Kalimpong: Healing the Hills

✽  Bithi Farm & Organic Grower's Group

Building Resilience, From Soil to Society

Healing the Soil, Restoring the Water

We’ve transformed degraded Himalayan farmland into a living, fertile ecosystem. Through fermented organic manures (10,000L/day), native grass contouring, and bio-active soil inoculants, our efforts have raised soil organic carbon from 0.4–0.5% to 1.4% and doubled infiltration rates, while cutting soil erosion by 70%.

Reviving Biodiversity & Climate Resilience  

By replacing monocultures with multi-layer intercropping and agroforestry systems, we’ve created microclimates that support pollinators, birds, and beneficial insects. Our models show >40% rise in biodiversity and 30% reduction in pest damage, making farming both productive and ecologically balanced.

Empowering Farmers, Especially Women

Over 500 smallholder families (with at least 50% women) are now part of this transformation — trained in organic certification, bio-input production, and value-added processing. Under the ‘Kalimpong Organic’ brand, they now earn 40% higher incomes, selling premium-quality turmeric and ginger grown and processed sustainably using biogas-powered systems.

A Regenerative Future That Sustains Itself

Our model links ecological regeneration with economic renewal. Bithi Farm now operates as a Farmer Field School & Agroecology Hub, training others to replicate this success — ensuring that what started as a single initiative continues to grow across the Himalayas.