What: Vedic Village The Market Place in association with t2
Where: Vedic Village Spa Resort, Shikharpur, Rajarhat
When: January 13 and 14, noon to 8pm
Expect: An interface between farmers/farmer groups and consumers, influencers, international industry experts and researchers to create awareness and brainstorm on the benchmarks that define terms and lifestyles like ‘organic’ and ‘natural’. With support from the agriculture department of the Bengal government, a platform will be created to encourage direct interaction between farmers and consumers at Bish Mukto Haat, an organic farmers’ market.
More than 300 organic and natural varieties of farm products by 100 farmers — ranging from fruits, vegetables, grains, millets, pulses, spices, rice and handmade gourmet products to a spread of organic nolen gur, moa, goyna bori, preserves, pickles, hand-pressed juice, natural teas…. the list goes on. And of course, lunch and dinner menus curated by chefs specialising in the farm-to-fork way of life.
Added attractions
- Music, unplugged, by city-based bands
- Handmade wood furniture by Jose Antonio Zelva
- Sustainable fashion (think desi cotton and Bengal muslin) by Ruby Rakshit from Mahatma Gandhi Gramodyog Sewa Sansthan
- Products from Nirupama Academy of Handmade Papers
- Ayurveda beauty products by Sanjeeva Ayurveda Wellness Spa
- Bengal’s all-women-run milk co-operative project Sundarini from the Sunderbans.
- A Mishti Bangla pavilion offering organic mishtis.
New addition
A cocktail bar offering earthy infusions to global-trending garage wine concoctions to make it a hic-happy weekend, the natural way!
What’s more…
The Market Place will be attended by a team from International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM — Organics International), a worldwide umbrella organisation for the organic agriculture movement, which represents close to 800 affiliates in 117 countries.
Workshops
DAY 1
Desi cotton hand-spinning with Suresh Srinath (1.30pm to 2.30pm).
Rooftop gardening with Anshuman Das (3.30pm to 4.30pm).
DAY 2
Making sourdough with Sujit Sumithran (1pm to 2pm).
Superfoods from your backyard with Sangeeta Khanna (2.30pm to 3.30pm).
Seed conservation of indigenous variety with Rupak Pal (4pm to 5pm).
Chefs to look out for...
Italian chef Davide Cananzi, who will rustle up a dinner menu on Day 1 using ingredients from a basket of produce available at The Market Place.
Anumitra Ghosh Dastidar, a linguist-turned-chef currently working at Ritu Dalmia’s Diva in Delhi, will curate a lunch menu on Day 1 using ingredients from The Market Place.
DAY 1 highlights
The Market Place Lab will help visitors get a peek into the indigenous efforts by experts from across India, setting examples in organic and natural living. From baking sourdough breads to exploring the anthropology of fermented food in our urban lifestyle and Bengal’s original mishti-making, it promises a collage of experiences to help you connect with nature at home. Check out ghee, honey, millets, brown rice, fresh vegetables, fruits, pulses, lentils, spices and more brought together by BhoomiKa, an NGO that supports the natural way of production.
DAY 2 highlights
Timbaktu Collective, an NGO that works for sustainable development in the drought-prone Anantapur district of Andhra Pradesh, will bring a variety of millets, rice, semolina, pulses, nuts, oil, butter and ready mixes for upma, chutney powder and laddu to The Market Place.
This time, last year
Lunch and dinner curated by chefs like Vicky Ratnani, Saby and Abhijit Saha to fresh produce and goyna bori at Bish Mukto Haat — it was two days of nature and fun at The Market Place 2017.
