Urban farming today is nurtured on the principle of

Grow what you Eat and Eat what you Grow.

Grow food, not Lawns has to come as a
movement. Beyond food security, the awareness for
safe and nutritious food is driving urban residents to
think at ways and means of cultivating fruits and
vegetables what they eat. This can encourage the
urban green cover, which is getting depleted to satisfy
the growing needs at towns and cities. The need is
being felt by the policy makers, economists,
nutritionists, land developers. The guidelines are
scarce and are being looked upon to promote urban
crop cultivation.
Terrace garden/ing is a simple but definite step
towards increasing our green cover irrespective of
space restriction. This is an achievable activity for
many urban dwellers to grow the food crops of their
choice. This felt need can be a real movement by
sharing and spreading know-how amongst us.
However, the learning has to happen experientially
because of diverse needs and other growth situations.
Urban farming has the potential to ensure the
consumers the safe and nutritious food. Cultivating
fruits and vegetables, medicinal plants in urban areas
would enhance the urban green cover, which is
getting depleted to satisfy the growing needs at towns
and cities.
When it comes to real practice, all those who are
inclined/interested in growing vegetables/fruit crops
on their Terrace/kitchen garden following safe crop
production practices, look for different types
gardening inputs in one place. If they are to be
searched and organized, there will be a big delay and
is a major disadvantage. Organizing the display and
know-how on organic urban farming/terrace
gardening
inputs
(containers,
seeds/planting
materials, organic compost and plant protection
materials) will provide an impetus to urban farming.
Garden City Farmers started organizing the quarterly
event Oota from your Thota for this cause since
August 2011 at different parts of Bengaluru with a
purpose to promote organic urban farming/ terrace

gardening arranging demonstrations/discussions and

exhibitions on inputs and products/foods. The film
shows on urban farming and terrace gardening are
also organized in some of the events make the
participants internalize the benefits.
Oota from your Thota, is a one-day event to
promote Organic Urban Farming/Organic
Terrace Gardening. The main purpose of the
whole event is to promote gardening among
urban dwellers, making available all
gardening related materials in one place
along with knowhow. The event is also to
expose the urbanites to different enterprises
related to organic urban farming.
Publicity and Outreach
The OFYT is being popularized among urban public
using Facebook, whatshappbangalore, and other
social media. The Bangalore Mirror Earth Warriors
joined hands with GCF since Aug 2012 and effectively
publicized in the Bangalore Mirror since then. CITIZEN
MATTERS cover the event and make the news
available to the public. More and more options are
being looked at to showcase the event further.
Event partners and Sponsors
Garden City Farmers thankfully acknowledge the
support of many partners and sponsors in organizing
the quarterly events in last three years.
1.

Indian Overseas Bank

2.

BCILBiodiversity Conservation India Limited,

Bangalore

3.

Keltech Energies Limited, Bangalore

4.

Karntaka State Agricultural Produce Processing

and Export Corporation Limited, Bangalore

5.

UAS Alumni Association, Bengaluru

6.

B.M.English School, Bangalore

7.

Veteran Agricos
Bangalore

8.

Malleswaram Swabhiman Initiative

for

Rural

Development,

9.

Lioness Club of Bangalore North Gardens

26. Arogya Organic & Organic Garten

10. M.E.W.S . Ladies Club

27. BRICS 28. Jivabumi 29. KPSCB

11. WELL BEING, Sahakar Nagar, Bengaluru

30. Vyasa International School

12. Vaswani Group, Bangalore

31. Garden City Hospital and many others

13. Devatha Builders, Bangalore

OFYT events since June 2011 at Bengaluru

14. Shanti Sagar Group Hotels, Bengaluru

15. Vittal Mallya Scientific Research Foundation,
Bengaluru
16. JaiHealth, Bengaluru
17. Karnataka Television Association, Bangalore
18. Small Steps, Auroville
19. Whitefield Rising, Bangalore
20. The Whitefield Farmer's Market, Bangalore
21. Adamya Chetana - Smt Girija Sastry
Memorial Foundation
23. Komarla Group
24. Kotak Solar Systems
25. BigBasket.com

No.
of Stalls

No.
of Visitors

Place

Month

BTM Layout

Aug 2011

16

500

Hebbal
Malleswaram
JP Nagar

Nov 2011
Mar 2012
Aug 2012

20
20
25

500
700
2000

Lalbagh
Sadashivnagar
Sahakarnagar
JP Nagar
Girinagar
Whitefield
JP Nagar
Hebbal
Rajarajeshwari
Nagar
JP Nagar
Vidyaranyapura

Nov 2012
Feb 2013
Jun 2013
Aug 2013
Feb 2014
Jun 2014
Aug 2014
Feb 2015
Jun 2015

22
23
26
55
37
49
72
55
63

700
1200
600
3000+
800
600
4000
2000
2300

Aug 2015
Nov 2015

62
50

3200
2500

GARDEN CITY FARMERS (GCF)

Garden City Farmers (GCF) is a Non-profit, Non-Government Organization to promote and popularize Urban
Farming on strong organic concepts. The focus of GCF is educating urban dwellers on the benefits of
organically grown food, need for urban farming, fostering the set up of urban farms/kitchen gardens and
reducing food miles leading to a healthy ecosystem.
Activities towards the Goal
Seminars on organic urban farming at State and National levels
Organic Terrace Garden Workshops
Organic farming, terrace gardening courses in schools and colleges
Networking and gardening suggestions for successful implementation of organic terrace gardens

Examples of typical terrace garden setup

Another important task during the OFYT event is to honour the personalities who has done notable work
and contributed to the field of urban and organic farming. Those who are honoured during different OFYT
events are
1. Mrs. Anasuya Sharma, Sanjay Nagar, Bengaluru 2. Mrs. Soubagya Sadashiva, Jaynagar, Bengaluru
3. Mrs. Vani Murhty, Malleswaram, Bengaluru 4. Dr.Vijay Angadi, Programme Officer, AIR, Hassan
5. Shri S.S.Radhakrishnan, Chennai 6. Shri H. Nagaraj, Bengaluru 7. Hasiru Dala, Bengaluru
8. Mrs. Padma Kesari, J.P.Nagar, Bengaluru, 9. Jagadeesh Reddy, Bengaluru, 10. Shri Giddegowda,
11. Smt Meenakshi Arun, Bengaluru, 12. Shri Hariram Pagadala Srinath, Bengaluru, 13. Mrs. Claire Rao
14. Mrs. Varsha Samuel Rajkumar, 15. Shri Sidharajappa, 16. Mrs. Indira Ashok Shah, 17. Shri. Chamegowda

Glimpses
mpses
from

Oota
Oota
fro
om
m
from
you
our
your
T
Thot
Thota

For information, contact: Garden City Farmers, #503,4th Main, 6th Cross, Kengeri
Upanagara, Bengaluru - 560 060, Phone: 9845 627 217; Email: gardencityfarmers@gmail.com