Pics: Ramesh Pandith

Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (SB)

Mangaluru, Dec 19: There was a time when people believed that horticultural cultivation was restricted only to the villages and not to the cities and towns. But this is falsified by St Joseph’s Inter-diocesan Seminary, Jeppu. An institution, existing for the past 140 years for the formation of clergy, has never lacked in its commitment to ecology and environment.

St Joseph’s Inter-diocesan Seminary popularly known as Jeppu Seminary has transformed into a ‘Green Valley’ after the inception of Fr Joseph Martis as its rector. The whole campus has been ‘Ever Green’ thanks to his efforts.

Any cultivation requires passion and effort. When someone enters the inner campus of Jeppu Seminary, the person feels delighted to see a world of lush green vegetables and fruits. Two hundred and fifty inmates have found their own way to be self-sufficient through innovative methods in the cultivation of vegetables and animal husbandry.

Among all the creative works, the first sight goes to the vegetable garden, which produces not only sufficient vegetables for 250 residents, but also sold to outsiders throughout the year. Okra, lentils, bottle gourd, ridge gourd, ash gourd, bitter gourd, snake gourd, spinach and gherkin are the common vegetables grown here. There are a variety of fruit bearing trees found in the garden. Mangoes, water apple, gooseberry, guava, sapota, graviola etc are some of the fruits available according to seasons.

Apart from this, papaya and coconut gardens are at their best.

The cultivation done here is free from fertilizers and other artificial manures. Organic manure prepared through bio-compost and vermiculture and the slurry water which comes out from the bio-gas pit is used for cultivation. In other words, organic manure is used in all these cultivations.

All this is possible, thankfully to the efforts of all the priests, seminarians and gardeners. Fr Maxim Rosario, the administrator, who is responsible for the cultivation, fondly remembers Fr Leo Lasrado who was the professor in the same institute for his encouragement and innovative ideas. Fr Rajesh Rosario, Fr Clifford Fernandes and Fr Maxim D’Souza also take keen interest in the activities of cultivation.

‘We are managing our food items by cultivating vegetables to the possible extent. We need such a lot for 250 inmates for their daily consumption. The vegetables and fruits we get are very healthy and natural as they are free from chemicals and pesticides.

“Though I have a passion for cultivation, it is the concerted effort of all the priests and seminarians residing in this house which has made this possible. We should always try to get results in any field. Passion and hard work are the principles behind this cultivation,” says Fr Maxim Rosario.

Many institutions and persons speak a lot about ecology and environment, but in reality hardly anything is done. Jeppu Seminary not only teaches the seminarians about the importance of ecology and healthy way of living, but also provides opportunities to put into practice what they learn.