Originally reported and written in July 2022, this story has been republished as part of our archival content.

Retirement is not the end of life. In fact, it is a chance to open doors to the things we love,” says Kozhikode native K T Francis, who retired as a physical education teacher in 2015 to start his journey as a successful farmer.

The 63-year-old, who hails from a farming family, always had a fascination for agriculture. Over 120 years ago, Francis’ grandfather reached Maruthomkara from the outskirts of Idukki and bought five acres of land to start farming. After his death, Francis’ father took over the activities.

Despite having a full time job, Francis found time to engage in farming. “Agriculture has never been my hobby. It’s more like a habit I can’t let go of. From the day I can remember, I was with my father and other workers on the farm, helping them and enjoying the harvest,” Francis recalls.

After getting a job, it became hard for him to manage the land. He gave it on lease, but unscientific farming of rubber and fall in crop value resulted in huge loss. He had to sell two acres of the property to pay off the debts.

But this incident was a turning point in his life. — he thought of ways to improve farming on the available land, rather than being disappointed about the loss. Soon, he took up mixed farming, by which he made use of all remaining three........

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