Source:- stades.com
Embarking on the enigmatic journey of cultivating unyielding landscapes, a cadre of unconventional minds is steering the course of organic farming in India. In the intricate tapestry of agricultural challenges, these pioneers, hailing from diverse professions such as engineering, medicine, business, and law, have sculpted tales of triumph over adversity.
The labyrinthine nature of agriculture, rife with the capricious dance of natural elements, capricious rainfall, evolving consumer expectations, and the perennial struggle for equitable remuneration, presents an arduous odyssey for traditional farmers. Amidst these challenges, the imperative of maintaining soil fertility and navigating pest management adds another layer of complexity.
In an intriguing twist of fate, professionals disillusioned with the corporate rat race are rekindling the flame of agrarian success by revisiting ancient techniques. The resounding realization echoes across the spectrum, as engineers, doctors, MBAs, social workers, lawyers, and others are venturing into farming for varied reasons. Some seek respite from the frenetic corporate lifestyle, others grapple with the haunting specter of diseases like cancer, yearning to reverse the detrimental effects of chemical farming. For many, it’s a nostalgic pilgrimage to their roots, a return to the days of childhood when sustenance was synonymous with organic fare.
Whatever propels these visionaries into the realm of farming, their narratives converge on a common thread of spectacular success. Confronting the Herculean task of transforming desolate and infertile expanses into arable, lucrative havens, these unconventional farmers eschew conventional chemicals. Their arsenal comprises the elemental forces of cow dung, urine, jeevamrit, panchagavya, and other farm-derived inputs, yielding a bountiful harvest of organic vegetables, rice, wheat, fruits, and even medicinal and aromatic plants.
In this odyssey, let’s traverse the fascinating tales of seven such luminaries who illuminate the path to prosperity through organic farming:
1) Reeva Sood, Himachal Pradesh:
In 2016, Reeva Sood embraced organic farming in Una, spurred by her husband’s battle with cancer. Acquiring 70 acres of ostensibly barren land across Gunghrala, Akrot, and Behar Bithal villages, Reeva transformed this desolate terrain into a thriving oasis of medicinal and aromatic plants. Generating an annual income of Rs50 lakh, she stands as a testament to the alchemy of nature.
2) Umed Singh, Punjab:
Umed Singh, a virtuoso of organic farming, metamorphosed wild expanses in Bachhohi, Hoshiarpur, into a verdant canvas of organic wheat and assorted fruits and vegetables. Embracing the natural undulations of the land, he invested six months in clearing wild growth, infusing 600 trolleys of cow dung manure to enrich the soil. His organic wheat commands Rs70 per kg, defying the market’s inorganic norms.
3) Pavithra A and Mohammed Rinas Mundakkal, Kerala:
Source:- The Hindu News
Shunning corporate confines, this resilient couple embarked on a journey into organic paddy cultivation on 25 acres in Thrissur. Overcoming financial tribulations, they resurrected 15 barren acres, witnessing an organic paddy yield surpassing Kerala’s average. Their agricultural opus thrives, offering paddy varieties at Rs225 per kg.
4) Chintan Shah, Gujarat:
A scion of Mumbai’s NMIMS with an MBA in tow, Chintan Shah orchestrated a paradigm shift in Devapura village, Anand. Converting infertile terrain into a bastion of organic sustenance, Shah’s repertoire includes ginger, turmeric, and wheat, retailed directly from his farm. An embodiment of sustainable livelihood, his saga unveils the harmonious coexistence of agriculture and academia.
5) Mandeep Verma, Himachal Pradesh:
Mandeep Verma, an erstwhile technocrat at Wipro, returned to Solan in 2014, transmuting his family’s 4.8 acres of neglected land into a thriving kiwi orchard. Defying the barren legacy left by marauding monkeys, Mandeep’s annual harvest yields over Rs50 lakh, a testament to the profitability latent in organic kiwi farming.
6) Amogh Jagtaph, Karnataka:
Source:-30shades.com
Igniting a revolution on his family’s 10-acre infertile expanse, MBA graduate Amogh Jagtaph eschewed job interviews for the plow. Employing a potent blend of cow dung, coconut leaf manure, and Jeevamrut, Amogh’s integrated farming approach yields an annual net profit of Rs30 lakh. His saga exemplifies the metamorphosis of barrenness into a thriving natural farm.
7) Tom Kiron Davis:
Tom Kiron Davis, forsaking the corporate corridors of Dubai, resurrected fallow land in Thrissur for organic paddy farming. Navigating the restoration of unused acres and water channels, Davis implemented organic fertilizers like jeevamrit and vermicompost. His collaborative efforts have birthed a collective selling organic Matta Triveni paddy worldwide, echoing the global resonance of organic sustenance.
In this riveting chronicle, these seven mavericks stand as paragons of resilience, breathing life into the arid realms through the transformative magic of organic farming.
