Loten's Sunbird

This sunbird feeds on small insects and spiders, and builds hanging nests, often bobbing its head while foraging. Males of the species possess tufts of yellow mixed with crimson that’s used in displays. These are mainly glossy, purple-hued birds.

Their long bills that are curved downwards and brush-tipped tubular tongues enable them to feed on nectar. The bird also performs ‘pest control’ on the plantations at Coorg.

Basking Glory!

The Loten’s Sunbird breeds between November and March, its nest being a ‘bag’ woven from webs, bark and caterpillar frass.

Recall seeing this bird sunning itself in Coorg?:)

A Paradise Called Coorg!

The undulating land causes the coffee and paddy lands to be nestled close to unfarmed land, protected areas and forests. Respect for tradition allows for the land formation to remain mostly unaltered.

An Estate in Coorg

The early morning air feels cool against the skin. It’s refreshing and encouraging. Love for farm life is sealed for a life time. The sights and sounds of the birds as they waft in and out of coffee areas is a delight indeed. Fresh dew drops on leaves feel wonderful to touch. At Coorg, paradise beckons! With only essential road networks, vehicle activity is reduced to a minimum around farming areas at Coorg.

Life runs slowly on most farms. Camaraderie amongst the occupants of a farm is genuine with a shared love for farm life. Hill tribes engaged in farming, occasionally take ‘time off’ from work to gather delectable ferns for lunch and to dig up edible tubers from the hinterland. The forests summon, leaving you wondering what lies concealed.

The trees are old and cragged. And they have adapted to their environment, twisting and ‘plunging’ wherever required, shaping themselves to meet the demands of the land and its flowing streams. They support life such as fungus, moss, ferns, orchids, lichen and climbers. A source of shade, they fertilize the soil, shelter birds, spiders and a coterie of insect life hitherto unseen. One can make a daily sighting of original and absorbing insect life!

The protected areas provide a haven for animal and insect life.  Inside these woods, it’s generally cool and dark with barely any sunlight. Large colonies of bees, visible from afar, adorn the trees. The sheer size of bee colonies can be stunning.

Many of these sheltered woodlands have some fundamental places of worship, maintained by the surrounding communities, thus adding allure.

The streams running by are clear, smooth, stimulating and support aquatic life. Human inhabitation in and around the farms is scarce. Springs lie undisturbed owing to limited land alteration activities.

Farmers live in homes adorned by small gardens, and evenings are quiet.  Dogs are favoured pets, the silence being punctuated by barking. Communication ‘tools’ work sparsely, keeping one’s nerves unstressed.

Being a farmer is a privilege indeed!

Coffee: Coorg's Lifeline!

The fruit is ready to be picked 9-10 months following the initial ‘opening’ of the coffee flower. The farmer nourishes the plant through the seasons, before the fruits are ready for harvest. Between fertilization of the flowers and the harvest, the plant is nurtured by the summer sun, the monsoon rains and the care and ‘awe’ of the farmer and farmhand alike.

Turning from Green to Crimson in the Bright Sun!

Truly, coffee would not be produced solely for commercial purposes. Love and admiration for the coffee plant, nature and environment in particular is what produces this beverage of choice.

Post blossom cultural operations include pruning, fertilizer application, weeding, and shade regulation. The skilled work pool, available within Coorg and the neighbouring states, is an important factor in making this endeavour successful.

The fruit reaches its full size between the end of November and early December. The harvest is ready when the fruit turns a full crimson from green. The plant ripens the fruit gradually from about mid-December. The beans are fully formed by this time and possess all the requirements sought by the trade.

Coffee Plant Ripens the Coffee

The farmer however, waits until over 90% of the Robusta turns red and is ready for harvest, before commencing the picking. The ripe fruit gives the farmer the best out-turn. This measure is the most preferred by traders, curers, grinders, roasters and consumers alike.

Trepidation governs the thoughts and acts of most Robusta farmers at this stage. Having put in a year’s work into the season’s produce and a life-time’s investment into the enterprise, an abundant harvest settles the farmer’s nerves and balances outstanding accounts. Prayers to the almighty are offered well in advance of the pending harvest .

Clusters of 20-60 beans on an average adorn nodes of individual branches of the coffee bush. At the time of ripening, the plant carries a mixture of green and red fruits. Strictly speaking, only at this point does the farmer get an accurate idea of his yield. The Harvest is performed manually. The ‘bare necessities’ such as bags, clean barbecues, and storage space are arranged well in advance. Workmen are most in demand at this stage. The farmer needs to devote a large part of his energy and resources to garner the required workforce.

Rains at this juncture disrupt processes and are not preferred. Most small farmers want to complete the harvest at the earliest once the coffee is ready. Practically though, the harvest season extends up to the end of March.

The coffee farmer is thus almost prepared with another consignment of Coorg coffee, ready to hit the market shortly. Quality is top priority for farmers and the produce is dried to the required levels prior to being bagged and disbursed .

A Large Farmer's Dairy Operations

Cows, buffaloes, chickens, pigs, and goats are popular choices in livestock rearing. These animals add value to the farmer’s enterprise by totting up the revenue. They also provide good nutrition to the farm’s occupants. For marginal farmers, the sale of poultry and piggery products are an additional source of income. Goats and chickens offer greater returns when ‘harvested’ (sold) close to a festival.

Buffaloes till paddy fields prior to the rice crop being planted. ‘Farming families’ possess at least two buffaloes each. These animals are important partners in ensuring a good rice harvest. Their health, therefore, is of paramount significance to the farmer.

Free Range - Buffalo and Goat Herding

Most households have ‘kucha’ (makeshift) structures in and around them, built to care for Livestock. While most of these are temporary in nature, the coffee farmer is obligated to invest within his means. The lack of investment in the requisite infrastructure is more than compensated for by the enthusiasm and devotion of the farmer to care for livestock on the farm.

Caring for farm animals comes naturally to a coffee farmer. Physical fitness is therefore a pre-requisite for any farmer, not only when it concerns caring for crops, but also livestock.

Piggeries were traditionally popular at Coorg. Most residents of this district are particularly fond of pork, resulting in the desire for rearing pigs. Fed with waste generated from the household, they are mostly raised in captivity.

Goat and sheep are becoming increasingly popular as well, though the number of these animals reared is relatively lower when compared to dry land farming (farming on plain land).

Poultry is also extremely popular, and rarely can you spot a farming household without at a dozen of them. Fed mostly rice-broken (broken rice) and paddy (unshelled rice), these are mostly free-range.

Poultry is ‘raised’ outdoors, and contribute eggs for breakfast and meat during the occasional festival and visits by relatives. The fields also benefit from ‘chicken manure’ deposited directly on them. The chicken are mostly housed in makeshift structures, and come home only to roost.

Basic Shelter for Poultry

Milking cows on the farmers’ fields are a source of natural fertilizers, besides milk.  Straw from the harvested rice fields is used to feed the cows and buffaloes. Only numbers that can be managed are retained on each farm. Local veterinarians are of great assistance in ensuring that the coffee farmer has the requisite ‘technical inputs’ to care for milking cows. Proteins and other ‘dietary inputs’ are normally sourced from local cooperatives.

Up Close, a Silky Oak Tree!

The Silky Oak provides valuable timber, and figured among Australia’s best known cabinet timbers. The Silver Oak is also the best tree for fencing. When young, the tree can be grown as a houseplant, and a pleasant one at that, with its flowers being golden-orange blooms appearing like a bottlebrush!

Presently, the harvesting of the Silver Oak is severely restricted, as the number of these trees has plummeted drastically. The Silver Oak grows optimally in warm zones. If planted in the open, young trees of the species need protection on frosty nights. The tree can also be grown beside maize in agro forestry systems.

The Silky Oak is fairly drought- resistant. In neighbouring China, this tree is planted widely across the city of Kunming, giving rise to beautiful shady avenues!

Ever strolled along the ‘Silver Oak Avenue’ at the plantation at Orange County, Coorg?:)

Silver Oak Avenue, Orange County, Coorg

Young Areca Yet to Bear Yield

Many of these Areca trees have begun bearing fruit, thus adding to the farmer’s returns.

Suitable for interplanting with coffee, Areca nut is a very valuable crop, adaptable as it is to the weather pattern in Coorg. Areca grows tall, towering over the coffee plant, and provides the much needed shade to the coffee wherever needed.

Additional income is generated by planting pepper onto to the Areca trees, and these vines can give moderate yields whilst on the Areca standard.

Formerly not very widespread in traditional coffee regions of Coorg, it has now been extensively planted in paddy territory and other suitable soil in Coorg. Pure plantations of Areca, except in small paddy lands, are rare in Coorg. It is planted mostly interspersed with coffee and pepper.

In general, Areca contributes between 5-10% of a farm’s turnover. Once planted, the Areca plant is tended to like the coffee. A plant under a farmer’s supervision is truly valued and the young Areca is cared for and nurtured by proper weeding, application of fertilizers and irrigation.

A mature Areca tree gets by with minimal care, and hence it’s important as far as the farmer is concerned.  Fertilizers and regular irrigation are the only major inputs necessary for the mature Areca plant.

In Coorg, concentrated cultivation is rarely followed for Areca plants, and it is mostly treated as an intercrop on very small farms. Larger well organized farmers do take up intensive cultural operations in order to ensure that a good crop can be harvested each successive year.

Areca Planted on the Boundary of Yielding Coffee

Though the yield can vary year on year, it is still a great source of supplementary earning for the farm household. Its contribution is really significant at times of low and volatile coffee prices.

Harvesting Areca is a very skillful operation requiring great strength and agility, and is only possible for a fraction of the workforce. Harvesters earn extra wages on account of the expertise they bring to these operations.

Much of the harvested Areca is turned right over from the farm to the merchant for further processing. The farmer is content with the cash inflow for the raw produce, and does not have the time necessary for processing, clash as the harvest period does with coffee and pepper harvests.

Robusta Coffee Just Over a Decade Old

New planting of Robusta coffee on existing farming land is a rarity these days taking into account the exorbitant cost of opening up new clearings. Farming families clear and plant only a certain percentage of their holdings, with the intention of replacing economically unsustainable parcels of coffee on their land.

Care of fully mature Robusta plants, essentially means providing adequate nutrition and light conditions, proper pruning, and minimal preventive methods against pests and diseases as also ensuring sufficient moisture is provided to the plant at the time it blossoms.

A Pruner Ready to Ply His Trade

The farmer in Coorg is well aware of the fine distinction between good and average practices in the care of the Robusta plant.  Ensuring a Robusta plant is well cared for, is the only guarantee for a good harvest and the economic well being of the farmer.

Nutrition is physical application of fertilizers to the base of the individual plant. The farmer chooses between uses of organic or inorganic fertilizers depending on individual preference. Most will use a combination of the two to ensure an adequate harvest whilst looking for the long-term care of the soil conditions.

Pruning of the overhead shade trees ensures proper light conditions. Excessive shade does not support a good harvest. Excessively open conditions can leave the farmer with an overexploited coffee plant. Through practical experience, the farmer is able to decide the kind of light conditions best suited to his farm.

Desired Shade Pattern for Robusta

The coffee plant requires shaping annually, in order to retain the amount of desirable wood growth as well as to ensure it’s not carrying branches that are ornamental with little crop bearing capacity. Experienced pruners are a joy to watch as they trim and shape the Robusta plant, and are a much sought after lot.

Properly Pruned Robusta!

Finally, adequate moisture provided to the plant at the time of flowering ensures healthy blossoms, which eventually decide the quantity of crop harvested, and economic returns for the farmer during the following year’s harvest.

Guineafowl at Coorg

While possessing plumage similar to that of a chicken, the Guineafowl is more resistant to heat than the chicken.

When a predator appears to pass by, the Guineafowl runs at a speed that makes it appear as if it wasn’t touching the ground! The bird can also fly for several hundred meters. With the ability to sense unusual noise or movement from afar, the bird screams loudly on such occasions. This is the reason behind the bird also being called the farmyard sentry.

Guineafowl are great at getting rid of bugs from gardens, and don’t scratch the ground, unlike chickens. Hence they don’t make as much of a mess as the latter.

Guineafowl make good watchdogs and can get very vocal on sensing the presence of something unusual in their environment. They are always on the alert, while they are used to their owners and family.

The Plantation Watchdog!

However, if there’s a predator or stranger close by, they create a loud noise that functions as an efficient alarm system!

Ever spotted this bird on the plantations of Coorg?

A Coracle at Coorg

Coracles are also effective fishing vessels. This is on account of the fact that when powered by a skilled man, they hardly disturb the water or the fish, and they can be easily manoeuvred with one arm, while the other arm tends to the net.

In Coorg, these boats are used by plantation workers as a mode of transport to and from their places of work, the transport charges being rupees five. Indian coracles are on an average about 7.3 feet (2.24 metres) in diameter, but can still hold six people at a time on an average.

Crossing Over to the Other Side!

Besides its function as a popular mode of transport in Coorg, coracles are used to take sand out of the river, which is in turn used for constructing homes of villagers. Each day, the guests at Orange County, Coorg have an opportunity to experience a coracle ride.

Ever been on a coracle at Coorg, anyone?

A Coffee Locale at Coorg: Height Does Matter!

A district as tiny as Coorg can have different weather patterns on the same day. It can be raining and misty in northern Coorg around Mercara, whilst the sun shines brightly in southern Coorg, separated as they are, by barely a few kilometres of motorable road. The conditions influence the choice of crop the farmer considers suitable for his land, as also the variety of the chosen crop, be it paddy, pepper, coffee, banana, ginger, areca nut, cardamom or other horticultural crops.

A Misty Morning

The hills are a melange of native indigenous trees, shrubs, and natural undergrowth. Planting of coffee in the hills involves clearing a certain amount of the undergrowth, whilst maintaining most of the upper shade cover, which comprises mostly native forest trees. The list of native trees growing and thriving in the landscape is large, diverse and eye-catching.

Abundantly found amongst this list of native tree species are edible fruits such as the jack, jamun and a native variety of mango that is extremely delicious and very popular in the local fare.

Diverse Tree Life!

The valleys are suitably worked on for paddy planting. Ginger is also suitable for planting on both the slopes as well as the paddy lands. Areca nut is planted on the edges of the paddy land so that it interferes with neither the paddy nor the coffee cultivation.

Rice Cultivated in Paddy Land

Cardamom requires greater precipitation as also a greater concentration of jungle cover to thrive. Pepper is an intercrop and is spaced judiciously amongst the coffee stand. Soil conditions are easily improved by the skills of the farmer who makes the most of the soil he is presented with.

Fruit crops, such as banana, sapota, oranges and lime grow in abundance across the length and breadth of Coorg. Though not usually planted on a commercial scale, they are found in abundance on farms, supplementing the dietary requirements of the local populace.

A great variety of ferns, creepers, and undergrowth contribute to the natural vegetation of the area, adding to the beauty of the surroundings and enabling a great and diverse variety of animal and insect species to thrive.

Interesting and pleasing to the eye, the hills and valleys are a veritable treasure trove of trees and animal life, with farms in the midst of natural forest lands, streams and rivers. The streams and rivers are treated with awe and respect.

The native landscape is revered by the farming community, which continues to support the fundamental conditions, fully recognizing the long term benefits to human and animal life and the environment as a whole.

The Coffee Landscape