Sustainability at Grace House India

Grace House has started working toward becoming a self-sustaining property. We now raise our chickens for fresh eggs daily and are tending extensive gardens full of vegetables and fruits. We also allow a local farmer to farm for lentils on Grace House land in exchange for splitting the crop with us. At times, India can be a feast-or-famine place, and water is a precious commodity that we can’t afford to exhaust. We now have four water wells and storage capacity to avoid running out. 

For several reasons, Stacey and I feel strongly about helping Grace House become self-sustaining. Providing all of the necessary staple items grown on the property, free from any chemicals or contamination, is healthier and saves a considerable amount of money.

These children need a well-balanced diet full of fresh vegetables, fruit, and, most importantly, protein. When they are asked to go and study all day at school and spend time in the evenings with homework and tutoring, they must be alert and have the energy necessary to accomplish all of this. We have been very fortunate to have a donor who specializes in nutrition and has served worldwide, working with children, to help design a well-thought-out food plan to fulfill the required nutrition levels for our girls.

Future plans are exciting, and we definitely will need help with them. We are now starting to build, and plant raised beds that will be utilized both during the growing and monsoon seasons. India is challenging because of the weather. During the dry season, when most of the farming is coming to a close, we can switch to the raised beds and start planting for the fall without losing everything due to heavy rains and washouts. 

The long-term expansion of the farm will be adding aquaponic farming. This will allow us to raise fresh vegetables and fruit in a large greenhouse, with plants suspended in circulating water tanks filled with fish. The great thing about aquaponics is that it enables us to raise produce and have protein (the fish) available for meals. And the entire process is self-sustaining; the plants filter the water for the fish, and the cycle never ends.

Stacey and I would love you to join us in any upcoming projects by donating to a specific project or by coming to Grace House India and getting your hands dirty.

– Craig Smith