Annadana Seed Bank at Auroville
ANNADANA Seed Bank at the Auroville Botanical Garden is set in a 5 acres garden with a Seed production farm together with farm infrastructure buildings and a Seed bank. The center uses only alternative energy sources and the garden applies sustainable high yielding organic techniques of cultivation together with water conservation measures for irrigation. Solar and Wind Energy provide water and electricity, the seed stock is conserved in a fridge powered by solar energy. Water conservation methods like drip irrigation is used to preserve water together with run off management measures.
The Seed Bank has an infrastructure of 80 sq.mt, conceived for the extraction, drying, conservation and packing of vegetable seeds together with an office space for administration of the seed distribution, printing of seed catalog and seed packets, maintaining data and feed back, and responds to the many queries on seed keeping.
The seed bank activities are managed by a specialized team which together with our local staff and a host of volunteers process the harvests from the garden. Each year in total 80 to 100 different varieties of vegetables like Tomatoes, Capsicum, Brinjal, Salads, Cucurbit, Corn, Lady finger, Chillies, Water melon, Cucumber, Amaranth, Bottle Gourd, Beans, etc… are grown, selected, isolated, harvested, extracted, dried, tested, packed and sent free of cost to hundreds of Farmers, Farmers Association, NGO’s, Trust, Individuals, and Private Institution.
Each year, since inception, Annadana distributes an average of 15,000 seed packets free of cost all over India. (Donation are accepted to sustain the network activities only).
Our purpose at ANNADANA
- To safeguard farmers and gardeners by providing access to organic open pollinated vegetable seeds and all skills related to seed saving and seed keeping.
- To help the farmers regain access to bio-diversity resources and regain control of their own seeds.
- To revive and strengthen the ancient traditions of giving and exchanging seeds and value traditional knowledge.
