Native Seeds ​

In this video Madaswamy describes how he switched from buying hybrid seeds to  native seeds from Anisha's seed bank.

         Well stocked central seedbank 

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Typical seed packet: 
"Sundaikkai Vatra" or Pea Eggplant. Seeds available also in very small quantities.
For availability and prices write to
[email protected]

Collecting millet seeds

 Many of the hybrid seeds available to the farmers for purchase can only be used for one season and do not produce a good yield if used for a second crop.  Native seeds, on the other hand, can be harvested each year and used again the following year or stored for many years.  Native seeds will keep their strength of germination for decades. Because farmers were spending so much money buying hybrid seeds, many native varieties had been lost, so Anisha began to start a seed bank. 

The seed bank provides native seeds to farmers free of charge or in exchange for manure or compost.  At the end of the growing season, the farmers give back seeds to Anisha from their harvest. In order to have seeds available when needed, some farmers have also started their own small collections of seeds at home and trade these with their neighbours.

Anisha’s seed bank keeps more than 400 varieties. These include multiple varieties of millet, rice and lentils as well as vegetables such as tomatoes, squash and beans, various gourds.  Annually, Anisha distributes thousands of seeds to residents in the Martalli region. In 2017, Anisha started to accept mailorders for seeds. 

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Cherry Tomatoes

Field Beans

Bottle gourds varieties

One of 32 millet varieties grown

Even carrot seeds are raised on the Anisha trial plots

Lentils and Ocra

Growing vegetables in used rice bags

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OTHER PROGRAM AREAS

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MAILING ADDRESS: Anisha . Kadabur Village . Odaradotti . Martalli Post . Kollegal Taluk . Pin Code 571444 . Chmarajnagar District . Karnataka State India
E-MAIL: [email protected]    .    PHONE: (91) 9448872207

@Website, videos and photos by Myra Margolin.  Additional design by Osanna Favre and additional photos by Anisha, the Human Force Volunteer Camp, Renee Zimmer
and  Aminah Herrman. Updates Renee Zimmer and Valli Krishnaswamy, eMail Renee: [email protected]