HiveComb

Organic farming is on the increase. People are now well aware of the harmful effects of pesticides. Farmers who are primarily concerned with their post-harvest profits do not hesitate to treat their produce with toxic insecticides. I have often noticed the 'meter beans' sprayed with pesticides and kept in food counters in supermarkets in my city. If those who buy these do not wash them properly, then they will surely be affected badly.

Nowadays, organic farm produce is also sold in such supermarkets, but it costs a lot. Even so, people buy it just because of the label. Just because it has a label, we consumers cannot be sure if the farmer has used any inorganic fertilizers. Therefore, it would be a great thing if people did their own bit of farming, even if it is on a bit of land. Those who complain that they do not have land or mud would be surprised if they searched online because the number of people who have taken to farming on their rooftops or terraces and use alternate methods to grow crops is increasing by the day.

State-of-the-art facilities are now available for such farming practices. My classmate from school is now living in the northernmost part of Canada, and yet she does farming during the summer months and stores the produce. If she can do it, so can most people.

Tapioca is a root vegetable and is consumed widely in some parts of Africa and Asia. It is a very good filler and high in starch. Therefore, it is also used in various forms. In Kerala, we use it to prepare curries and papads. If earlier, such recipes were limited to certain communities, it is now available to all people thanks to social media and platforms like YouTube. Anybody can prepare dishes after learning the recipe, and the fresh produce is available all over the world, thanks to the world now becoming a global village. So, even if you belong to a region that does not have such farming produce, you can still get it from the shelves in supermarkets, either fresh or in powder form.

Speaking of powders, jackfruits are very healthy and are now marketed in powder form as food for diabetics. One can use it to prepare breads or in curries. Do check it out.

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