Our Story
My family and myself owned land. Charlotte being an expert in plant species, she carefully considered and weighed the dynamics of uprooting our family from their native environment (of Amsterdam, NL where we currently reside), and moving to a new climate and culture. We understood it would hold many challenges and growing pains, but had the potential of yielding a hybrid species of beauty. We resolved ourselves to become adventurous pioneers.
This experience has been culturally enriching, as well as life changing. We began to create our own world in which to live, one choice at a time. We crave to have our hands in the earth and our hearts on fire with joy. We wish to grow things with love (including our food and ourselves). We sought out the renowned architect @Anupama Kundoo, to design our home here. We utilized a minimal amount of cement, and chose to place terracotta pots on our roof in order to maintain a mild temp in the sizzle of summer. We created 2 water tank units, one for fresh and one for rain. We have not yet found the time to complete the build-out of our rain water catchment system, and it calls to us continually. We hear you water. We are thinking (and saving).
Located 2 kilometers outside of Chennai, our farm has been called “magical”, by our numerous local and international visitors. Our land is covered with trees, and it is one of the few places in the city where you see more green than gray. It’s the perfect place for adults, children, animals and plants to live, work and learn from one another in
harmony. Besides us, the farm is also home to hare, monitor lizards, monkeys, mongoose, pigs and many types of exotic birds. All four venomous varieties of snakes as well as many non-venomous have been spotted here. We take great pains in educating our family and staff in identifying dangerous from non-dangerous species and how to ask for the appropriate help in rescuing them. We relocate our new friends to a place where they can thrive.
We buy non-GMO seeds, and use no pesticides. We grow a variety of fruits and vegetables including: coconut, mango, chiku, guava, banana, papaya, gooseberry, woodapple, almonds, pomegranate, custard apple, tamarind, tomato, brinjal, ladiesfinger, snake gourd, bottle gourd, drumsticks, watermelon, greens, cucumber, green chili and capsicum. From our fruit harvest, we lovingly make jams, pickles and oils locally. We fashion brooms from coconut tree blades (which granted, only funds the salary of the fine lady who makes them for us...but we can’t stand to see those go to waste). We provide a livelihood for four families by employing them. We allow the village cattle to graze on our property so they can consume nutritious food, (and they repay us with good fresh cow dung to naturally fertilize our land). It’s a win - win situation. For irrigation, we have 3 water sources, 1 wells and 2 bores. We even invested in a drip irrigation system for 4 acres of our land. We sit back and marvel at the circle of life here on our farm. We are keenly aware of how each decision we make affects our world view. We choose to live responsibly in the cultivation of our lives and minds.
1
