Sustainable Integrated Farming System Approach- SIFS

On July 1st, 2010 Vaagdhara has successfully launched AGRICULTURE ANIMAL HUSBANDARY SYSTEM (AAS) TO SUSTAIN LIVELIHOOD OF VULNERABLE FAMILIES of Anand Puri Block in Banswara District Rajasthan in Partnership with German Agro Action The target villages are Bada Talab, Jalampura, Pithapura, Ratapan, Thapda and Udaipura Bada

The overall strategy is to improve the resource management at family and group level to result into increased productivity of per unit water and per unit piece of land for poor families which can be achieved through reduction in input cost, additional area/source of income. Attempts would have to be made to identify smaller interventions, which can help such families to reduce direct input cost and maintain sustainability. Long lasting effects on sustainability of the promoted practices will be attained through Participatory Technology Development Approach – PTDA, with Family-to-Family Planning (FFP). It will have following key activities.

• Resource Sharing Mechanism
• Low External Input Sustainable Agriculture (LEISA); Seed production and seed bank and water saving devices; In-situ SWC practices like mixed cropping, Strip cropping etc.; Vedic Farming, Organic farming, natural farming Vermi- compost; Agronomic work - weeding, tilling, nindai gudai, summer ploughing etc
• Additional area under production through Alternate Land Use Systems through; Sloping Agriculture Land Technology; Agro-forestry; Agro-horticulture; Medicinal plants; Vegetable cultivation and Nutritional Kitchen Garden
• Professional approach in Animal Husbandry; Back-yard Poultry; Commercial Goat rearing; Fodder Banks and management and Community owned service providers
• Apex – Body formation - institution set up for microfinance and market linkages
• Promoting income generation through traditional Food Preservation System (drying of vegetables, achar, Papar, Badi etc)
• Mainstreaming Women through; Gender Sensitization of community; Empowerment of rural women); Preventive Health management through –Dadi Ma ke Nuskhe (SHGs)