Kristopher Lyngkhoi’s field gives a feeling of the garden of Eden in the Sohiong C&RD Block of East Khasi Hills, Meghalaya. As you walk towards his field, you will be greeted with green vegetables hanging from the trees.

He has cultivated potatoes, sweet potatoes, radish, mustard, pumpkin, and other vegetables in his small field.

Majority of the people in this village are smallholder farmers with only 32 families and a total of 128 people. ‘Shiliangktieh’ is made of two words, ‘Shiliang’ meaning the other side and ‘Ktieh’ meaning paddy field.

The 45-year-old pioneering farmer in Shiliangktieh village took the first initiative of chemical-free farming of vegetables. Being the headman of the village, Kristopher manifested the phrase of ‘Be the Change you want to see in the world’.

Kristopher has dedicated 2 acres plot exclusively for chemical-free farming. He cultivated yam, bean, radish, sweet potatoes and other vegetables to begin with. He led by example and encouraged his fellow villagers to follow the suit. It was furthermore encouraging to see how Kristofer’s wife joined his hands in his new intervention. She has been constantly supporting him in the field.

Shiliangktieh is one of the new project villages under the Caritas India FARM NE-III programme.

Caritas India FARM NE III programme promoted chemical-free farming in the villages through the local partner Social Service Centre (SSC). It took days and months but people of Shiliangktieh have cooperated and accepted the change for their own good. As soon as this village was adopted under FARM programme, SSC’s first campaign was on the practice of chemical-free cultivation on a smaller scale and the promotion of wild edibles. Given the fact that chemicals have made their way to the village and it has long-term impact people and the environment, the partner has promoted Integrated Pest Management (IPM) and Integrated Nutrient Management (INM).

SSC has promoted the use of bio-pesticides and bio-agents, safer for consumers and the eco-system. Under the INM, farmers were trained in the production of on-farm compost, vermicompost and green manures and the use of bio-fertilisers to improve soil health.

As of now, 10 families have shifted to chemical-free farming and SSC expects that by the end of FARM III, the coverage would be 100%. The families that are practising chemical-free farming are now earning Rs 20,000 annually. According to Fr. Bernard Laloo, the Director of SSC, In the past many village headmen extended great support to the project and were always present in all our programmes and activities. But this is a unique case where the village headman himself is the first agent of change.

When Evansiewdor, the field animator of SSC asked Mr. Kristopher what motivated him to promptly respond to the initiative of SSC to motivate people towards chemical-free farming, he said, “When we understand that something is good for our family and the village, why to wait. We should be prompt and take immediate steps and so I did it. As a village headman, it is my duty to show my example to the village community. I hope that the people in my village will follow the same.”

SSC has been going miles to develop such community-led models that have the potential to inspire people across. Such sea of change in community needs time and patience to be with the community and SSC is trying to convince them with what best could ensure that they have healthy food security in place.