It’s not easy for youngsters to leave the comforts of a corporate job that comes with a hefty salary and numerous perks. However, Gnana Saravanan and his wife Krishnasudha, a dynamic couple from Palakkad in Kerala, traded their lucrative corporate careers to return to their family roots—farming.
What started as a dream to reconnect with nature in 2016 has now transformed into a thriving 36-acre sustainable farm and an educational hub for young minds.
Both Saravanan and Krishnasudha, in their 30s, left behind their jobs at a major IT company to revive the ancestral farmland in rural Palakkad. “We wanted to make a difference, not just to the land but also to the perception of farming. My family has traditionally been farmers. We decided to return to farming because it is the noblest of professions, and only a farmer can ensure quality food for the people,” Saravanan told ‘Open Digest‘.
The couple adopted sustainable farming techniques such as crop rotation, organic composting, rainwater harvesting, and integrated pest management using bio-pesticides. “We transformed our farmland into a lush, self-sustaining ecosystem that produces organic vegetables and fruits. The farm is self-sufficient as we produce manure for the crops by rearing 20 cows. All biodegradable waste generated at our house and farm is converted into bio-manure. When we decided to return to farming, we were certain that it wasn’t just about cultivating crops but also creating a model others could follow. Sustainability is the future, and we wanted to show it can be profitable too,” Saravanan said.
Their farm, named Deesan Farms, not only cultivates coconuts, bananas, nutmeg, guava, and papaya but also produces various value-added products. Beyond production, the couple is passionate about educating others. They host regular workshops for youngsters, teaching principles of sustainable farming, soil health, and water conservation.
“We want the next generation to see farming not as a fallback option but as a dignified and essential profession,” he added.
