Stewards of the Earth: How we are Paving the Way for Soil Regeneration through Synergy Cropping
Mt. Meru Medicines’ doesn’t use just any turmeric - we use only the best, most curcumin-rich variety (Our turmeric has 8-9% curcumin content, greater than any other variety of turmeric). How do we know it’s such great quality? We grow it ourselves! We’ve just completed the planting process for next year’s spring turmeric harvest at our Lakadong turmeric plantations in West Jaintia Hills, Meghalaya, India. Let’s take an insider’s look at the planting process and discuss why synergy cropping and soil regeneration are so close to our hearts.
How Do We Grow the Lakadong Turmeric?
At Mt. Meru Medicines, we value traditional farming above all else. We use ancient farming techniques to ensure that we grow only the finest Lakadong turmeric. Since the tribal farmers in Meghalaya follow a matrilineal system, the women are the guardians of the family land. At this time of year, you’ll find the women in the turmeric beds.
To start, the women create a row by hand, utilizing special tools but no big machinery. Once the row is complete, the female farmers add the mother turmeric rhizomes about a foot apart, giving them space to grow child rhizomes. After the rhizomes are spaced out accordingly, the women add 100% natural manure on top.
Next, the farmers incorporate synergy cropping by adding the seeds of other plants alongside the turmeric. This year, we planted red kidney beans, corn, black beans, pumpkin seeds, and other squash. Synergy cropping - also referred to as intercropping - protects plants from pests so that we never have to use any pesticides. It also boosts the level of curcumin in the turmeric and increases the yield.
Finally, the farmers go back over the bed and cover up the turmeric mother rhizomes and seeds with soil, where they will grow until harvest season. Meghalaya gets rain so abundant that it’s considered the wettest place on earth, so it’s the perfect place to grow Lakadong turmeric.
What is Synergy Cropping?
One of the traditional farming rituals our farmers use is called synergy cropping. When other farmers use big machinery, they dig into the soil and kill millions of microscopic creatures that live underground and on top of the soil. It’s these creatures that make the soil healthy, which then provides nutrients to plants that grow in the soil.
By swapping traditional farming procedures for gentle farming techniques that are done by hand, our farmers are protecting the fungi, bacteria, and other forms of life that create our beautiful Lakadong turmeric. This allows the land to fertilize itself, as it develops symbiotic relationships between the organisms and the rhizosphere. By planting additional seeds with turmeric - beans, squash, and corn - we make the most of the synergistic nature of plants. The other plants can spread fungicide and antibacterial substances, protecting the turmeric from unwanted pests.
These practices also allow us to participate in soil regeneration. In other parts of the world, people take part in monocropping - that is, planting one crop in the same space every year. That crop sucks up the nutrients from the soil, but the soil is never replenished as it’s used by the same crop year after year. With synergy cropping, our farmers are able to regenerate the soil, rebuilding its organic matter and maintaining the biodiversity of the soil. Having healthy soil not only means healthy crops, but it also contributes to drawing carbon from the sky and protecting our atmosphere. Earth Stewardship is our responsibility and we must take it seriously. We must protect the soil for future generations by following traditional farming rituals that contribute toward Soil Regeneration rather than Soil Depletion.
Mt. Meru Premium Lakadong Turmeric Supplements
At Mt. Meru Medicines, we take great pride in taking the slower, more traditional route via synergy cropping. We’re happy to support female farmers, especially because we know that the turmeric they grow for our products is of the highest possible quality. While other turmeric supplement companies use factory-made curcumin extract, we value providing our customers with only the best hand-selected Lakadong turmeric, which is naturally high in curcumin. Enjoy the health benefits of this precious herb by shopping our finest Lakadong turmeric supplements here.
Watch our Video: Planting Lakadong Turmeric with Synergy Cropping in West Jaintia Hills, Meghalaya