The festival celebrates the ancient practice through which farmers exchange indigenous heirloom seeds, also with the younger generation, passing down their knowledge alongside the heirloom seeds."

The revival of millets is helping women farmers in the tribal districts of the state to enhance their livelihood opportunities and become financially independent.

When people were connected with land and agriculture, it had a healthy bearing on our cultural sensibilities.

Chefs, scholars and farmer collectives are trying to document the medicinal and nutritional value of wild foods

“Highly competitive cast of minds as well as a destructive mentality towards nature with a manifestation of dual behaviour is what the mainstream education cultivates and I had no intention to send my children to these schools. Therefore, I decided to home-school my children,” says Meenakshi.

Elders in the community say that the ecological indicators help them predict weather even in a changing climate.

“Women play a key role in nature conservation, yet they often lack the inputs, technologies, training and extension services, and various enablers and linkages that can enhance the effectiveness of their efforts."

"At one time I couldn’t even ride a bicycle and now I drive a scooty,” she says with a gentle laugh.

Tribal farmers are now becoming torch bearers of organic cultivation in the state where the government is pushing for zero-budget farming to increase farmers’ income and restore soil health and fertility.