Swayam Krishi
Self farming – making organic affordable.So what is Swayam Krishi?
Swayam Krishi is an initiative started by Sunil Kumar, a farmer by birth and a pharmacist by profession, who decided to quit his comfortable corporate job to start something very close to his heart, something he was born to do. His dream is to propagate the practice of self farming as a healthy activity and practice among his friends, colleagues, acquaintances and anyone who is interested in farming.
Sunil believes that people can come together to bring across a paradigm shift in how farming and agriculture is perceived, especially sustainable farming practices; and transform the stagnant, stressful life of city dwellers to vibrant, green and healthy productive lifestyles.
He wants to enable our generation to safeguard our rich farming heritage for the future generations, lest we forget the importance of food, land and agriculture in our lives.
Call it a fancy name like urban farming or community farming, but what Sunil is primarily trying to achieve here is to eliminate the bottlenecks that prevent people in the city to venture beyond terrace gardening and farming.
He has been talking to people for the past 5 years to understand their problems, like no access to land, distance from the city, lack of expertise and farming knowledge, expensive labour costs, non-availability of organic seeds and manure, the list can go on.
What helps is Sunil’s deep-rooted farming background, and his parents are actively involved in farming in the 10 acres of land they have in his village. So, if you are reading this, you’ve already taken the first step.
The Story Behind Swayam Krishi
One day, while working in his last corporate job, chasing deadlines as usual, Sunil chatted up one of some of his colleagues about his interest in agriculture and farming, when one of them introduced him to the concept of urban farming, and more importantly, all of them encouraged him to pursue his novel dream.
What followed was extensive research and survey on the feasibility of his goal, numerous discussions with experts and interested parties, and soon Sunil came up with the idea of Swayam Krishi. In a discussion with one of his close friends, he asked, ‘But how do I make organic affordable?’, to which his friend replied, “…if people do it on their own.”
He realised that there were acres of farmland near Bennarghatta, where he grew up as a child, where due to conventional farming practices using chemicals and pesticides, the farmers were wary of the soil losing it’s quality, and could otherwise not be able to afford organic farming practices. He convinced them to provide the land for organic farming.
It was a win-win-win situation, the farmers were happy to provide their land, the people in the city would have access to farmland in the city outskirts, and Sunil was happy that his dream would finally take off.
Due to my busy lifestyle, I do not remember the last time I went grocery shopping, and I just take the vendors’ words for granted, I have no idea about the quality, and I don’t even know if what I am eating is healthy for my family, I wish there was some way I could go back to the way we had grown up, and teach my kids the same.
Munireddy
Manager
Munireddy is in charge of the operations and smooth functioning of the farm. He also comes from a farming background, and has been working in the travel and logistics industry prior to this.
He is a hands-on guy, always keeps himself busy, and does not shy away from getting his hands dirty when he is in the farm. Whenever he is not busy with his managerial responsibilities, you will see him get into the farm, tilling the land or harvesting the crop.
How it works?
1. Rent a Plot
Select the size of your farming plot - 500 sq. ft. to 1 acre depending on your needs. Rent it for 4 months to 1 year.
2. Choose What to Grow
Choose what you want to grow - vegetables, grains, flowers or exotic crops - our guidance comes free of cost.
3. Use Our Resources
Grow your crops using our resources - water, labour, manure, seeds, expertise - as and when you need.
4. Enjoy Your Produce
Reap the profits of crops grown by you in the healthiest way - take it to your table, share with family and friends, or sell it through our network.
- Rent the farmland including water supply
- The farm has 2 bore wells for adequate water supply
- Labour charges, saplings/seeds, and all other costs included
- A 500 sq. ft. plot will cost approx. ₹2000 per month including all costs
- Take as much land you need
You can grow a wide variety of crops based on your requirements.
- Grow greens and vegetables for your family and friends
- Grow cash crops and sell in the farmer’s market
- Grow for your restaurant or catering business
- Grow flowers or crops only for profit – selling it in your apartment and to colleagues
We will provide you with everything you need.
- We have two borewells for adequate water supply, and a natural water storage tank
- We have farmers who work at the farm everyday
- 24 hours security and caretaker at the farm who stay within the premises
- We procure seeds from Indian Institute of Horticultural Research (IIHR)
We will help you harvest your produce, you decide what you want to do with it.
- You can take it back with you to consume
- Distribute it among your friends and family
- Sell at our network markets