These Siblings Joined Their Dad To Create a Thriving Green Oasis & Homestay With 1500 Trees
In the quiet lap of Maharashtra’s Malshej Ghat, a couple sits, soaking in the evening sun, with two cups of chai for company. The view — a sprawling 20-acre farmland — makes for a compelling accompaniment. Not too long ago, the land was denuded. But today, the montage of colour; fruit and vegetable trees contribute to the canvas, blurring the perimeter. This makes the couple smile.
“The little saplings we planted have grown so tall, they block our view now,” Ajit Mishra (66) explains. The brains and heart behind this project, Ajit sees ‘Nehamrit Farms’ as the realisation of a long-harboured dream. And, in this conversation with The Better India, he relives it for us.
A self-proclaimed ‘nomad’ — Ajit was in a managerial post at the Indian Oil Corporation Ltd, the transferable nature of the job meant postings across the country — the farm stay was his attempt at seeking ‘relaxation’, a retirement home if you will.
AdvertisementAs for his reasoning behind this pick, which boasted no elaborate potential at the time, he takes us back to 2016 to a trip he made through Maharashtra’s ghats. “I spotted this piece of land, it was the monsoons and the landscape was lush and green. I was amazed.”
Nehamrit Farms in Maharashtra’s Malshej Ghat is an eco-stay that provides city dwellers an escape form the routine hustle.Resorts were never Ajit’s cup of tea. Claiming to have always cherished a primal relationship with nature — he credits his farmer grandfather for this — he sensed potential in the land. And, the engineer tasked himself with a new challenge: to uncover these hidden prospects.
Becoming a farmer and the journey to building Nehamrit Farms
The metaphors of roots, connection, and cosmos feature in the narrative at Nehamrit Farms. For around three years, Ajit recalls assuming the role of an understudy of nature, learning the finer nuances of agriculture. And never did he look at this as work; instead, the adventure thrilled him.
Advertisement Nehamrit Farms is situated on a 20-acre piece of farmland that was once a barren ground.His children Neha (39) and Amrit (31) — also the namesakes of the farm stay — have always admired their father’s gutsy antics. “We wouldn’t have expected anything less adventurous of him,” Neha chips in. “Growing up, Amrit and I were two little brats who spent most of our time in the car backseat as our parents jetted off to a new place. Dad ensured he always tagged us along, intent on making us an equal part of the adventure.”
On some days, the family would be heading to the outskirts of Nepal to Ajit’s new workstation, on other days they found themselves prepping for a bonfire in their backyard.
Bhaskar (L) is an integral part of the support team at Nehamrit Farms and is engaged in taking care of the........© The Better India
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