I am a Pharmaceutical Researcher, Businesman and a passionate farmer, have been into natural farming for the past 5years. I have completed my Masters in Pharmacy and was working as a Senior Manager (Bioanalytical R&D) at PAR Biosciences, Chennai and earlier in Hyderabad. I made a shift to full time Textiles Manufacturing Business and Natural Farming.

But before coming back, I didn’t know anything about practical agriculture. I lived most of my life in Ooty, Chennai and Hyderabad. Initially after coming back from city life, really it was difficult to get along with my family business. I always wanted to do something different. Used to read lot of books in Pharma, Textiles, Dyeing, Agriculture and many other fields. Since my family background is Agriculture, It was in my blood maybe, I am very much involved into Farming very soon. Before starting it, I have traveled places, used to interact with a lot of farmers, where they use only with chemical fertilizers and pesticides. Their main problem is in dealing with local traders and middleman post their harvest. Only few farmers based on their personal experience have accept their mistakes in using chemical fertilizers in their lands. They are well aware of pollution issues in using chemical fertilizers and pesticides which are responsible for the depletion of local flora and fauna in their land. But to take high yields, they have used Hybrid seeds which require lot of chemicals in growing them. In my view it’s completely wrong, good quality local seed and healthy soil produces healthy crops with good yields. I always feed the soil and not the crops because the soil here was very poor 5years back. Now everything has changed upon doing farming with only natural inputs.

I attended few training sessions on Natural Farming.

I started growing food with indigenous cow based Natural Farming with a empty space at my home, since i was asked to initiate and experiment my learnings only in small scale.

From selecting seeds, land preparation, sowing seeds, transplanting seedlings, applying manure, harvest and marketing, I practiced myself. I have Kangeyam breed cows at my home to source Cow Dung and Cow Urine. All inputs such as Jeevamritham, Panjakavya, Fish Amino Acid, Neemastram, Agniastram and many other preparations used in farming are being prepared at my home by myself.

Initially it was difficult to find and source native seeds. Since I was insisted to use only Native seeds in my trainings, I sourced seeds from local farmers and many like-minded people’s. I never forget to take my kids to my farm. Now my spouse and my daughter helps me in collection of the seeds, soon I wish have a small organised seed bank, so that I can share my collections to like-minded peoples for growing and multiplication. Presently I have saved over 200varieties of seeds in all vegetable categories. I strongly believe the right to own, sow, breed, save and exchange seeds is a basic human right that we should all exercise.

Traditional Paddy Varieties such as Karupu Kavuni, Maapillai Sambha, Kichili Sambha and Bhavani are being grown in my farm with chemical free farming and the seeds are being saved and distributed to farmers who want to take up Natural Farming. Growing my own food makes me self sufficient and I grow variety of vegetables which I can’t get in the local market.

Everytime when entering my garden or farm, one can meet a new variety of insects, birds, worms, snakes etc, makes us realise the world is not only for humans.