Belgaum to get first open agri school

BELGAUM: Belgaum, the largest district with ten taluks in the state, will have its first Open Agriculture School for farmers who are interested to take-up organic farming. The field school will be started at Adalahatti village in Athani taluk shortly.The school for farmers will be set up in the field of organic farmer Mallappa Kalmadi. As many as 30 selected farmers interested in organic farming will be given necessary training every year.Joint Director of Agriculture Department, Lokprakash told Express that the proposed school will be based on practical education for which farmers undertaking organic farming will educate the interested farmers with the experts in farming and the teaching staff of Agriculture University.There will be no syllabus or terms for the course as it will be conducted throughout the year and next batch will be started only once the current batch expresses its satisfaction about the course.Lokprakash said that the field itself will be the textbook, school and learning instrument for the students. The theme of the school is Understand by Observing and Learn by Making. Nature observation, quality of soil, weather and water density of the soil, crop management, farm insects, harvesting and storing will be taught.