A view of My Farm, a farm-to-fork set-up unfold over a 100 acres farm space close to Vepada, 60 kilometres from Visakhapatnam.
| Picture Credit score: DEEPAK KR
The inviting aroma of gongura podi (sorrel leaves powder) and avakaya pachidi blended with steaming ghee rice makes its method right into a quiet, sun-dappled night at My Farm, a farm-to-fork resort close to Vepada, about 60 kilometres from Visakhapatnam. Unfold over 100 acres, My Farm is an instance of accountable farming that doles out a seasonal menu in response to the farming cycle.
A cook dinner stirs freshly-harvested ridge gourd in a pan on the kitchen. In entrance of it’s the well-ventilated eating space, which opens as much as a plantation of guava and custard apple interspersed with flowering crops like night-flowering jasmine or parijat.
It’s takes an hour-and-a-half lengthy drive from Visakhapatnam, navigating roads bordering farm fields and hamlets, to reach at My Farm. Overlooking the serene verdant Marika Hills, My Farm is a reasonably image of peace.
On the centre of all of it is Tagoor Varma, who screens the functioning of the kitchen and farm with a eager eye. A post-graduate in agriculture science, Tagoor remodeled a barren piece of land in 2017 to a thriving farm and manages it with accountable farming practices.
“My idea is predicated on permaculture and farm-to-table the place we take away the function of the center males,” says Tagoor, who shuttles between Visakhapatnam and My Farm whereas spending a majority of his time on the farm. Permaculture is an method that adopts preparations noticed in flourishing pure ecosystems with scientific rules in addition to timeless folks knowledge.
A ardour fruit plantation at My Farm, a farm-to-fork set-up unfold over a 100 acres farm space close to Vepada, 60 kilometres from Visakhapatnam.
| Picture Credit score:
KR Deepak
“After we began to work within the land in 2017, we noticed that there was a number of high soil erosion and denudation. We needed to work in a method that the pure eco-system thrives. So we didn’t change any levelling of the farm land,” says Tagoor.
From sustainable farming strategies, door-to-door supply to biogas technology and water conservation techniques, there’s a lot happening at My Farm. Many sorts of seasonal greens and fruits are grown right here. The produce makes its method into My Farm’s kitchen, which serves wholesome, conventional meals. “We cook dinner native meals that represents the area’s tradition,” says Tagoor. By way of My Farm’s app, milk, vegatables and fruits are door delivered in Visakhapatnam and the neighbouring areas.
Whereas farm-to-table is a well-liked idea in cities akin to Bengaluru and Mumbai, which stands on the fundamental tenets of consuming and dwelling nicely, it isn’t straightforward to serve up a menu solely from farm-fresh produce and promote it in a metropolis like Visakhapatnam that lags behind on that entrance.
At My Farm, virtually every little thing from pickles, oil to ghee are made in-house. Every visitor is given a short introduction of the thought behind the farm. The place homes a mud home known as Zen Niva which overlooks a pond subsequent to the Marika Hills. There’s meditation spot underneath the shade of tall bamboo bushes close by and loads of silence throughout to soak in the fantastic thing about Nature. Six extra cottages designed in comparable idea are developing within the subsequent two months. A extra modern house of keep is the Casa Contento, a home with trendy facilities that’s appropriate for giant teams.
A view of Marika Hills from My Farm, a farm-to-fork set-up unfold over a 100 acres farm space close to Vepada, 60 kilometres from Visakhapatnam.
| Picture Credit score:
KR Deepak
The farm additionally organises guided treks to the adjoining hills which provide a wide ranging view of the fields and village.
Tagoor explains how My Farm took place with a ‘accountable farming’ idea in 2017 and finally opened its doorways to guests to expertise it. “We need to have all types of plantations which are appropriate for this area and topography, simply because the forest ecosystem. After we carry within the rules of permaculture, crops begin rising in all places,” he provides.
The rows of black mulberry crops, plantations of panduri mangoes of the West Godavari, acres of jamun bushes, ardour fruit and coconut plantations are unfold throughout the farm in segments. This yr, dragonfruit is being cultivated as nicely.
Oyster mushrooms harvested at My Farm, a farm-to-fork set-up unfold over a 100 acres farm space close to Vepada, 60 kilometres from Visakhapatnam.
| Picture Credit score:
KR Deepak
Oyster mushroom cultivation is the following new factor at My Farm. Reared in humidity and temperature managed rooms, the unit right here can generate about 35 kilograms of oyster mushrooms every day. Massive, fleshy and grown in clusters, oyster mushrooms might not be as well-liked just like the button mushrooms on this area, however are identified to be richer in vitamins with increased ranges of protein, zinc, potassium, and vitamin B6. “The shelf lifetime of oyster mushrooms is much less, which makes it troublesome to move and market,” says Tagoor. To counter that, the mushrooms are dried, floor and used as powders and offered.
My Farm additionally has a milk manufacturing part which types a serious a part of its revenues. It runs on a subscription mannequin and follows a troublesome adulteration testing course of.
To go to My Farm, name 7702489997. Keep will be booked by Airbnb.
