Farm Visit Monsoon Delight

Come rains and Ghumakkad can't stay indoors. When a friend offered a drive and a visit to his farm, Ghumakkad jumped at it. Even though it clashed with early morning golf, Ghumakkad managed both. After a quick 9-holes, a cold shower and Idli Vada at Waghmare's food van, we headed 63 kms north of Secunderabad to DK Ahuja's farm. Weather was perfect. Slight drizzle, cool breeze and greenery all around.

Sharing below few pictures taken at the farm. It shows different types of fruits and vegetables grown along with their key nutritional value.

Here is a short video clip showing the panorama of the farm. Isn't it a heaven on earth?

Sharing below the location of the farm in Pedda Shivnoor, 63 kms from Yapral in Secunderabad. Maps courtesy Google.

Garlic Harvest

Do you know how garlic is preserved after harvesting? See the picture below.

It is hung on a rod with its leaves. It keeps it fresh for months together. No need of energy-sapping cold storage! Another example of rural wisdom.

Similarly, onions are spread on a floor (sometimes under a bed). It can be stored and preserved for months like this. Only condition being there should be no humidity. Ghumakkad had seen the onions being stored like this in Rajasthan many decades ago. And it was heartening to see the same practice in Telangana as well.

Friendly Calf

It was a delight to cuddle a two-month old calf at the farm. See the picture below.

Earlier Visit

Ghumakkad had visited the same farm two years ago. We had written an exclusive story linked below.

White Jamun - Yes, Ahuja Farm cultivates White Jamun (apart from the black jamuns). Browse the picture story.

Thanks DK for a lovely day in the lap of Nature. So refreshing and therapeutic. Hope the readers too got a taste of the greenery. 

On our return drive, it was drizzling a bit. After a highway toll, we pulled up on a side to have freshly barbecued bhutta भुट्टा  or corn. How can you miss such a yummy bite on a highway in India?

We end with an anonymous quote "Rain makes everything beautiful". See the PQ- picturesque quote below.

Enjoy the rains and stay connected. Do leave a comment, few words are enough to encourage us.

   - Harsh-the-Ghumakkad with DK Ahuja/ 25th July 2026/ Secunderabad

#AhujaFarm #Calf #Cheeku #Farming #FruitPreservation #Garlic #JackFruit #Mangoes #Onion #Sandalwood #Toparan #WhiteJamun #RuralWisdom #Rains #Therapeutic# Monsoon #ghumakkadhb #ghumakkadharsh

Someone Else Also Loves Fresh Guavas

Do you love guavas? Specially the pink variety? Yes I do. I love to pluck it from the tree and eat. As fresh as it can be.

This morning, I found someone else with an equal craze for garden fresh guavas! Not another human being but a feathered friend! Whom did I find on our guava tree? Any guesses?

A parakeet? No.

A bulbul? No.

Then what?

It was a Pale-billed Flowerpecker! A bird so tiny that it can hide inside a guava! See the picture below.

It went about doing its morning breakfast in stages. Probably, its nest was close by and it kept feeding the chicks while making rounds. From the size of the guava, the bird could feast for days. But there must be other birds sharing the guava because the next morning the fruit was gone!

Special thanks to Yella Prakash Rao for bird ID.

Benefits of Guava

In an earlier story, we had brought out the nutritional value of guavas. You may click the following link to browse the complete picture story. An extract about the fruit is also reproduced below.

Guava - A Powerhouse of Nutrients Guava is also called 'super fruit' like super cars and super bikes! It contains 4 times more vitamin C than orange, 3 times more proteins and 4 times more fiber than pineapple, 2 times more lycopene than tomato and slightly more potassium than a banana. Guava is used in treatment of high blood pressure, constipation, respiratory disorders and hypercholesterolemia. Readers may browse the LinkedIn article for further details.

Do share the observations of similar visitors to your home garden or neighbourhood. Isn't it fascinating to see Nature's myriad ways and creations?

Like the flowerpeckers, eat guava and stay healthy!

Thanks for browsing.

     -  Harsh-the-Ghumakkad with Neeta Bhargava/ Secunderabad/ 14th December 2023

#guava #superfruit #nutrients #antioxidants #vitaminc #protein #dietaryfibre #homegardening #palebilledflowerpecker #freshfruits #secunderabad #ghumakkadhb #ghumakkadharsh

Drumstick Flowers- This Time of the Year

Who doesn't love Sambhar? And Sambhar without drumstick pieces? Don't you relish squeezing the drumstick piece from your sambhar and chewing the seeds?

Yes, drumstick is one vegetable whose pods, seeds, leaves, flowers and even roots are eaten! Those who have a drumstick tree in their garden or neighbourhood would have seen it flowering in September in Telangana region. See the picture below.

Drumstick or Moringa Oleifera is a nutritious vegetable (actually it is a fruit). Its flowers are a delicacy as it wilts fast. Plucked fresh, it makes a nice vegetable. Readers may browse the link for more details and its benefits for people with diabetes, hypertension etc.

So this time of the year, look around for a drumstick tree which is native to Indian sub-continent. Its white-creamish flowers will catch your eye.

Feel like eating a drumstick in your sambhar or otherwise? Go ahead and enjoy!

Thanks for browsing.

     - Harsh-the-Ghumakkad with Neeta Bhargava/ Secunderabad/ 2nd September 2023

#drumstick #moringaoleifera #sambhar #delicacy #indincuisine #secunderabad #homegardening #ghumakkadhb #ghumakkadharsh

Guava A Powerhouse of Nutrients

We all love Guava except those with cavities and gaps in their teeth where guava seeds get stuck! Even the birds love guava. In fact the birds announce that the fruit is ripened.

We have two guava trees in our garden. One each with pink and white pulp variety. It is a tropical tree. It is a treat to pluck the fruit and then sit together to eat it with a dash of salt and chili powder. Mouth already watering for some of you?

Guava has been called 'a powerhouse of nutrients'. According to LinkedIn "This humble fruit is extraordinarily rich in vitamin C, lycopene and antioxidants that are beneficial for skin. Guavas are also rich in manganese which helps the body to absorb other key nutrients from the food that we eat." 

Guava is also called 'super fruit' like super cars and super bikes! It contains 4 times more vitamin C than orange, 3 times more proteins and 4 times more fiber than pineapple, 2 times more lycopene than tomato and slightly more potassium than a banana. Guava is used in treatment of high blood pressure, constipation, respiratory disorders and hypercholesterolemia. Readers may browse the LinkedIn article for further details. 

Here is an earlier picture of the pink pulp guavas plucked from our tree in July-18.

Eat guavas and stay healthy!

Thanks for browsing.

    -  Harsh-the-Ghumakkad with Neeta Bhargava/2nd Oct 2018
#guava #nutrition #nature #fruits #heart #skin #health #antioxidants #ghumakkadhb #ghumakkadharsh