Linking Education and Farming “LEAF”

Dr. Anu Vinod Ranade

Develop a strategy to fabricate our own soil using biodegradable kitchen waste such as vegetable peels and waste coffee grounds generated by the community living within the UOS campus (mainly targeting the houses and the restaurants). This can both reduce the amount of waste entering the landfill and preserve / enhance UAE’s soil health for future generation.
Recycling the paper cups, yogurt buckets, disposed wooden boxes and planks that ends up in the landfill to make your own soil and grow organic vegetables thereby building a vibrant, sustainable environment.
Create awareness among people about low cost community gardening in the terrace/balcony (with the consent of the municipality) of their apartment through social media/workshops/radio channels etc. and encourage them to develop community gardens that might also help in establishing stress-free and happy neighborhoods.
Collaborate with municipality and with their support, identify and develop measures to train and motivate apartment caretakers, to make their own soil using kitchen waste collected from residents / tenants, dwelling in the same apartment.
Mobilize the collection of discarded sawdust (from sawmills) and animal dungs (form the animal markets) and use them in the conversion of sandy soils to high-yield fertile land.
Develop long-term plans and projects to strengthen local production of fruits and vegetables using the above strategies.

Quantity and quality of soil made per year by using the vegetable waste with the campus.
Nutritional value of the vegetables produced using the above soil.
Comparing the sense of wellness and satisfaction using a survey among the community using the above methods with those who do not.
Number of terrace and balcony gardens in UAE.
Reduction in the dependency on imported Vegetables / fruits and economic growth of UAE.
Decrease in the Greenhouse gas emissions.

Prepared high-yield soil in the college of medicine with the corporation of the faculty, service personnel and Janitors.
Reused yogurt containers from the hospital canteen to make compost bins (which otherwise will cost 400AED for one unit) in order to make our own soil.
Utilized sawdust and goat dung as manure in the greenhouse allocated by the UOS as a part of sustainable community gardening.

Planting 60 different types of tomatoes and aiming to set a record in the year 2019-2020.