San Francisco-based Vivek Shah decided to quit his job and return to India with his wife Brinda who holds a Masters in Printmaking.
"Living in San Francisco made us a lot more aware of our surroundings. Being full-time professionals ourselves, we started realising how our lifestyle was fluctuating toward becoming unhealthy due to our schedules," says Vivek.
The couple's first step to take charge of their health was to start learning to cook together.
The couple set out on a journey to learn the principles of permaculture in a state not far away from California. It was this trip that strengthened their resolve to return to India and set up their farm.
In 2017, an hour and a half drive away from Ahmedabad, they bought a 10-acre land located on the outskirts of Nadiad, Central Gujarat, to create a farm which would not only fulfill the needs of their kitchen and make them independent of the market but also take up commercial operations.
From pearl millet (bajra), wheat, potatoes, moringa, bananas, papaya, jamun to timber, the couple grows crops that range from commercial to semi-commercial.
Instead of using pesticides or concoctions to keep pests at bay, the couple uses integral natural pest management techniques on the farm like growing aromatic plants such as tulsi, lemongrass, etc. on the outer boundaries of the field. These help create a protective guard and keep fruit flies and pests at bay.
The couple conducts workshops and does consultation work on kitchen gardening, natural landscaping for organic farms/agroforestry, composting, integrating fruit-bearing, native and drought resilient plants, etc.
In a final message to those wanting to make the switch to organic farming, Vivek says, "Growing our food and creating our forests is the need of the hour. Global warming and climate change are not waiting for anyone. So don't let any second thoughts let you step back. Go ahead and pursue natural farming and work for the environment."
"Living in San Francisco made us a lot more aware of our surroundings. Being full-time professionals ourselves, we started realising how our lifestyle was fluctuating toward becoming unhealthy due to our schedules," says Vivek.
The couple's first step to take charge of their health was to start learning to cook together.
The couple set out on a journey to learn the principles of permaculture in a state not far away from California. It was this trip that strengthened their resolve to return to India and set up their farm.
In 2017, an hour and a half drive away from Ahmedabad, they bought a 10-acre land located on the outskirts of Nadiad, Central Gujarat, to create a farm which would not only fulfill the needs of their kitchen and make them independent of the market but also take up commercial operations.
From pearl millet (bajra), wheat, potatoes, moringa, bananas, papaya, jamun to timber, the couple grows crops that range from commercial to semi-commercial.
Instead of using pesticides or concoctions to keep pests at bay, the couple uses integral natural pest management techniques on the farm like growing aromatic plants such as tulsi, lemongrass, etc. on the outer boundaries of the field. These help create a protective guard and keep fruit flies and pests at bay.
The couple conducts workshops and does consultation work on kitchen gardening, natural landscaping for organic farms/agroforestry, composting, integrating fruit-bearing, native and drought resilient plants, etc.
In a final message to those wanting to make the switch to organic farming, Vivek says, "Growing our food and creating our forests is the need of the hour. Global warming and climate change are not waiting for anyone. So don't let any second thoughts let you step back. Go ahead and pursue natural farming and work for the environment."