Rearing Silk Moth

When I was a kid, I found a HUGE green caterpillar in the backyard that looked like it had ladybugs growing out of its back. I used my insect book to identify it, and found that it was the larvae of the giant Cecropia moth. The species of silk moth will spend all winter in a cocoon and hatch in the spring, boasting a wingspan of 6 inches, give or take.

 Very excited by this find, I housed the caterpillar in a roomy hamster cage, fed him, and kept the subsequent cocoon safe all winter. I was very disappointed one spring morning when I went out to my treehouse to check on the cocoon and found the moth had already hatched...and slipped through the hamster cage bars and flown away before I could ever see it.

 Fast forward 20+ years to me browsing eBay, doing what most adults do; try to buy back their childhoods. I discovered a silk moth supplier in Arizona who sold the wintering Cecropia moth cocoons (shipping to CA was legal--I made sure to ask). After some consideration and research, I decided to build a "moth house" so I could finally see a Cecropia in person. This structure would also allow me to facilitate the adult moths' breeding instincts and the raising of any caterpillars to come.

 

This Ible focuses on the needs of Cecropia moths in particular, though the build will also be relevant to other silk moths (Lunas are what I'd like to try next) and the raising of your local butterflies. I'll be focusing on function as well as optimal quality of life for the insects within.

 

Why raise giant moths? My goal is to successfully breed caterpillars that can be given to community members and classrooms for educational purposes, as well as obtain adult specimens for entomological display.

 

Step 1: The Plan

The Plan

My initial sketch was for a different size than the final house, but the materials and principles remained the same.

 

PVC pipe for a lightweight frame structure that could be easily disassembled for transport if needed.

 

2 screen mesh walls for ample air and temperature circulation, easy cocoon attachment, and footing for the adult moths.

 

2 all weather tarp walls to provide shade and rain protection.

 

All weather tarp roof panel to provide shade, rain protection, and to block the moths from the view of predatory birds above.

 

The bottom will remain open for easy cleaning and so potted host plants can be slid underneath for inclusion in the habitat.

 

Wide tabs of tarp will be attached to the base to serve as anchor points, weighted with heavy garden objects.

 

Step 2: You Will Need...

Host plant --Either available in nature locally or purchased from a garden center. Avoid gathering foliage from places where pesticides are likely to have ben sprayed, such as golf courses.

 

1/2 inch PVC Pipe Lengths -- These make up the frame of the moth house. You can make this any size you like. For my balcony-friendly version, I went with (4) five foot pieces and (8) 1 foot pieces. Most hardware stores will sell PVC in longer lengths like 10ft. If you ask nicely, most places will take your purchase in the back and cut it down to your preferred sizes for you, making it much easier to cart home.

 

1/2 PVC 3-Way Elbows -- These will be the corner pieces that bring your frame together. Try to find elbows that have "slip" ports on all three openings.

 

1/2 inch PVC male adaptors-- If you can only find elbows that have a threaded port involved, you may need "male adaptor" pieces to convert the offending side into a slip. My elbows had 2 slip and 1 threaded, which ultimately meant my moth house was slightly rectangular (function was not affected).

 

1 Roll Fiberglass Window Screen -- Can be found in the doors and windows dept. at your hardware store.

 

1 Weather Resistant Tarp -- inexpensive and easily found at hardware stores. They come in a variety of sizes, so find the smallest tarp that will accommodate your moth house dimensions.

 

1 Roll Velcro --regular or self adhesive

 

E-6000 or other flexible permanent adhesive. I used Loc-Tite on my base anchor tabs since I feel more confident in its ability to withstand moisture.

 

Tools:

 

Sewing Machine

 

Rotary Cutter and Self Healing Cutting Mat

 

Ideally these would be found locally, in nature, or you can order from a reputable supplier.

 

A responsible seller will be aware of state law and any other limitations on where they can ship. There are some non-native species of butterfly I can not receive in California, due to the caterpillars being a pest concern. Suppliers should be willing and able to address any questions you have that are not already verbalized on their website.

 

**Order Responsibly. Never take on more than you can properly feed or house. Never release a non-native species of insect into the wild.

 

Step 3: Host Plant

Host Plant

Before you purchase or hunt for caterpillars, the responsible thing to do is make sure you'll be able to meet their dietary needs. Research your caterpillar of choice and find out what their preferred host plants are. Cecropia caterpillar feed on maple, cherry, plum, apple, box elder, willow, lilac, and a few others.

 

If you live in an area with plentiful trees, you may be able to identify a large, continuous source of food for your caterpillar. When I was a kid we had a maple tree, so I would gather fresh leaves every day and put them in the container with the caterpillar. Always provide fresh foliage daily and err on the side of providing extra. You don't want a very hungry caterpillar to run out of food while you're at school/ work.

 

Since I now live in urban Los Angeles and the Cecropia's host plants are not as easily found, I decided to purchase a plant well in advance to give it time to grow before any caterpillars would need it. I bought a climbing species of lilac which, trained to a rod or tomato cage, will make a nice vertically formatted plant to fit inside the moth house.

 

I have read that caterpillars tend to choose one type of plant early on and then prefer to eat that type of leaf the rest of their cycle. So, again, make sure you have enough of one type of host plant to get caterpillars through. You might be able to offer a variety of plants, but whichever one they tasted first is probably going to be their go-to.

 

Step 4: PVC Frame

Work somewhere with plenty of space to lay out and manipulate your PVC. Normally I would have gone outside but it was 90 something degrees that day and I opted for a stretch of living room floor instead.

 

You'll begin by building the base footprint of the structure.

 

Lay out your 3 way elbows, facing each other to map out a square. As mentioned previously, threaded ports will require male adapter pieces to make the elbows work with your PVC lengths. Adapters simply screw in place on the threading. You can see in the 6th photo how the addition of adapters makes my base rectangular, which is totally fine as long as your top mirrors this shape.

 

Connect the elbows using (4) one foot pieces of PVC. Press the resulting shape flat to the ground to ensure all connections are firm and squarely situated on the ground plain.

 

Insert your 4 long pieces of PVC in the vertical ports of your elbow joints. This gives you the ultimate height of your moth house. It is important that this habitat be generous in size, allowing moths to flutter up and down without damaging their wings on the structure.

 

Connect your remaining elbows and one foot PVC lengths in the same manner you used to create the base.

 

When finished, you will install this upside down; fitting the top of your tall PVC pipes into the vertical ports of the elbows. This caps off the structure, giving you a lightweight but sturdy frame.

 

Step 5: Screen Sides

2 sides of the moth house will be screen. This will allow healthy fresh air flow, temperature regulation, and provide the moths with a surface they can easily climb.

 

Unroll your fiberglass window screen and flatten on the ground.

 

Lay the PVC frame on its side on top of the screen, lining up the edge and corner squarely. Push the PVC frame in 1 inch from the edge to give yourself some seam allowance.

 

Wrap the screen up and over so that it covers a second side of the frame. Take care not to let the frame shift positions while you work. I could not find a reliable way of marking measurements on the screen, so keeping edges and corners lined up was key.

 

Since I could not make markings on the screen, I used a ruler to measure the excess screen (the distance from the edge of the roll to the point on the frame I wanted the screen to end) so I knew how much to trim away.

Place a cutting mat underneath the end of your screen roll. Using a ruler and rotary cutter, trim away the excess inches of screen you just identified.

Work vertically, trimming all the way up the length of your frame.

When you reach the top of your frame, scoot the cutting mat over and work horizontally. Trim away all excess screen 1 inch above the top of your frame. Again, we're leaving that extra inch for seam allowance. You can move the PVC frame out of the way while you work, just make sure you keep cutting in a straight line and don't veer up or down.

This will leave you with a piece of screen that covers 2 sides of your moth house frame.

Place your frame back on top of the screen piece, as it was when you first started. The PVC will serve as guidelines so you can cut door flaps that are reasonably centered.

DOOR CUTTING: You will make 3 door flaps; 1 high, 1 low, and 1 in the middle. This will ensure you can easily access any part of the moth house for maintenance and care.

Slide your cutting mat underneath the screen, near the top of the frame.

Find a rectangular template to trace with your rotary cutter for easy, consistent door making. We get a ton of junk mail from Omaha Steaks and this plastic card was a great size. A good door flap will be large enough to comfortably fit your hand through, as you will need to be able to access the inside of the house to provide food and do cleaning.

Place the template on your screen. Use the guidelines on the mat to situate it squarely.

Make 3 cuts: Left side, Right Side, and Bottom. Leave the top edge attached!

Slide your cutting mat down and repeat all door cutting steps toward the middle of your screen side.

Slide down again and repeat toward the bottom of the screen side.

 

Step 6: Tarp Sides

Tarp Sides

Since you've already determined how much material it takes to cover 2 sides of the frame, making your tarp half is easy.

 

Spread your weather proof tarp out flat on the ground.

Place your finished screen piece on top, living up the corner and edges squarely.

Using stick pins, pin the screen and tarp together just as you would fabric. This will keep the screen in place and ensure you get a mirror image out of your tarp.

Do a quick trace around the edge of the screen using a dark Sharpie.

Now, leaving the screen pinned in place, stand your frame upright with the edge of the pipe touching to top border of your tarp tracing. See 4th photo.

Trace around the base of the frame. This addition to your tarp pattern will be the piece that serves as your roof.

Remove your frame and remove the pins from your screen. You can set these elements aside for now.

Use scissors to cut along the Sharpie lines on the tarp. LEAVE the roof piece ATTACHED to the larger tarp tracing. You want to end up with something that looks like the 7th photo.

 

ANCHOR TABS:

 

Since this structure is lightweight, I though it would be a good idea to install some anchor points to keep to from being blown over in the wind or otherwise knocked around. The simplest solution that would work on any surface was tabs of tarp that could then be weighted down with cinder block, heavy potted plants, etc.

Cut a piece out of your excess tarp that measures approx. 13 x 16 inches.

Fold in half to form a long rectangle, then cut on that fold to divide the piece in 2.

Stand your PVC frame upright.

Slide one tarp tab underneath the base.

Fold up and over the PVC until the 2 ends meet. This will be the final length of your anchor tab. If you do not feel this is enough space to place an adequate weight on, cut a longer piece of tarp from your scrap and try again.

When you have a tab size you are satisfied with, use a waterproof adhesive like Loc-Tite to secure the tab halves together. Draw lines of adhesive on one side and then fold over and press. DO NOT apply adhesive to the PVC pipe itself. You want these tabs to be able to slide up and down the pipe so you can adjust their placement based on your installation environment.

Let the adhesive dry for a minimum of 20 minutes. Thick tarp material may tend to curl up if not pressed, so I suggest stacking some books on top while the bond dries.

 

Step 7: Pinning and Sewing

You'll sew your screen and tarp pieces together just as you would any other sewing machine project. My Janome machine had no trouble getting through these unusual materials on a tension setting of 3, with a regular needle. If you're nervous about what your machine can handle, you may consider swapping out for a heavy duty needle.

Pin the edge of the roof piece to the edge of the adjacent tarp side.

Run through your sewing machine as normal, taking care to remove pins as you go and avoiding any metal grommets that remain in your tarp.

Pin the remaining roof piece edge to the neighboring screen edges. Sew again.

You'll see your piece beginning to take shape now that the roof is attached and corners have formed.

Now pin the long, vertical sides of tarp/ screen together. Run through the machine, again taking care to work around metal grommets that could damage your needle. This part takes a while simply because of the area you have to cover. If the weight of the screen/ tarp is making sewing difficult, consider pulling a side table up along your work station to support the excess while you work.

Leave the bottom (the end without the roof panel) OPEN.

 

Step 8: Assembly

Place the open end on the top of the frame and slide it on like a sock. If you encounter any resistance, check for tarp or screen that may be hung up on one of the elbows. Work down the length of the frame carefully and deliberately to avoid popping any seams or creating tears.

Since your cover dimensions were based directly off the frame, plus a little seam allowance, it should be a pretty good fit --not too tight, not too loose.

 

Step 9: Door Flaps

Now that the structure of the moth house is intact, it's time to finish off the door flaps so that they are escape/ intruder proof.

Using your handy door flap template again, measure and trace 3 rectangles that are 1 inch bigger on each side and 1 inch taller than your original.

 

Cut out the rectangles.

Next, apply E-6000 or Loc-Tite to the outside of the screen doorflaps. Hit all the edges and make diagonal lines through the middle to get good coverage.

Line up the top edge of 1 tarp rectangle with the top attached edge of the door flap. Press and adhere the two together. Allow adequate dry time before disturbing the door flaps again.

The generous overlap provided by the tarp pieces will help create a secure seal that keeps moths and caterpillars inside, and pest or predatory insects, like wasps, out.

Velcro closures will make these doors simple to use. I had heavy duty stuff laying around, but you can use regular craft weight velcro if that's what you have handy.

 

Take a length of velcro and sandwich the soft and prickly sides together. Doing this before you cut ensures you will always get equal and proper amounts of each.

Use your door flap template to mark and cut velcro pieces for each side and the bottom edge. Since my velcro was very wide, I was able to split my cuts in half to get more pieces made.

Keep your velcro pieces sandwiched as you attach your velcro pieces to the screen around each door frame. This will ensure your velcro halves are properly aligned to eachother in the end.

I recommend attaching the prickly side to the screen. This way if your velcro ever gets misaligned during use, only the soft side will touch your fiberglass screen and no damage can possibly be done.

If you have trustworthy self adhesive velcro, peel of the backing and stick in place. Otherwise, apply a few lines of E-6000 to secure the velcro to the screen.

Allow adequate dry time for this first side to bond.

When the first round of velcro is dry, you can remove the backing or apply adhesive to the remaining velcro backsides.

Press the tarp door down on top of this velcro and allow to dry. I turned the moth house on its side to encourage even, flat drying of the adhesive.

Use gentle encouragement at the bottom edge to open door flaps, and gentle pressing to close them. You never have to have a complete seal all the way around to consider them "closed", just enough velcro contact on the 3 sides to keep insects from passing through.

 

Step 10: Sealing for Safety

If your tarp sections have any metal grommets, spot patch the open ports with a small square of duct tape. Again, we want to shut out predatory or problem insects like wasps, and safely contain any caterpillars we may house in this later.

 

Step 11: Outdoor Set Up

An ideal outdoor location is one that will not be too windy, and one that can warm and cool naturally throughout the day (not inside a shed or other situation where heat can be trapped). Do not worry if the location gets cool at night. The cocoons are made to withstand full midwestern winters and will not suffer if it gets a little chilly. Out on my balcony, next to the wall so that our apartment can block strong winds and western sun, was a location that met these needs and made it easy to monitor the cocoons daily.

When choosing a location, be aware of neighboring hazards. Another reason I chose the balcony, instead of down in my garden, is that several of my neighbors let their cats roam the complex courtyard. A fluttering moth would be an all too tempting target for a cat, so the house needed to go somewhere the cats do not have access. Consider nearby pets, foot traffic, playing children, etc. and opt for somewhere least likely to be disturbed.

Position the moth house at an angle so that the tarp sides shield the inhabitants from direct, prolonged daylight. My tarp faces the east, to block strong morning sun, and the building blocks the western afternoon light. The nocturnal moths will prefer shade, though having a sense of daytime is important for their internal clocks.

 

WEIGHTS

Keep in mind that your anchor tabs can slide side to side on the base PVC to accommodate your location. You could center them both, or, for even more stable footing, slide one all the way left and one all the way right. Weighing down the opposite corners will give you the most firm grounding if the breeze kicks up.

 

Using heavy potted plants as your weight provides an attractive solution. Bricks or cinder blocks will serve you well too, if that's what you have handy. For my rear weight I used my iron plant stand, which hasn't budged even in the craziest Santa Ana winds.

 

Step 12: Hanging the Cocoons

My eBay order of 3 cocoons arrived very carefully packaged and cushioned with cotton. To provide the hatching moths with ample room to emerge, climb, and dry, I attached the cocoons to the fiberglass screen.

Note that this outer, semi-fuzzy cocoon you see is actually an extra, outer layer made of dead leaves and silk. The true pupae (the developing insect) is smaller unit INSIDE this leaf/ silk shell. If you pick up the cocoon gently (handle as seldom as possible to avoid any mishaps), you may be able to feel the pupae roll around in there. Sometimes the insect even wakes up a little and you can feel a twitching. This is normal and nothing to worry about.

To Hang Cocoons:

Hold the cocoon vertically, from one of the tapered ends. The pupae inside will shift to the bottom of the pod.

Carefully insert a safety pin into the very tip top of the cocoon. Since the pupae is now sitting at the bottom, you will not hurt it.

Entering the moth house though one of your door flaps, carefully run the safety pin through the adjacent screen wall.

Close the pin to secure.

Repeat with any remaining cocoons. If you have multiple cocoons, stagger the height at which they are pinned so that 2 moths emerging at the same time won't be bumping into each other.

* It is recommended to lightly mist the cocoons every few days. While the supplier I brought from did not explain why, I suspect it keeps the cocoon materials moist and thus easier to break through when the right time comes, in addition to mimicking the moisture a cocoon in the wild would encounter through the seasons.

 

Step 13: Home Decor

Home Decor

You have several weeks before the cocoons will hatch, which gives you some time to browse the neighborhood for suitable moth aviary decor.

Keep it Minimalist. While your first inclination may be to provide a lush habitat, there are 2 good reasons to keep things simple:

--You don't want to ruin all that nice clear, flight space by clogging it up with branches. While these moths are large, their wings are still delicate and prone to chipping and tearing if they are working in a tight space.

 

--Should a mating pair produce eggs, you want to be able to find them easily so they can be moved to a nursery container. Having a ton of foliage to examine will be a time sucker.

Providing just a few bare branches gives the moths a place to rest without cluttering up the space. Thinner, flexible branches like those from a climbing plant work well because you can maneuver them into the enclosure without risk of tearing the screen. Choose branches that are no more than half the height of your aviary. Keeping the "furniture" low reduces the risk of wing damage. I stuck my branches in a small succulent pot to keep the bases stable.

 

Some blogs I read suggested hanging a small brown paper sack on one of the branches. A female moth will opt to deposit her eggs on the paper surface, since it is the most leaf like item in the enclosure. This makes for easy identification and removal.

 

Step 14: Hatching Moths!

My first female hatched on St. Patrick's Day morning, a bit ahead of schedule. She has a chip out of one wing and I am unsure whether that was damaged when emerging or if it was a developmental defect. After several hours pumping her wings, she was mobile. While I do not recommend "playing with" your moths, they are very docile and their chubbiness makes them easy to handle. I snapped a photo of her on my hand when I helped her back up from a tumble.

 

If you have multiple cocoons, you may find yourself confused as to which one your moth came from. All of them looked perfectly undisturbed, even though I knew one now had to be empty. What I learned via some YouTube research is that the moth emerges from a pretty small hole on one end of the cocoon. This hole is called the "vent". When spinning the silk, the caterpillar makes this end a lot looser so it can be squeezed through. The cocoon facade doesn't split open as obviously as the chrysalis of a butterfly, which is usually left obviously torn.

 

After carefully handling each cocoon and guessing by weight which was vacant, I used small nail scissors to cut open the silk. Since I was operating on my best guess, but wasn't certain, I worked slowly and carefully. Fortunately, I was correct. While the outer silk seemed very intact to the untrained eye, the pupae casing was definitely split and empty. The dark shell you see inside is the actual pupae casing in which the moth developed.

 

*Again, I do not recommend excess handling of the cocoons or moths, but if for some reason you are concerned the pupae may not be viable (maybe it's getting way late in the spring and you still haven't had a hatch), you can trim open that outer silk covering and take a look. As long as you do not pierce or crush the actual pupae, the moth will be fine. After checking the pupae, you can lay the silk back into place and re-hang. Being exposed to the open air will not hurt the pupae.

 

ADULT MOTH CARE The adult moth's only purpose is to mate and create the next generation. You do not need to provide a food source because they do not eat. In fact, they don't even possess a mouth or digestive system. They are born with a finite amount of energy reserves meant to be used up. For me as an avid pet owner, initially this felt very odd and somewhat cruel, but the fact of the matter is that this is how they are built and they do not feel hunger or pain for lack of food. All an adult moth requires is a safe space with good footing (your screen and branches) and access to a mate so it can fulfill its evolutionary drive. Cecropia moth adults are reported to live anywhere from 4 -14 days. The cycle then begins anew with any eggs they have left you.

 

Monitor your moths and cocoons daily. You shouldn't have to get in and out of the aviary much. The only times worth putting your hands in are to remove eggs or to correct fallen decor that might cause a problem.

After only one day out, the female began laying eggs like crazy. She deposited them on the brown paper sack, as expected, but also all over the tarp walls and one of the other cocoons. Since the male isn't out yet and our local Cecropia population is scarce (making it unlikely that she was visited by a wild suitor), my guess is that these eggs are not viable. Still, it was very cool to see them and study which surfaces a moth mom deems good for eggs.

 

 

 

Step 15: The Waiting Game...

I am now at a point where the other two cocoons should hatch any day. My hope is that their life spans will overlap with this first moth so i have a group. Based on the size and formations on the pupae, I believe I have a male and female. I will keep this Ible up to date as they emerge, and then hope to document the mating and caterpillar raising process. Stay tuned!

Sustainable Rural Liveihood

 

THE REAL India lies in the 7,00,000 villages. If Indian civilization is to make its full contribution to the building up of a stable world order, it is this vast mass of humanity that has...to be made to live again.

We have to tackle the triple malady which holds our villages fast in its grip : (I) want of corporate sanitation ; (ii) deficient diet; (iii) inertia... They [villagers] are not interested in their own welfare. They don't appreciate modern sanitary methods. They don't want to exert themselves beyond scratching their farms or doing such labour as they are used to. These difficulties are real and serious. But they must not baffle us...

We must have an unquenchable faith in our mission. We must be patient with the people. We are ourselves novices in village work. We have to deal with a chronic disease. Patience and perseverance, if we have them, overcome mountains of difficulties. We are like nurses who may not leave their patients because they are reported to have an incurable disease.

Villages have suffered long from neglect by those who have had the benefit of education. They have chosen the city life. The village movement is an attempt to establish healthy contact with the villages by inducing those who are fired with the spirit of service to settle in them and find self-expression in the service of villagers...

Those who have settled in villages in the spirit of service are not dismayed by the difficulties facing them. They knew before they went that they would have to contend against many difficulties, including even sullenness on the part of villagers. Only those, therefore, who have faith in themselves and in their mission will serve the villagers and influence their lives.

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Workers

A true life lived amongst the people is in itself an object lesson that must produce its own effect upon immediate surroundings. The difficulty with the young is, perhaps, that he has gone to the village merely to earn a living without the spirit of service behind it.

I admit that village life does not offer attractions to those who go there in search of money. Without the incentive of service village life would jar after the novelty has worn out. No young man having gone to a village may abandon the pursuit on the slightest contact with difficulty. Patient effort will show that villagers are not very different from city-dwellers and that they will respond to kindness and attention.

It is no doubt true that one does not have in the villages the opportunity of contact with the great ones of the land. With the growth of village mentality the leaders will find it necessary to tour in the villages and establish a living touch with them. Moreover, the companionship of the great and the good is available to all through the works of saints like Chaitanya, Ramakrishna, Tulsidas, Kabir, Nanak, Dadu, Tukaram, Tiruvalluvar, and others too numerous to mention, though equally known and pious.

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Literature

The difficulty is to get the mind tuned to the reception of permanent values. If it is modern thought-political, social, economic, scientific-that is meant, it is possible to procure literature that will satisfy curiosity. I admit, however, that one does not find such as easily as one finds religious literature. Saints wrote and spoke for the masses. The vogue for translating modern thought to the masses in an acceptable manner has not yet quite set in. but it must come in time.

I would, therefore, advise young men. Not to give in, but persist in their effort and by their presence make the villages more livable and lovable. That they will do by serving the villages in a manner acceptable to the villagers. Everyone can make a beginning by making the villages cleaner by their own labour and removing illiteracy to the extent of their ability. And if their lives are clean, methodical and industrious, there is no doubt that the infection will spread in the villages in which they may be working.

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Samagra Gramaseva

A Samagra Gramaseva must know everybody living in the village and render them such service as he can. That does not mean that the worker will be able to do everything single-handed. He will show them the way of helping themselves and procure for them such help and materials as they require. He will train up his own helpers. He will so win over the villagers that they will seek and follow his advice.

Supposing I go and settle down in a village with a GHANI (village oil press), I won't be an ordinary GHANCHI (oil presser) earning 15-20 rupees a month. I will be a Mahatma GHANCHI. I will be a Mahatma GHANCHI. I have used the word 'Mahatma' in fun , but what I mean to say is that as a GHANCHI I will become a model for the villagers to follow. I will be a GHANCHI who knows the Gita and the Quran. I will be learned enough to teach their children. I may not be able to do so for lack of time. The villagers will come to me and ask me: "Please make arrangements for our children's education". I will tell them: "I can find you a teacher, but you will have to bear the expenses". And they will be prepared to do so most willingly.

I will teach them spinning and when they come and ask me for the services of a weaver, I will find them a weaver on the same terms as I found them a teacher. And the weaver will teach them how to weave their own cloth. I will inculcate in them the importance of hygiene and sanitation, and when they come and ask me for a sweeper, I will tell them: "I will be your sweeper and I will train you all in the job."

This is my conception of Samagra Gramaseva. You may tell me that I will never find a GHANCHI of this description in this age. Then I will say that we cannot hope to improve our villages in this age. . . . After all, the man who runs an oil mill is a GHANCHI. He has money but his strength does not lie in his money. Real strength lies in knowledge. True knowledge gives a moral standing and moral strength. Everyone seeks the advice of such a man.

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Economic Survey

The villages will be surveyed and a list prepared of things that can be manufactured locally with little or no help which may be required for village use or for sale outside, such for instance as GHANI-pressed oil and cakes, burning oil prepared through GHANIS, hand-pounded rice, TADGUD, honey, toys, mats, hand-made paper, village soap, etc. if enough care is thus taken, the villages, most of them as good as dead or dying, will hum with life and exhibit the immense possibilities they have of supplying most of their wants themselves and of the cities and towns of India.

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Arts And Crafts

The villagers should develop such a high degree of skill that articles prepared by them should command a ready market outside. When our villages are fully developed, there will be no dearth in them of men with a high degree of skill and artistic talent. There will be village poets, village artists, village architects, linguists and research workers. In shout, there will be nothing in life worth having which will not be had in the villages.

Today the villages are dung heaps. Tomorrow they will be like tiny gardens of Eden where dwell highly intelligent folk whom no one can deceive or exploit. The reconstruction of the villages along these lines should begin right now. The reconstruction of the villages should not be organized on a temporary but permanent basis.

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Economic Reorganization

In my writing on cent per cent Swadeshi. I have shown how some aspects of it can be tackled immediately with benefit to the starving millions both economically and hygienically. The richest in the land can share the benefit. Thus, if rice can be pounded in the villages after the old fashion, the wages will fill the pockets of the rice-pounding sisters and the rice-eating millions will get some sustenance from the unpolished rice instead of pure starch which the polished rice provides.

Human greed, which takes no account of the health or the wealth of the people who come under its heels, is responsible for the hideous rice-mills one sees in all the rice-producing tracts. If public opinion was strong, it will make rice-mills an impossibility by simply insisting on unpolished rice and appealing to the owner of rice-mills to stop a traffic that undermines the health of a whole nation and robs the poor of an honest means of livelihood.

...I would say that, if the village perishes, India will perish too. India will be no more India. Her own mission in the world will get lost. The revival of the village is possible only when it is no more exploited. Industrialization on a mass scale will necessarily lead to passive or active exploitation of the villagers as the problems of competition and marketing come in.

Therefore, we have to concentrate on the village being self-contained, manufacturing mainly for use. Provided this character of the village industry is maintained, there would be no objection to villagers using even the modern machines and tools that they can make and can afford to use. Only, they should not be used as a means of exploitation of others.

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Nonviolent Economy

You cannot build nonviolence on a factory civilization, but it can be built on self-contained villages... Rural economy as I have conceived it, eschews exploitation altogether, and exploitation is the essence of violence. You have, therefore, to be rural-minded before you can be non-violent, and to be rural-minded you have to have faith in the spinning wheel.

We have to make a choice between India of the villages that are as ancient as herself and India of the cities which are a creation of foreign domination. Today the cities dominate and drain the villages so that they are crumbling to ruin. My Khadi mentality tells me that cities must subserve villages when that domination goes. Exploiting of villages is itself organized violence. If we want Swaraj to be built on nonviolence, we will have to give the villages their proper place.

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Food Reform

Since the economic reorganization of the villages has been commenced with food reform, it is necessary to find out the simplest and cheapest foods that would enable the villagers to regain the lost health. The addition of green leaves to their meals will enable the villagers to avoid many diseases from which they are now suffering.

The villagers' food is deficient in vitamins; many of them can be supplied by fresh green leaves. An eminent doctor told me a proper use of green leaves is calculated to revolutionize the customary notions of food and much of what was today being supplied by mild may be supplied by green leaves.

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Power Machinery

If we could have electricity in every village home, I should not mind villagers plying their implements and tools, with the help of electricity. But then the village communities or the State would own power-houses just as they have their grazing pastures. But where there is no electricity and no machinery, what are idle hands to do.

I regard the existence of power wheels for the grinding of corn in thousands of villages as the limit of our helplessness. I suppose India does not produce all the engines or grinding machines..... The planting of such machinery and engines on a large scale in villages is also a sign of greed. Is it proper to fill one's pocket in this manner at the expense of the poor? Every such machinery puts thousands of hand-CHAKKIS out of work and takes away employment from thousand of housewives and artisans who make these CHAKKIS.

Moreover, the process is infective and will spread to every village industry. The decay of the latter spells too the decay of art. If it meant replacement of old crafts by new ones, one might not have much to say against it. But this is not what is happening. In the thousands of villages where power machinery exists, one misses the sweet music, in the early morning, of the grinders at work.

Source: The Mind of Mahatma Gandhi

Village Exhibitioon

If we want and believe that the village should not only survive but also become strong and flourishing, then the village perspective is the only correct view-point. If this is true then in our exhibitions there can be no place for the glamour and pomp of the cities. There should be no necessity for games and other entertainments that belong to the cities. An exhibition should not become a "Tamasha", nor a source of income; it should never become the advertising medium for traders. No sales should be allowed there. Even Khadi and village industry products should not be sold. An exhibition should be a medium of education, should be attractive and it should be such as to in fuse in the villager the impulse to take to some industry or the other. It should bring out the glaring defects, and drawbacks in the present day village life, and show methods to be adopted to set them right. It should also be able to indicate the extent of achievement in that direction ever since the idea of village uplift was sponsored. It should also teach how to make village life artistic.

Now let us see what an exhibition will be like if it is to conform to the above conditions.

1. There should be two models of villages-one as is existing today and the other an improved one. The improved village will be clean all throughout. Its houses, its roads, its surroundings and its fields will be all clean. The condition of the cattle should also improve. Books, charts, and pictures should be used to show what industries give increased income and how.

2. It must show how to conduct the various village industries, wherefrom to obtain the needed implements, how to make them. The actual working of each industry should be demonstrated. Along with these the following should also find place:

a) Ideal village diet

b) Comparison between village industry and machine industry

c) Model lessons on rearing animals

d) Art section

e) Model of village latrine

f) Farm-yard manure, v. chemical manure

g) Utilization of hides, bones, etc. of animals

h) Village music, musical instruments, village dramas

i) Village games, village akhadas and forms of exercise

j) Nai Talim

k) Village medicine

l) Village maternity home

Subject to the policy enunciated in the beginning, this list may be further expanded. What I have indicated is by way of example only, it should not be taken to be exhaustive. I have not made any mention of the Gharkha and other village industries as they are taken for granted. Without them the exhibition will be absolutely useless.

Gram Udyog Patrika, July, 1946

 

Dairy

 

People around the world enjoy a variety of dairy products and foods for delicious, nutritious ways to balance their diets. Whether you rely on milk or yogurt for your overnight oats or cheese for your taco, there are countless ways to benefit from dairy in everyday life.

 

What Is Dairy?

Dairy refers to the category of foods and beverages derived from the milk of mammals, most commonly cows, but also including goats and sheep. It encompasses both the milk itself and the wide range of products made from it.

 

What Are Dairy Products?

Dairy products are derived from milk, which has been an important source of nutrition for people for thousands of years. These products include cheese, butter and yogurt.

 

Milk consists of water, carbohydrate (in the form of lactose, a type of natural sugar), fat (unless non-fat), vitamins, minerals and protein.

 

Nutritional Benefits of Dairy Products

Dairy products contain essential nutrients to support overall health and well-being. For example, milk, cheese and yogurt contain protein, calcium and vitamin B12, which help rebuild and repair muscle tissue, build and maintain strong bones and teeth, and keep your nervous system healthy, respectively. In addition, the protein, zinc, selenium and vitamins A and D found in every cup of milk help support a healthy immune system.

 

Here are some of the key benefits:

 

Protein: Supports muscle growth and repair

Calcium: Essential for strong bones and teeth

Vitamin B12: Important for nerve function and red blood cell production

Vitamin D: Helps the body absorb calcium and supports bone health

Vitamin A: Supports vision, immune function, and skin health

Zinc: Important for immune function and healing wounds

Selenium: Acts as an antioxidant to protect cells from damage

Including a variety of dairy products in your diet can help ensure you meet your nutritional needs.

 

How Much Dairy Is Recommended Daily?

The Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2025-2030, recommend consuming dairy every day as part of a healthy dietary pattern. The current guidance recommends three servings of dairy per day as part of a 2,000-calorie dietary pattern, adjusted as needed based on individual calorie needs. The Guidelines also state that, when consuming dairy, Americans should choose full-fat dairy with no added sugars. 

 

Types of Dairy Products

There are a wide range of dairy products, including numerous types of cheese, yogurt and milk and milk products. Check the list of dairy products below and read more about what all your favorite dairy products offer.

 

Dairy Products List Examples

Milk: Available in various forms such as whole, skim, and flavored

Cheese: Includes varieties like cheddar, mozzarella, Brie, Gouda, and more

Yogurt: Available in plain, Greek, flavored, Icelandic, and drinkable forms

Cream: Includes heavy cream, light cream, and sour cream

Butter: Available as salted, unsalted, and spreadable

Ice Cream: Comes in various flavors and is a creamy, frozen treat

Kefir: A fermented milk drink that can contain live and active cultures

Whey: A byproduct of cheese-making that is also used in protein supplements

Are Eggs A Dairy Product?

No, eggs are not a dairy product. Eggs come from birds like chickens, ducks, and quails, while dairy products are made from the milk of mammals. Despite being commonly found in the dairy aisle of grocery stores, eggs do not fall under the dairy category.

 

How to Incorporate Dairy Foods into Your Diet

Here are tips for including dairy products in your daily meals:

 

Breakfast: Add yogurt or kefir to your smoothies, or enjoy a bowl of cereal with milk.

Lunch: Include cheese in your sandwiches or salads for added flavor and nutrition.

Dinner: Use cream or butter to enhance the taste of your soups and sauces.

Snacks: Enjoy a piece of cheese or a cup of yogurt.

Desserts: Treat yourself to a scoop of ice cream or a serving of pudding made with milk.

Incorporating dairy into your diet can be both delicious and nutritious.

 

FAQ About Dairy Products and Foods

Does pasta have dairy?

Usually, no. Most plain dried pasta is made from wheat or semolina and water, though some fresh or egg pastas may also contain eggs. Dairy is more likely to show up in the sauce or filling, such as Alfredo sauce, cheese ravioli, or creamy pasta dishes, not in the pasta itself.

 

Is chocolate considered dairy?

Not always. Chocolate itself comes from cocoa, but some chocolate products contain milk ingredients and some do not. Milk chocolate contains dairy, while dark chocolate may or may not. The most reliable way to know is to check the ingredient list and allergen statement. The FDA also notes that even some dark labeled dairy-free has tested positive for milk in certain cases, likely due to cross-contact or labeling issues.

 

Is dairy inflammatory?

Current research does not support the idea that dairy is broadly inflammatory for most people. Reviews of clinical studies have found that dairy foods and dairy proteins can actually have a neutral to mildly anti-inflammatory effect. That said, individual reactions can differ, especially for people with allergies or certain digestive sensitivities.

 

What foods count as dairy?

Federal dietary guidance includes dairy foods across fat levels (whole, reduced-fat, low-fat, and nonfat), such as milk (fluid, dry, or evaporated), yogurt, and cheese, as well as lactose-free, lactose-reduced, and fortified dairy alternatives. 

 

Is lactose-free milk still dairy?

Yes, lactose-free milk is still a dairy food because it is made from cow's milk. The lactose has been broken down to make it easier to digest for people with lactose intolerance, but it remains part of the dairy group.

 

Are butter and cream considered dairy?

Yes. Butter and cream are made from milk, so they are dairy products. Even though they are used differently from milk, yogurt, or cheese, they still come from dairy milk. 

 

Is yogurt considered dairy?

Yes. Traditional yogurt is a dairy product because it is made by fermenting milk with live bacterial cultures. Its fermentation changes the texture and flavor, but it remains part of the dairy category. 

Village Industries : Challenges and Patterns

My difficulties are two. One is whether it is possible to sell hand-made articles as cheaply as machine-made ones. The second is that out of the articles that have been enumerated in the scheme there is hardly any except Khadi which can become universal. They will not, in a large measure, be consumed locally and so will have to be sold in the cities. This is as it should be. The villagers should, develop such a high degree of skill that articles prepared by them should command a ready market outside. When our villages are fully developed there will be no dearth in them of men with a high degree of skill and artistic talent. There will be village poets, village artists, village architects, linguists and research workers. In short there will be nothing in life worth having which will not be had in the villages. Today the villages are dung heaps. Tomorrow they will be like tiny gardens of Eden where dwell highly intelligent folk whom no one can deceive or exploit.

The reconstruction of the villages along these lines should begin right now. That might necessitate some modification of the scheme. The reconstruction of the villages should not be organized on a temporary but permanent basis.

My second difficulty is that in the scheme under question, craft and education have been divorced from each other. Graft, art, health and education should all be integrated into one scheme. Nai Talim is a beautiful blend of all the four and covers the whole education of the individual from the time of conception to the moment of death. Therefore, I would not divide village uplift work into watertight compartments from the very beginning but undertake an activity which will combine all four. Instead of regarding craft and industry as different from education, I will regard the former as the medium for the latter. Nai Talim ought to be integrated into the scheme.

Harijan, 10-11-1946

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"Begin with Yourself"

Correspondents have been writing, and friends have been seeing me, to ask me how to begin the village industries work and what to do first.

The obvious answer is, "Begin with yourself and do first that which is easiest for you to do."

This answer, however, does not satisfy the enquirers. Let me, therefore, be more explicit.

Each person can examine all the articles of food, clothing and other things that he uses from day to day and replace foreign makes or city makes, by those produced by the villagers in their homes or fields with the simple inexpensive tools they can easily handle and mend. This replacement will be itself, an education of great value and a solid beginning. The next step will be opened out to him of itself. For instance, say, the beginner has been hitherto using a tooth-brush made in a Bombay factory. He wants to replace it with a village brush. He is advised to use a babul twig. If he has weak teeth or is toothless, he has to crush one end of it, with a rounded stone or a hammer, on a hard surface. The other end he slits with a knife and uses the halves as tongue-scrapers. He will find these brushes to be cheaper and much cleaner than the very unhygienic factory-made toothbrush. The city-made tooth-powder he naturally replaces with equal parts of clean, finely-ground, wood-charcoal and clean salt. He will replace mill-cloth with village-spun Khadi, and mill-husked rice with hand-husked, unpolished rice, and white sugar with village-made gur. These I have taken merely as samples already mentioned in these columns. I have mentioned them again to deal with the difficulties that have been mentioned by those who have been discussing the question with me.

Harijan, 25-1-1935

 

A suggestion has been made that there should be a separate minister for the work, as, for proper organization, it will occupy all the time of one minister. I dread to make the suggestion, for we have not yet outlived the English scale of expenditure. Whether a minister is separately appointed or not, a department for the work is surely necessary. In these times of scarcity of food and clothing, this department can render the greatest help. The ministers have experts at their disposal through the A. I. S. A. and the A. I. V. I. A. It is possible to clothe today the whole of India in Khadi on the smallest outlay and in the shortest time possible. Each provincial Government has to tell the villagers that they must manufacture their own Khaddar for their own use. This brings in automatic local production and distribution. And there will undoubtedly be a surplus for the cities at least to a certain extent which, in its turn, will reduce the pressure on the local mills. The latter will then be able to take part in supplying the want of cloth in other parts of the world.

How can this result be brought about?

The Governments should notify the villagers that they will be expected to manufacture Khaddar for the needs of their village within a fixed date after which no cloth will be supplied to them. The Governments in their turn will supply the villagers with cotton seed or cotton wherever required, at cost price and the tools of manufacture also at cost, to be recovered in easy installments payable in, say, five years or more. They will supply them with instructors wherever necessary and undertake to buy surplus stock of Khaddar, provided that the villagers in question have their cloth requirements supplied from their own manufacture. This should do away with cloth shortage without fuss and with very little overhead charges.

The villages will be surveyed and a list prepared of things that can be manufactured locally with little or no help and which may be required for village use or for sale outside, such for instance, as ghani-pressed oil and cakes, burning oil prepared through ghanis, hand-pounded rice, tadgur, honey, toys, mats, hand-made paper, village soap, etc. If enough care is thus taken the villages, most of them as good as dead or dying, will hum with life and exhibit the immense possibilities they have of supplying most of their wants themselves and of the cities and towns of India.

Then there is the limitless cattle wealth of India suffering from criminal neglect. Goseva Sangh, as yet not properly experienced, can still supply valuable aid.

Without the basic training the villagers are being starved for education. This desideratum can be supplied by the Hindustani Talimi Sangh.

Harijan, 28-4-1946

I feel convinced that the revival of hand-spinning and hand-weaving will make the largest contribution to the economic and the moral regeneration of India. The millions must have a simple industry to supplement agriculture. Spinning was the cottage industry years ago, and if the millions are to be saved from starvation, they must be enabled to reintroduce spinning in their homes, and every village must repossess its own weaver.

Young India, 21-7-1920

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I... claim for the Charkha the honour of being able to solve the problem of economic distress in a most natural, simple, unexpensive and businesslike manner. The Charkha, therefore, is not only not useless... but it is a useful and indispensable article for every home. It is the symbol of the nation's prosperity and, therefore, freedom. It is a symbol not of commercial war but of commercial peace. It bears not a message of ill-will towards the nations of the earth but of good-will and self-help. It will not need the protection of a navy threatening a world's peace and exploiting its resources, but it needs the religious determination of millions to spin their yarn in their own homes as today they cook their food in their own homes. I may deserve the curses of posterity for many mistakes of omission and commission, but I am confident of earning its blessings for suggesting a revival of the Charkha. I take my all on it. For every revolution of the wheel spins peace, good-will and love. And with all that, inasmuch as the loss of it brought about India's slavery, its voluntary revival with all its implications must mean India's freedom.

Young India, 8-12-1921

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What is claimed for spinning is that:

1. it supplies the readiest occupation to those who have leisure and are in want of a few coppers;

2. it is known to the thousands;

3. it is easily learnt;

4. it requires practically no outlay of capital;

5. the wheel can be easily and cheaply made. Most of us do not yet know that spinning can be done even with a piece of tile and splinter;

6. the people have no repugnance to it;

7. it affords immediate relief in times of famine and scarcity;

8. it alone can stop the drain of wealth which goes outside India in the purchase of foreign cloth;

9. it automatically distributes the millions thus saved among the deserving poor;

10. even the smallest success means so much immediate gain to the people;

11. it is the most potent instrument of securing co-operation among the people.

Young India, 21-8-1924

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I have often said that if seven lakhs of the villages of India were to be kept alive, and if peace that is at the root of all civilization is to be achieved, we have to make the spinning wheel the centre of all handicrafts. Thus my faith in the spinning wheel is growing every day and I see it more and more clearly that the Sun of the wheel will alone illumine the planets of other handicrafts. But I go a step further and say that just as we go on discovering new stars and planets in the vast solar system, even so we shall go on discovering fresh handicrafts every day. But for the sake of this thing, we have to make the spinning wheel the really life-giving Sun.

Harijan, 19-2-1938

Tanning

It is estimated that rupees nine crores worth of raw hide is annually exported from India and that much of it is returned to her in the shape of manufactured articles. This means not only a material, but also an intellectual, drain. We miss the training we should receive in tanning and preparing the innumerable articles of leather we need for daily use.

Tanning requires great technical skill. An army of chemists can find scope for their inventive talent in this great industry. There are two ways of developing it. One for the uplift of Harijans living in the villages and eking out a bare sustenance living in filth and degradation and consigned to the village ghetto, isolated and away from the village proper. This way means part re-organization of villages and taking art, education, cleanliness, prosperity and dignity to them. This means also the application of chemical talent to village uplift. Tanning chemists have to discover improved methods of tanning. The village chemist has to stoop to conquer. He has to learn and understand the crude village tanning, which is still in existence but which is fast dying owing to neglect, not to say want of support. But the crude method may not be summarily scrapped, at least not before a sympathetic examination. It has served well for centuries. It could not have done so, if it had no merit. The only research I know in this direction is being carried on in Santiniketan, and then it was started at the now defunct Ashram at Sabarmati. I have not been able to keep myself in touch with the progress of the experiment at Santiniketan. There is every prospect of its revival at the Harijan Ashram, which the Sabarmati Ashram has now become. These experiments are mere drops in the ocean of possible research.

Cow-preservation is an article of faith in Hinduism. No Harijan worth his salt will kill cattle for food. But, having become untouchable, he has learnt the evil habit of eating carrion. He will not kill a cow but will eat with the greatest relish the flesh of a dead cow. It may be physiologically harmless. But psychologically there is nothing, perhaps, so repulsive as carrion-eating. And yet, when a dead cow is brought to a Harijan tanner's house, it is a day of rejoicing for the whole household. Children dance round the carcass, and as the animal is flayed, they take hold of bones or pieces of flesh and throw them at one another. As a tanner, who is living at the Harijan Ashram, describing the scenes at his own now forsaken home, tells me the whole family is drunk with joy at the sight of the dead animal. I know how hard I have found it working among Harijans to wean them from the soul-destroying habit of eating carrion. Reformed tanning means the automatic disappearance of carrion-eating.

Well, here is the use for high intelligence and the art of dissection. Here is also a mighty step in the direction of cow-preservation. The cow must die at the hands of the butcher, unless we learn the art of increasing her capacity of milk-giving, unless we improve her stock and make her male progeny more useful for the field and carrying burdens, unless we make scientific use of all her excreta as manure, and unless, when she and hers die, we are prepared to make the wisest use of her hide, bone, flesh, entrails, etc.

I am just now concerned only with the carcass. It is well to remember here that the village tanner, thank God, has to deal only with the carcass, not the slaughtered animal. He has no means of bringing the dead animal in a decent way. He lifts it, drags it, and this injures the skin and reduces the value of the hide. If the villagers and the public knew the priceless and noble service the tanner renders, they will provide easy and simple methods of carrying it, so as not to injure the skin at all.

The next process is flaying the animal. This requires great skill. I am told that none, not even surgeons, do this work better or more expeditiously than the village tanner does with his village knife. I have inquired of those who should know. They have not been able to show me an improvement upon the village tanner. This is not to say that there is none better. I merely give the reader the benefit of my own very limited experience. The village tanner has no use for the bone. He throws it away. Dogs hover round the carcass whilst it is flayed, and take away some, if not all, of the bones. This is a dead loss to the country. The bones, if powdered fine, apart from their other uses, make valuable manure. What remains after the dogs have taken away their share is transported to foreign countries and returns to us in the shape of handles, buttons, etc.

The second way is urbanizing this great industry. There are several tanneries in India doing this work. Their examination is outside the scope of this article. This urbanization can do little good to the Harijans, much less to the villages. It is a process of double drain from the villages. Urbanization in India is slow but sure death for her villages and villagers. Urbanization can never support ninety per cent of India's population, which is living in her 7,00,000 villages. To re-remove from these villages tanning and such other industries is to remove what little opportunity there still is for making skilled use of the hand and the head. And when the village handicrafts disappear, the villagers working only with their cattle on the field, with idleness for six or four months in the year, must, in the words of Madhusudan Das, be reduced to the level of the beast and be without proper nourishment, either of the mind or the body, and, therefore, without joy and without hope.

Here is work for the cent per cent Swadeshi lover and scope for the harnessing of technical skill to the solution of a great problem. The work fells three apples with one throw. It serves the Harijans, it serves the villagers, and it means honourable employment for the middle class intelligentsia who are in search of employment. Add to this the fact that intelligentsia have a proper opportunity of coming in direct touch with the villagers.

Harijan, 7-9-1934