SJI team visited Pheluma village in Orong Gewog from 13th to 14th May, 2017 to conduct field assessment of the prospective leader farmer (woman) in the community who was trained in the best organic agriculture practices along with 7 other from Gomdar and Dewathang gewogs. The team also studied the rich agro – biodiversity including non-wood forest products in the village.
Despite being the most remote villages without road access, the community of 50 households is lively, healthy, generally self reliant and appears to be cohesive with vibrant demography. People are proud of their rich agro- biodiversity. Pheluma is SJI’s target project area for the promotion and preservation of indigenous crops.
Pheluma village (lower village which has about 26 households)
Happiness cannot be found outside of us, it can only be created from within like Meme Singay, who vividly recalls his days at Dechenchholing Palace with Lopon Phub Dorji
Foxtail millet grown abundantly at Phelluma
Meeting with community members (in foreground are sample bamboo crafts made by the community with generous support from Bhutan Trust Fund for Environment Conservation)
Harvesting drinking water from miracle creeper
Upland rice (Sambhar) in its early stages at Phu Pheluma (upper Pheluma)
