As part of sustainable agricultural practice for the past eight years, Tyaba Farms does not use any chemicals in the form of fertilizers, pesticides, insecticides, herbicides, growth hormones and enhancers. Before 2007, the farm was untilled for a period exceeding five years. Therefore, any chemicals that may have been in the soil from previous conventional agricultural practices have easily been leached by Nature.

We produce our own compost from barnyard waste obtained from adjoining farms. The period of composting is about 9 months. The Farm is shifting to the use of chicken droppings from our boiler operations which will provide us with a cleaner “raw material” for the composting operation. The birds are only fed organic (more than 80%) and some natural grains and vegetation from the Farm itself. We also use green compost to provide substance to the soil and to rebuild the organic matter in it.

As we have employees that continue to hoe the vegetable beds, we do not use any herbicide.

We produce our own pesticide and insecticide by fermenting using the heat from sun’s rays a combination of tobacco, “akh” plant leaves, stems and its purple/pink blossoms (the stems of “akh” emit a white fluid when snapped), neem berries and leaves, red chilies, garlic and a mild soft soap solution. The soap is used to create a thin film on the pest after it is sprayed so that the effect of the pesticide can materialize.

The method is not a perfect solution for the tough tropical bugs that we have in Malir! However, the spray stuns most of the pests and insects for varying periods. During this period, we hope and pray that Nature’s other creepy crawlies make a midnight meal out of the bad guys. We are thus able to maintain the Natures’ Cycle instead of truncating it by harmful chemical medicine.

We are an equal opportunity employer offering a modest social and economic safety net for our colleagues who work with us on the farm and the distribution system.