Urmila Tawale, a grassroots woman leader and farmer, is bringing about a change in the way farming is practised in Shelgaon Village, located in Kallam Block of Osmanabad District, Maharashtra.
Urmila tai comes from a farming household that is fully engaged in cultivating their 10 acres of land. Associated with SSP for the past 8 years, Urmila tai has emerged as a strong leader and entrepreneur, operating her own dairy, garment, and vermicomposting business. In 2020, Urmila tai began to implement SSP’s Women-led Climate Resilient Farming (WCRF) model of agriculture on a small plot of land that she received through negotiations with her family. Over the next two years, Urmila tai and her family slowly converted the entire 10-acre farm into organically cultivated land, where they are growing grains, vegetables and pulses.
In 2022, Urmila tai received training on vermicomposting and purchased two Vermicompost beds from SURE (Sakhi Unique Rural Enterprise) on an experimental basis. Over the past year, she has been able to harvest the compost three times, using it in her own farm as well as selling it to other farmers. Urmila tai’s vermicompost beds yield 2 tons of compost during each harvest, earning her an income of INR 20,000 every quarter. She sees great scope in the vermicompost business, and plans to install eight more vermicompost beds in her farm to expand the business.
As a role-model for other women in her community, Urmila tai continues to attend Gram Sabha meetings to bring up issues that women in her village are facing. Through her support and guidance, over 20 women have started their own small-scale enterprises, and another 20 farmers have installed vermicompost beds on their own farms.
Swayam Shikshan Prayog
July 07, 2023