Techie turned farmer gives useful farming tips

After a successful stint with Infosys, Shankar wanted to do something different in life. He discovered his inner passion for farming and started making preparations for it by buying two acres of land in Moodbidre in Karnataka. That was way back in 2006-07. He planted rubber plants on that land as it required minimum presence and the caring part can be outsourced too. His job required him to travel abroad and when he made trips to countries like Europe, Australia, Switzerland, Japan and Netherlands, he visited the farms there.The dairy farming model in Switzerland caught his interest and he decided to replicate the same. In 2011, Shankar bought 8 acres of barren land near a water source in Moodu-Konaje village to start his dairy farm. The next year, he quit his job and first decided to build a house and later he brought organic manure from nearby farmers to grow grass on the barren land. Once there was enough grass, he bought five cows. As he had no prior experience, he had to face many challenges. His knowledge was only theoretical and putting it into practice was a herculean task, but Shankar persevered. Now, Shankar has 40 cows in his dairy farm and supplies 180 litres of milk everyday to KMF – Nandini (Karnataka Co-operative Milk Producer’s Federation Ltd).  Shankar's next venture was a bio gas plant for which he used the cow dung of his cows. The gas produced from this plant is used for cooking and heating water. Shankar realised that the slurry produced from the biogas plant is very nutritious for the soil and is odorless. He uses this as a fertilizer for the 25-acre land that he has bought gradually in the past few years. He even sells the slurry to nearby areca nut farmers. It is remarkable that Shankar converted 10% of his land into forest, which he says will act as lung space. He planted more than 150 plants in the periphery and in the middle of the farm that will provide more greenery and ensure moisture of the field. In addition to dairy farm, rubber and areca plantation, Shankar also grows paddy and vegetables in the remaining areas with natural farming methods which they use for their own consumption. Shankar, through his hard work and dedication was able to make his dream come true. Though he faced many challenges, it was all a learning experience for him and he enjoyed the entire process from planting to yielding. The bonus is that farming keeps you in good health and gives satisfaction and happiness as you will be leaving the world better than you found it for the future generations.