For many school teachers, their career provides a stable lifestyle. However, this is not the case for 37-year-old Roopa M from Vadakkencherry, Palakkad in Kerala. Despite being a school teacher, she manages a cattle farm with 17 cows and engages in vegetable farming on her 50-cent plot due to her deep passion for farming.
Roopa’s life is a testament to her unyielding commitment to both education and farming. Her remarkable journey as a teacher-farmer is an inspiring tale of resilience, passion, and unwavering dedication.
Every morning, long before the sun paints the horizon with hues of orange and pink, Roopa gets up at 2:30 am and finishes all her work at the cattle shed and vegetable farm. She travels around 70 kms daily for her teaching job at Higher Secondary School, Thiruvalayanoor. With an undying passion for farming, she has turned her home into a bustling mini-farm, rearing a herd of 17 cows, hens and cultivating a variety of vegetables.
For Roopa, teaching is not just a profession; it’s a calling. Her students are her second family, and she nurtures their young minds with the same care and dedication she bestows upon her farm. Her students often find themselves inspired by her dual role as a teacher-farmer, learning valuable life lessons about hard work, perseverance, and the importance of following one’s passion. “I love both teaching and farming. I have never felt tired taking care of my cows or travelling to school for work. I enjoy every moment of it. If we love what we do, we never feel it as a job,” Roopa told “Open Digest”.
She started her cattle farm with four cows and during the Covid time when the teaching switched to online mode, she bought a few more cows.
Roopa’s commitment to farming has not only provided her family with fresh produce but has also enabled her to contribute to the community by selling surplus vegetables to local residents. She also encourages her students to take an interest in agriculture, instilling in them a deep respect for the land and the importance of self-sustainability. Roopa’s life reminds us that with dedication and unwavering commitment, one can excel not only in their chosen profession but also pursue their passions beyond it.
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