We are a generation that talks about getting their home automated while tweeting about lettuce salad. Although there’s nothing wrong with that but our growing unwillingness to let go of marshy comforts is making us unhealthy and vulnerable to lifestyle diseases and mental disorders.
The desire to go on a yoga or organic spree over long weekends can be seen in everyone who can afford to do so. Thankfully, Anjali Rudraraju and Kabir Cariappa have 24×7 access to a perfectly sustainable lifestyle on their Yarroway Farm.
Couple that farms together
A regular day starts for the Cariappas at around 7 in the morning. They wake up in their home which is surrounded by crops of sugarcane, mustard, sunflower, peanuts, ragi, jwar, bajra, paddy, four to five kinds of pulses, spices like turmeric, coriander, fenugreek and what not. Their 50 acre-farm provides them with all that they need on their plates.
A few things that they cannot grow owing to the weather conditions, like coffee, tea, and some spices, they get on barter from their friends in the northeast.
The couple also enjoy fresh and organic stock of vegetables, including a few exotic varieties. They work on the fields with seven-eight helpers and all the hardwork pushes them into enjoying a siesta almost everyday — something all office-goers miss having.
How did it even start
Kabir had a different childhood for many a reasons. For starters, he grew up on a farm where his parents practiced organic farming. He grew up seeing his parents work with sustainability and it was only natural that he developed an inclination towards a similar lifestyle.
Anjali, on the other hand, was soaked in city life. A graduate from Hyderabad and masters from New York, she spent 10 years working overseas in financial sectors. But the more time she spent in the corporate and city life the faster she wanted to get away. Anjali found solace in nature and finally quit her job in 2010 to return to India.
How we met
Free as a bird and away from her old life, Anjali began experimenting with organic farming on a small piece of land. She would also tour several remote villages to learn more about farming and techniques. She realized that she was truly happy doing all this and this feeling kindled a desire to take more steps in this direction.
Anjali met Kabir in an organic farming course and things gradually progressed to marriage. The couple not only employed a few villagers on their farm but also introduced them to a ‘new’ way of farming. With the help from their team the Cariappas now produce everything they need on their farm.
Thanks to Anjali’s prior experience, they also produce surplus that is enough to make a good sale. They play smart and understand which farm produce will have a greater demand and price in the market and farm accordingly. All their produce is 100 percent organic, fresh, and enticing.
More than anything, Anjali and Kabir come across as a hope to all those who want to break free from their mundane life and experience the bliss of growing their own food. Going organic may have started trending recently but if you think about it all our food was organic until two or three centuries ago.
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