Up in the Himalayas, nestled between Nepal to the west and Bhutan to the east, lies the Indian state of Sikkim.
Yeah, me neither. Not until yesterday, anyway.
But now that I have heard of it, I think I might be falling in love with Sikkim.
In 2003, the then Chief Minister - Pawan Kumar Chamling - announced the ‘Sikkim Organic Mission’.
The idea was that the whole state would go organic.
Yep, all of it.
Sikkim was going to farm with nature, not against it.
No chemical fertilisers, no synthetic pesticides, no Styrofoam, no GMO, not even any plastic bottles.
Instead – natural compost and manure, crop rotation and biological pest control.
And here’s the thing. It, er, worked.
By 2016, all the farmland in the state – over 75,000 hectares – was officially declared organic.
Not only that, but farmer incomes are up 20%, the soil is in recovery, and biodiversity is booming.
Well, goodness gracious me.
‘Inspiration’ doesn’t come close.
You can learn a little more about it in this rather charming little video here
And if you’re wanting some organic produce, then you can of course buy it here.
Have a great Sunday - and don’t forget that the market closes a day early this week, on Tuesday.
Delivery will also be a day early - on Thursday.
Nick
PS - not even my own missus had clocked that there’s now an organic apple cider vinegar available, so I’m flagging it below.
