Organic Cheesemaking Farmstay in Coonoor, Nilgiris, India.
Organic Cheesemaking Farmstay in Coonoor, Nilgiris, India.
Day School Trips
Basic Details
This will be conducted from 9 am to 6 pm.
The students have to accompanied by a suitable number of teachers to make sure of safety of the children.
The trip consists of a tour around the farm.
This is followed by 2 farm activities. Teachers can select from Index of Activities posted below. We have to be informed in advance about these activities so we can plan them.
Lunch is 1 to 2 pm. We could arrange lunch if given prior notice and in consultation with the teachers beforehand.
Post Lunch activity - Watching the curd being cut. This is followed by tree planting and milking the cows.
Charges for School Trip.
Please call and discuss this with Mansoor at 94432-32621.
Overnight Camp Trips
Practicall Activities
Bird watching - taking photos if they have cameras.
Brickmaking - making adobe bricks with soil on the land.
Milking & Feeding the cows - preparing their dry feed with water and azolla.
Feeding other farm animals - Goats, ducks, geese, hens and fish.
Cheesemaking - From collecting milk from the cows to pressing the cheese and adding flavours.
Preparing raised beds for growing vegetables.
Planting vegetables & trees - making pits, adding compost, gobar, neem cake and soil.
Vermiculture & Vermicomposting - feeding the earthworms and discussing principles involved.
Preparing a bio-dynamic compost pile - explaining principles of permaculture and bio-dynamic farming.
Short trek thru property and adjacent area - explaining flora and fauna.
Notes & Lectures
Each part of the practical activities will be explained with suitable lectures. Children are encouraged to take course notes to take home and revise later.
We have a set of course notes that can be made available for students to refer too.
Some basic lectures on state of the world, loss of biodiversity, soil rejuvenation and resource depletion.
Some history of indigenous people and their methods of preserving the environment.
Accommodation
We have 5 rooms spread in our 3 cottages. These can normally accommodate 20 guests.
In the case of school kids we will be providing more mattresses so that more children can be accommodated in our facilities. Matresses can be used on the floor in the rooms and in the living room of Haloumi House and Cheddar House.
Food
We can provide simple but wholseome vegetarian meals. Menu will be listed here but it can be discussed with the faculty.
Snacks and Tea can be provide in the evening between activities.
Safety
As we are in a wild and open area we need to consider safety in various ways. We will discuss the rules for saftey with the teachers.
There are 2 ponds on our farm and the children have to do be advised to go near them only in the presence of their teachers. Swimming or dipping in the ponds is strictly prohibited.
No one is allowed to move around after dark unless there is a planned activity and teachers are accompanying the children.
Rules & Regulations
Please use the room and fittings with care.
Do not leave electronic gadgets plugged in longer than necessary and definitely remove them when there is a thunder and lightning.
No member of the group is allowed to smoke or drink alcoholic beverages.
This can only be determined after discussing the events, number of children, number of days etc.
Please call and discuss this with Mansoor at 94432-32621.
Preparing their dry feed with water and azolla. Information on Azolla and its usefulness.
Preparing dry feed for ducks, geese, hens and fish.
Cutting shrubs to feed the goats.
From collecting milk from the cows to pressing the cheese and adding flavours. Explanation of the basic cheesemaking process. Pasteurizing, adding culture, rennet, ripening the curd, draining curd and pressing the cheese. Explanation on maturing hard cheeses. Difference between other types of cheeses.
Method of preparing a raised bed for growing vegetables. Reasons for doing this. Intercropping of different types of vegetables to manage pest control and soil health.
Digging pits, adding compost, gobar, neem cake and soil. Planting the vegetables from seed or sapling. Planting tree saplings.
Adding organic matter to compost heaps. Feeding the earthworms and discussing principles involved.
Explaining principles of composting and use of biodynamic preparations to enhance the process. Prepare a biodynamic compost pile from scratch and discuss how to maintain it.
This trip can serve as a break from the other activites and also a chance to observe birds, flora and fauna. Spotting and Identifying types of birds. Reading up on them in our course notes. If possible taking photos of them.