent along with cows and calves at the goshala.
Organo Et School strives to empower people to embrace eco-living mindsets, behaviors, and habits. We recognize that for any positive impact to be sustainable, it must be long-term and inter-generational.
Organo Et School is a learning initiative set up by Organo in 2017 and has been facilitating field visits and workshops for Schools and Interest Groups. Organo Et School has had over 25+ schools, 6500+ students, and 3000+ adults participate over the last 5 years.
You can find our upcoming workshops here → https://www.organoetschool.co.in/registration
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