Agriculture is what we do, what we eat and what we are

Everything starts from agriculture. From time immemorial, agriculture has been the basic work that people indulged in. Earlier, there was nothing else to do, no industries, no computers, no commercialization – right from the time humankind discovered fire, agriculture emerged.  

People of ancient times were closely connected to nature. Their day started with the rising sun and the chirping of birds. The first thing they saw after waking up was greenery, nature. This is unlike today when our day starts after the sun has risen up in the sky and the birds are long gone.  

The first thing we see is our smartphone. What a disconnection with nature!  

Yet, agriculture is still shining. There are so many agriculture business ideas for 2021! It does not matter how smarter our technologies become, Mother Earth still produces rich harvest for us to eat from soil. The basics of agriculture are the same – you need a fertile soil; you need seeds; you need water and sunlight for crops to grow.  

Do you know India has 7 major soil types? 

Dr. R. K. Teotia (M.Sc. Ag and MBA), the President of Marketing Division of Krishi Jagran quotes, “India is the only country in the world where you can find almost all fruits and vegetables being cultivated somewhere at any point of time. All thanks to our 16 agro-climatic zones. Say, you won’t find mangoes in North India during Jan-Feb, but South India is producing mangoes in this season! This shows the rich diversity of India.”  

He adds, “Our ancient civilizations like the Indus Valley civilization began with agriculture. Earlier, people habituated a certain area based on the richness of the soil and the proximity to a river (water availability). There are hidden treasures in agriculture” 

In other words, the ability of a particular area to produce crops and the ease of water consumption were the two deciding factors to form a civilization there.  

Technology, no matter how advanced it becomes, does not drive agriculture. Nature does. And will continue to do so. That’s the very reason we must respect the natural elements – earth, water, air, fire, and ether. These are the 5 elements that make us and our planet.  

We must love nature as much as we love our smartphones and other materialistic things. Because we must not forget that the raw material to make these things has come from agriculture. Everything in our life is related to agriculture, directly or indirectly.  

The modern generation is surrounded with radiations – wifi, 4G, 5G, microwaves, smartphones, computers, and so on. They disturb our energy fields that is made up of 5 elements.  

Ever wondered why you feel good in a park, at a hill station, in your hometown, or while gardening? It’s because you become re-connected with nature and your five elements become balanced. Doctors have proved that gardening is beneficial for your body and mind. Even a small balcony or terrace garden can balance your elements.  

The entire process of: 

• Ploughing the field

• Tilling the land

• Sowing seeds

• Watching seeds germinate and turn into saplings

• Observing the young plants mature, flower, and fruit

• Harvesting the crop

• Storing the lovely fresh produce – the “fruits” of your hard work

 All this connects you to Nature’s Divine energies.  

Perhaps that’s why people of the past were healthier, stronger, could sense subtle energies, could endure hard work, and did not require nutritional supplements. They also did not require apps to wake them up or remind them of things to do.  

And, of course, they didn’t require protein shakes and the gym! Their field was their gym. No matter how modern we become, we must not lose our touch with the root – soil. This is what we are made of and this is what we will become when we die.  

Agriculture is what we do, what we eat, and what we are.  

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in the article are solely of the author and does not intend to promote or demote any technological advancement)