I was reading Jeff McNeill's post on Urban Agriculture, and decided to look into it a bit more - discovering the work of Dr. Doshi.
What appeared to just be another 'container garden' idea, suddenly shocked me into attention when I read the lists of appropriate plants for growing, and discovered a list of plants suitable for various astrological purposes. I had had no idea that astrology was so important to the Indian populace!
There are plants for every planet in the solar system, and plants for various saints and deities - mustard for Saturn, and lentils for Mars!
Reading this, and realising that to people of that culture, not everything is just nutrition and cost, but religious and spiritual meaning as well, brought home the second social secret from the list:
"Don’t fight culture (If people cook by stirring their stews, they’re not going to use a solar oven, no matter what you do to market it. Make them a better stove instead.)"
If people are going to want to grow the plants that will bring them luck or positive auspices, it would be stupid to believe that us with our 'enlightened views' should tell them what to do - instead, we should be helping them to grow these plants (useful in themselves) in the best possible ways. I've had my eyes opened a little more today.
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