Laxmibai Jaigude is a 90-year-old farmer lady, whose son, also an agriculturist, has taken to total organic farming. She believes she lives in paradise at their family farmhouse amidst lush greenery and savouring food that is pure, simple and nutritious. She shares tips for healthy living...
Kelawade village is 30 km from Pune, off Pune-Satara-Bangalore Highway. Innumerable tracts of agricultural land are laden with the bounty of crops, effusing prosperity of the farmers in this region. While several of them use chemical pesticides, Tatya Jaigude pursues organic farming and has admirably converted his 14 acres of barren land into a lush field, growing traditional as well as exotic vegetables and fruits. He is 40-odd years old, holds a Bachelor of Arts degree and claims to have visited a few countries from where he learnt the nuances of growing exotic varieties in India although it has a different temperature and environment conditions than the original country of the crop.
Tatya’s main USP is that all his crops are grown entirely through organic manure made from dried leaves and cow dung that he gets aplenty in his undulating farm. He supplies his vegetables and fruits to various malls in Mumbai and Pune where demand is growing for pesticide-free food. He proudly shows you around his farm, reminding us that we are breathing oxygen- powered air that is higher than in the cities and all that is grown, abides by the natural principles of Mother Nature.
Undoubtedly, it was a whiff of fresh air, literally and metaphorically, to wind through his farm, touching and feeling the luscious vegetable and fruit crops, posing for a photograph on the sacks of onions dumped in the middle of the freshly tilled area, plucking out drumsticks and getting overawed at the large-size cauliflowers and broccoli. The trip concluded with he escorting us to his farmhouse which seemed like a modest house. Unlike the palatial farmhouses that we see in the outskirts of cities. Shedding off modesty, Tatya stated, “this is my genuine farmhouse. No frill and fancies but just to serve the purpose of being with my plants, whenever I can.’’ He otherwise lives about 10 km from there, in a plush 6,000-sq ft bungalow! Some years back, he proudly narrates, how he saved the life of his wife who was hospitalised for swine flu and was able to pay a whopping Rs.70 lakh hospitalisation bill, without taking any loan. “My farm is my gold mine and my indirect moneylender,” he says.
Soon, his mother , Laxmibai came out in the veranda of the farmhouse. I admired her alertness and though bent, she seemed to be all full of life. “What is your exact age?’’ I asked. She smiled and said she is 90 years old. What’s the secret of your good health? I asked. “It’s all about being close to nature,’’ she pontificated and added, “wake up as the sun rises, eat when hungry, eat home food, chew and eat and sleep latest by 9.30-10pm.’’ Most of which she rattled out seemed like a prescription from our urban dietitians, who charge exorbitant fees to tell you this simple truth.
Most of the tips which Laxmibai gave resonate in the plush dietary clinics and swanky health clubs. And here’s our rustic lady who rattles it all out as she converses–after all, they say, the best things in life come free!
Laxmibai Jaigude, 90-year-old farmer lady, proudly displays her photo portrait of her youthful days; reveals the secret of good health and active life when she says, “You are what you eat, so watch what you eat.’’ Don’t our diet experts say the same?I asked Laxmibai to elaborate further about her daily routine. She said, “I wake up at around 4-5 am and have a cup of tea. This is made without milk and with a teaspoon of jaggery (please note: avoiding dairy products to fight lifestyle diseases is a familiar recommendation of diet experts but this grand old, rustic lady, is way ahead of us). Then, at around 10.30 am, I have a complete lunch comprising jowar bhakri, two vegetables, dal and chutney.’’ And then pointing out, to a large-sized water container she says, “after that, I keep drinking water the whole day. That is the main trick to remain healthy—drink plenty of water (again a familiar note?).’’
“What about dinner?”, I asked. Laxmibai replied, “I eat little khichadi made of rice and moong dal.’’ She adds proudly, “even at this age I work in the farm. I can’t work for long hours but I ensure that I contribute for at least half an hour to one hour. on the field.’’
Why doesn’t she stay in the luxurious 6,000-sq ft bungalow that her son has constructed? Says she with disdain, “I can’t stay there for more than two days. You know, they close all the windows and doors and put on the air-conditioner. It is so uncomfortable and claustrophobic. See here, I sit in this veranda, surrounded by greenery and cool breeze. I hear the birds sing and cows mooing. Isn’t it more healthy and refreshing here?’’ I nod my head, in admiration as well as in envy.
What about her next generation? Do they follow her advice? Says she candidly, “Oh no, my daughters-in-law have put on so much weight! Naturally, they indulge in eating samosas and other junk food. The main clique of good health is to eat only when you are hungry; not have a full meal even after you have snacked a couple of hours before.’’ She gives another pearl of wisdom. “Do you get acidity like most people living in cities, do? Then eat a handful of raw groundnuts and jaggery. It works wonders.’’ She takes fistful of groundnuts that she has just shelled and offers them to us. Pointing to the vegetables, plucked freshly by her son, she says, “eat a lot of bean vegetables and greens to keep your health going strong.’’
Most of the tips which Laxmibai gave, resonate in the plush dietary clinics and swanky health clubs. And here’s our rustic lady who rattles it all out as she converses with us —after all, they say, the best things in life come free!
As the 20th-century spiritual guru, Osho, states: “Our wrong attitudes towards food are becoming dangerous for us. They are proving to be very costly. They have taken us to a point where we are somehow just alive. Our food does not seem to create health in us, it seems to create sickness. It is a surprising situation when food starts making us sick. It is as if the sun rising in the morning creates darkness. This would be an equally surprising and strange thing to happen.’’
So, make food your friend and not your enemy. This rustic lady indeed has great working knowledge of it, which corporate managers can benefit from!
Dr (Col.) A. Balasubramanian
