KOCHI: Catch them young is the motto of the teachers and headmaster of Gandhi Memorial Lower Primary School at Ashtamichira in Thrissur district who have been coming up with various projects that see an active participation of students. And their efforts have been gleaning accolades like the India Book of Records. Recently, the school bagged another recognition. This time around, the school got the State Agriculture Award for the best school at the district level.
The school, which is situated on a one-acre plot of land, has brought half an acre under cultivation. “We started with the cultivation of paddy on land. The initiative was launched to help our children understand the importance of agriculture and also learn its nuances,” said Suresh Kumar, headmaster of the school.
He said, “The school stood sixth at the state level. We were competing against high schools and higher secondary schools.”
The students are also growing vegetables like brinjal, cowpea, okra, butternut, green chillies, plantains, elephant foot yam and tomatoes. “We are following precision farming. This method involves growing vegetables on raised beds that have been covered with sheets to prevent the growth of weeds,” he added.
The cultivation is completely organic, and to control pests, the students are growing marigolds in the fringe parts.
“The flower acts as a pest-control agent not only for the paddy but also for the vegetable plants. This effectively reduces the dependence on pesticides. And this method is ecological farming,” said the headmaster.