In the dry summer months, the earth in Ratadgaon fades to a dull, weary brown. Cracks appear across the ground, hinting at deeper troubles below the surface. This village in Ahmednagar district’s Nagar block sits on undulating land with poor soil-holding capacity and receives around 600 mm of rain annually. Erosion here is not just a slow process - it’s visible, almost intimate. Each season seems to strip a little more from the land, making it harder for the farmers to hold on. The landscape brings its own challenges. Ratadgaon receives good rainfall during the monsoon months—June to August—but the hilly terrain means that water runs off quickly, collecting in the lower regions. That excess moisture doesn’t help the crops. Instead, it leads to fungal infections, especially in onion fields. And more fungus means more chemicals. Sukhdev Dsunge, an agronomist with WOTR who has been working in the area, explains how chemical dependency has steadily deepened. “Pehle 2-3 bori rasaayan istemaal karte the. Ab 10-12 bori lagaate hain 1 acre pe (Earlier, they used to apply 2–3 sacks of chemical fertilisers. Now, they use 10–12 sacks per acre),” he says. Twenty years ago, natural inputs and traditional methods were more common. But with crop shifts - from bajra (pearl millet) and moong (green gram) to high-value but sensitive crops like onion and soybean - the pressure to ensure returns has mounted. As the water from the monsoon disappears into distant catchments, the region begins to dry out again. From January to June, Ratadgaon experiences water scarcity. Every five to six years, the village slips into a drought-like state. But in 2023, a new kind of change began to take root - not in labs or offices, but in quiet corners of the village, led by the hands and care of local communities. A Landscape in Crisis According to ISRO’s Desertification and Land Degradation Atlas (2018-19), over 45% of Maharashtra’s land is degraded. Ahmednagar ranks among the worst-affected districts, with over 56% of its land now showing signs of degradation. The reasons vary - deforestation, mining, unplanned irrigation—but in rainfed regions like Ratadgaon, topsoil erosion, shifting crops, and chemical overuse are key drivers. In 2023, WOTR, with the support of Axis Bank Foundation, launched the Sustainable Livelihoods Development Programme across 270 villages in Ahmednagar and Beed. Their goal wasn’t just to restore the soil - it was to rebuild relationships between farmers and their land through nature-based, community-driven approaches. Among these 270 villages, Ratadgaon is emerging as a quiet but compelling success story. The Rise of the Bio-Input Resource Centre In a shaded corner of Ratadgaon, just beyond a cluster of modest homes, stands a small fenced structure that carries the faint scent of jaggery, cow dung, and neem. Inside, ten white and blue tanks are neatly arranged in a row, each filled with bubbling, fermenting mixtures. This is Ratadgaon’s Bio-Input Resource Centre (BRC) - a local unit where organic inputs are prepared using indigenous recipes and traditional knowledge, tailored to suit the local soil. The centre was established in January 2025 following discussions with the community, inspired by the '10-drum theory' developed by organic farming expert Subhash Palekar. It’s run entirely by 12 women from the Kamdhenu Self-Help Group, none of whom had any prior experience with organic formulations. The government is also promoting "10-drum BRC Units" as part of its National Mission on Natural Farming (NMNF) to encourage farmers to adopt chemical-free farming methods. These BRCs will provide farmers with the necessary inputs, like natural fertilisers and pesticides, produced at local levels. The NMNF aims to establish 10,000 BRCs to support farmers who are either adopting natural farming or need assistance in preparing natural inputs themselves. The Kamdhenu SHG’s journey began with intensive hands-on training facilitated by WOTR. They learned how to prepare liquid inputs like Dashparni Ark (a natural pest repellent made from ten types of leaves), Amrit Pani (a microbial tonic made from cow dung, cow urine, jaggery, and pulses), and Vermiwash (a bio-enzyme produced from vermicompost). Each formulation required precise timing, stirring patterns, and a deep understanding of how local flora interacts with soil and crop pests. “There’s been a rise in cancer and other illnesses in our Taluka—and it’s heartbreaking,” says Asha Rajendra Mule, her voice filled with concern. “Even the children fall sick more often now. It worries all of us. I truly believe that by turning to organic farming, we can bring back some balance and protect the health of our community.” Asha is an active member of the Kamdhenu Self-Help Group, deeply committed to the well-being of her people. In their first batch, the group has produced 1,400 litres of organic formulations, which they intend to sell to local farmers during the upcoming Kharif season, expected to generate around Rs 1 lakh in earnings. With plans to produce 5 to 6 such batches annually, this initiative is set to provide a substantial boost to their yearly income. They aim to reach 300 to 400 farmers in their village as well as the neighbouring ones. More than an Input Centre But the BRC is not just a production unit. It is a symbol of changing power dynamics. For decades, women in Ratadgaon participated in agriculture without ever being recognised as decision-makers. Running the BRC will shift that. They have started keeping records of what is produced and what is sold. “We’re in touch with SHG members from nearby villages,” says Asha. “They will support us by helping sell our products in their own communities. We genuinely believe we can grow this into something bigger.” The Bigger Picture What’s happening in Ratadgaon is part of a wider effort to regenerate not just land, but knowledge systems. By replacing chemical inputs with locally made ones, farmers reduce costs, revive soil health, and retain ownership over the farming process. And by placing this process in the hands of rural women, it builds confidence and economic agency. There are still challenges ahead—building consistent demand, ensuring quality control, navigating the monsoon. But for now, the group has brought something vital back to the village: the possibility of farming that is both sustainable and self-reliant. And in the hands of these 12 women, the soil finally has a chance to breathe again. Source : WOTR website