I usually associate my visits to India, my home, as heavy traffic, hot weather, overwhelming emotions, warmth of family, tiring travels, the fun of meeting friends, spiritual vibes and more. Off late I am investing a good portion of my time in India exploring farming. Farming for me is a hope for the future where we are in harmony with nature. People are returning to agriculture and are adopting natural farming methods. Ecological farming is a lifestyle much needed, a moderation in this modern generation and way for building a better future!

It’s nostalgic to talk about farming. It takes me back to the good old days of my childhood. My parents used to work as caretakers of a farm. My brother and I were small children. We used to help mom in managing things around the farm. We had a company of trees, flowers, cows, hens and dogs. We woke up to the birds singing, caught a glimpse of the sunrise while picking flowers for making garlands, followed mom for milking cows, chased hens, plucked fruits from the trees, we had such fun. Those were eventful mornings in the lap of nature. We took a local bus to go to the school which was 20 km away and then back in the evening. We played with calves, went around the farm to fetch fallen coconuts from the trees while mom took care of watering the farm. As night fell, we sat in front of the house in the fresh air to finish our homeworks until mom called us for dinner. It was pleasantly cold and dark in the night which helped us sleep deep. We were happy. Life was very simple. Less was more.

Summer holidays that I spent at my aunt’s makes another glorious memory. I used to visit my aunt who lived in a small village in the middle of a forest. An old fashioned house with an orchard in the backyard. There was rarely electricity. A small community living together, amazingly tasting traditional food prepared in a wood fired stove, pitch dark nights filled with cricket sounds buzzing in our ears, cold breeze and pouring rain round the year! I enjoyed following my uncle to his arecanut farm, exploring the greenery around the house, accompanying my cousin in fetching water from the well, picking soap nuts fallen on the ground and playing with my cousins. Darkness in the night was very scary for me. I used to picture all sorts of animals and insects in that darkness. My mother is a great storyteller. I used to cuddle her and fall asleep listening to her stories. I treasure all these memories and wish to return to nature.

I have shared my experience visiting some of the farms in India in the below link. I look forward to learning more about farming.

School of natural farming, Tumkur

The Green Path, Bangalore (organic restaurant)

Mohraan Farms, Shahapur - Maharashtra