Sohmynting, Dec 10: In an unique effort to revive a treasured indigenous crop and renew the community’s bond with the land, Earthtree Enviro and the Regeneration Meghalaya project, in collaboration with Sohmynting Village, organised the first-ever Sohphlang Festival on Saturday at Madan Ktieh Heh. The event marks an important step toward restoring Sohmynting’s once-renowned Sohphlang (Flemingia vestita) legacy while strengthening cultural identity and ecological stewardship.
Guided by the theme “Na ka khyndew ba seisoh sha ki khlaw ba jyrngam… ban neh ban sah u Sohphlang” (“From Healthy Soil to Thriving Forests—For a Nature That Flourishes and a Sohphlang That Sustains”), the festival brought together farmers, traditional leaders, women’s groups and youth to honour ancestral agricultural knowledge and spotlight the urgent need for sustainable, tree-based land management.
Sohphlang, an edible tuber native to the Khasi and Jaintia Hills, is valued not only for its culinary and medicinal uses but also for its nitrogen-fixing properties, which enhance soil fertility and benefit smallholder farming systems.
Once celebrated for producing some of the finest Sohphlang in the region, Sohmynting has in recent years faced declining yields due to soil degradation, changing land-use patterns and early-stage forest cover loss. The festival underscored community-led efforts to reverse these trends through landscape regeneration, soil restoration and a return to traditional mixed-cropping systems where Flemingia vestita naturally thrives.
The festival showcased Sohmynting’s deep cultural ties to land stewardship, reflected in its fertile red soils and sacred groves. Traditional harvesting demonstrations, cultural performances, competitions, and an advance Christmas gathering drew enthusiastic participation from neighbouring communities. The activities strengthened social cohesion and reconnected younger generations with cultural practices rooted in respect for land and forest.
Speaking at the event, Dr. S. N. Goswami, COO of Earthtree Enviro, said, “Sohphlang carries immense value — enriching the soil, nourishing our health, and sustaining our traditions. To see it celebrated in a festival under its own name is truly special.”
M. B. Rymbai, MDC, Amwi–Khliehtyrchi, added that the upcoming Jowai market infrastructure will provide young farmers “a dignified and inspiring place to bring Sohphlang to the community.”
Earthtree Enviro reiterated that the Regeneration Meghalaya project goes beyond afforestation and reforestation. The initiative aims to revitalise degraded lands, improve livelihoods, and promote sustainable agriculture while uplifting traditional knowledge systems and cultural landscapes.
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