Topic:

Role Of Backyard Kitchen Gardening In Social Protection

 What is kitchen gardening?

Growing of vegetables around or near house for household use is called kitchen
gardening. Due to ever increasing population and increase in demand of
vegetables, farmers have adapted new techniques to increase per unit vegetables
production. This involves use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides.
Although, production of vegetables has increase at farm level, but quality of
vegetables is seriously affected. Moreover, irrigation of vegetables with sewage
water in per urban areas has arose serious health concerns for consumers.
Hence, purpose of kitchen gardening is to produce organic vegetables free of
any pesticides and chemicals for domestic use.

 Purpose of kitchen gardening:

1. To grow fresh, organic fruits, vegetables, and herbs for culinary use.
2. To reduce the carbon footprint associated with transporting food long
distances.
3. To save money on grocery bills by growing your own produce.
4. To have a greater control over pesticides and chemicals used in food
production.
5. To promote healthy eating habits by having easy access to fresh ingredients.
6. To engage in a sustainable and environmentally friendly practice.
7. To provide a source of physical activity and stress relief through gardening.
8. To teach children about the importance of self-sufficiency and where food
comes from.

 Benefits of kitchen gardening:

There are many benefits to having a kitchen garden, including:
 Fresh, healthy foods:
Kitchen gardens allow you to grow your own fresh, healthy produce, which can
be more nutritious and flavorful than store-bought options.

 Cost savings:
Growing your own food can save you money on grocery bills, especially if you
grow a variety of plants and use them in your cooking and meal planning.

 Environmental benefits:
Kitchen gardens can help reduce your carbon footprint by reducing the
distance that your food travels from farm to table. They can also help to reduce
food waste by allowing you to grow only what you need and use it when it is
fresh.

 Improved mental health:

Gardening can be a relaxing and therapeutic activity that can help reduce stress
and improve mental health.

 Kitchen Garden Size:

A kitchen garden is relatively small, ranging from 25 to 250 square feet,
while a farm or vegetable garden could be huge and sprawling, with
thousands of square feet of growing space. A kitchen garden is really just a
portion of your outdoor space that's set aside for the specific purpose of
growing food for your kitchen. I've actually installed kitchen gardens that
were just 4' x 4' beds, so 16 square feet of growing space. Even a small
kitchen garden can produce lots of leaves, roots, and fruit

 What can be grown in garden?

A kitchen garden is a space to grow herbs, leafy greens, root crops, and
fruiting plants for everyday use inside the kitchen, plus some beautiful (and
oftentimes edible) flowers for the pollinators.
Rather than grow a lot of one thing, try to grow many different types of
leaves and veggies in bed kitchen garden so that there's always something
to harvest, to take inside and enjoy right away.

For Successful Cultivation of Vegetables at Domestic Level, the

Following Principles Needs To Be Followed

 Acquisition of direct sunlight

 Selection of the site
 Selection for the type of soil
 Easy access to the kitchen garden
 Appropriate irrigation for kitchen gardening
 Air circulation in vegetable
 Planning for Kitchen Gardening

For the achievement of better production, the following measures could

be adopted

 How much area required for vegetable cultivation

 Vegetable to be cultivated
 To keep the production technology literature
 Time required look after vegetable gardening
 To acquire necessary things viz., implement for land preparation,
implements for cultivation, seed, fertilizer and organic pesticides.
 Source of guidance in case of sudden adverse condition.

 To Grow Vegetables at Household, the Following Points Must

Consider:

1. Timely planting of vegetables provide good production.

2. Grow such vegetables on small plots which give longer harvest duration
e.g. spinach, fenugreek etc.
3. Grow vegetables on ridges, vegetables cultivated on flat surface are prone
to attack of diseases e.g. root rot and collar rot in chilies.
4. Cucurbits (Vine vegetables) are trained along bamboos, ropes/nets so that
air can pass through, climbing not with the walls.
5. When vegetables germinate in different kind of containers, keep this in
mind that neither moisture may dry nor irrigate too much so that it can
cause different type of diseases.
6. Vegetables grown on different containers must place where the sun have
at least 6 to 8 hours and place at least one feet away from the wall.
7. When vegetables are ready for harvesting, pick it immediately, otherwise
its quality may deteriorate.
8. If vegetables grown at household level are more than our requirement
then it should be stored in a well manner so that it can save for a long
period and on re-using its quality may not deteriorate e.g. for storage of
peas blanching is necessary. Fresh peas put into boiled water for one to
two minute, immediately drain out, dry and store it in a safe packaging. In
this way biochemical activities will be stopped during storage. And it can
be stored in freezer for a longer period. And in this way its quality will
not deteriorate.
9. Periodic sowing should be adopted for long time and continuous supply
of vegetable e.g. if radish is sown in one time then its cultivation would
also at the same time which can be used only up to few days. If we do
sowing with interval of ten days then it supply should be continuous same
is the case with other vegetables.
10.Bacterial and fungal affected plants could provide edible fruit. Apart from
these some plants are affected with sucking pest and virus and plant
leaves seen small and diseased are safe to consume. In the same way if
brinjal plant are affected by primary attack of borers and if the fruit is
saved from rottening, the affected part should be cut and rest of the
healthy fruit can be consumed and safe for health. However in contrast to
this situation the plants which are sprayed by pesticide could not be used
 safely even after multiple washings with clean water especially those
plants which are sprayed with systemic poison which is against the
recommendation of agriculture. Now a day’s pesticides with very short
residual effect are available which can be consumed after a day or two
after spray and washing them with clean water.To encourage the people
for kitchen gardening, a vegetable see kit containing all the important
vegetables sufficient to be sown for 5 to 8 Marlas of land, is prepared and
supplied on cheaper rates along with their production technologies.
Almost 270000 seed packets are sold in rural and urban areas annually.

 Role of backyard gardening in social protection:

Backyard kitchen gardening plays a significant role in providing social

protection for individuals and communities in several ways:

1.Food security:
Backyard kitchen gardening helps to ensure food security by providing a
consistent and reliable source of fresh fruits, vegetables, and herbs. This can
help reduce the risk of food insecurity and malnutrition among vulnerable
populations.

2.Income generation:
Backyard kitchen gardening can also serve as a source of income for
households, particularly in rural and urban areas where employment
opportunities are limited. Selling surplus produce at local markets can provide
an additional source of income for families.

3.Health and nutrition:

Growing and consuming fresh, organic produce from backyard gardens can
contribute to improved health and nutrition outcomes. By increasing access to
nutritious foods, kitchen gardening can help prevent malnutrition and diet-
related diseases.

4.Community engagement:
Backyard kitchen gardening can foster a sense of community and social
cohesion by bringing people together to share knowledge, resources, and
experiences. Community gardening initiatives can promote social interaction
and collaboration among neighbors, leading to stronger social networks and
support systems.

5. Climate resilience:
 In the face of climate change and environmental degradation, backyard kitchen
gardening can help build resilience against food shortages and disruptions in the
food supply chain. By diversifying food sources and reducing dependence on
commercially-grown produce, individuals and communities can become more
resilient to external shocks

 Conclusion .
Overall, backyard kitchen gardening plays a vital role in enhancing social
protection by promoting food security, income generation, health and nutrition,
community engagement, and climate resilience. By empowering individuals to
grow their own food, kitchen gardening can contribute to more sustainable and
resilient communities.