Indian Farmer Promotes “Magic Farming”

The notion of harvesting tons of crops from soil, water, a handful of seeds and fertilizer has a magic quality to it – and an Indian farmer in Bihar has used magic shows to convince other farmers to turn to organic methods. An NGO program on organic farming in 2001 convinced Shreekant Kushwaha that organic farming produced higher yields more quickly, and he credits the methods for changing his fortunes, reports Amarnath Tewary for BBC News. The owner of a two-acre plot had no formal education; he once struggled to feed his family and now owns a home, a vehicle, and sends his children to school. In 2003, he noticed how a magic show held an audience’s attention and set out to learn more than 500 tricks to teach other farmers the benefits of organic farming. He links agriculture and magic shows with science and education, and Bihar has certified his village, Govindpur, as the first organic village in the state. – YaleGlobal