Bees, Bananas & 100+ Crops: How 53-YO Mom Built a Self-Sufficient Farm in Kerala

In August 2014, a traumatic event changed KS Sheeja’s life forever. Her son, a budding mechanical engineer, suffered a grave motorcycle accident in Coimbatore that nearly cost him his leg.

This moment of crisis pushed Kerala-based Sheeja and her family to temporarily relocate to Tamil Nadu for his treatment, requiring them to stay there for 1.5 years. Away from their home in Kerala, the family settled temporarily near the treatment facility. Their days now centred around hospital visits and endless treatments.

Burdened by the emotional toll of her son’s accident, Sheeja found herself seeking solace and hope amidst despair. It was in these challenging times that she discovered a new passion that would bring peace and purpose to her life: gardening.

The 53-year-old began to experiment with planting small vegetables around the villa. She found comfort in the rhythmic tasks of nurturing plants, and witnessing their growth brought her unexpected joy and healing.

“The sight of sprouting seeds and blooming flowers became a source of hope, a reminder that life could continue to flourish despite adversity. As tomatoes and other vegetables sprang to life, I realised that my newfound hobby provided me more than just sustenance; it was a lifeline,” she shares.

A commitment to learning and growing

With only a 12th-grade education, Sheeja initially managed a computer education centre for nearly 25 years. But life’s unpredictable twists led her down a path she never anticipated — one where grief, resilience, and passion for gardening would intertwine.

Upon returning to Kerala after her son’s treatment, Sheeja was determined to expand on what she had started. Her family already supported seasonal farming, including banana plantations, and Sheeja embraced this legacy.

Motivated by her experience and the therapeutic benefits of gardening, she decided to delve deeper into organic farming. Her aims were clear: to live healthier by eating organic produce, find mental peace, and inspire others to do the same.

Realising the importance of farming knowledge, she pursued formal training in organic farming methods. Sheeja attended formal courses and workshops at a government facility in Kerala. This training equipped her with advanced techniques like precision farming and drip irrigation.

With unmatched dedication, Sheeja revitalised her family farm, spread over 25 cents of her own land and an additional acre leased for more extensive cultivation.

She started with simple crops like tomatoes and other vegetables. As the seeds blossomed into fruits, so did Sheeja’s spirits. Each harvest brought her a sense of accomplishment and joy, far more gratifying than material wealth.

These skills, combined with her innate grit, transformed the modest plots into thriving fields with over 200 plants yielding an abundant array of produce — over 25 varieties of vegetables and 8 types of fruits, including golden cucumber, watermelon, and exotic fruits like rambutan and mangosteen.

Honey, eggs, exotic fruits, and more

Driven by her inner mettle and desire to promote sustainability, Sheeja also ventured into beekeeping, poultry, and processing spices like turmeric. She uses poultry droppings as natural manure and integrates bee boxes to aid pollination, thereby enhancing her garden’s productivity while maintaining its organic integrity.

She uses hand droppings from her poultry farm as a primary component for her organic fertiliser. Sharing the preparation process, she says, “I fill a 200-litre drum with water and then place 25 kg of poultry droppings into a covering made from fibres, presumably from coconut, which acts like a filter bag. This bag is then hung above the water in the drum but is partially submerged, allowing nutrients to leach out without direct mixing.”

“The droppings are kept in this setup for about one week, allowing nutrients to leach into the water. After a week, I take one litre of this nutrient-rich water and dilute it with an additional nine litres of water for application. This diluted solution is directly applied to plants as a liquid fertiliser. It is high in nitrogen, which helps plants become greener and more vigorous,” she explains.

Despite the challenges, including labour shortages and the intricacies of organic farming, her resolve never wavered. Her efforts bore fruit — literally and metaphorically — as she managed a self-sustaining garden that supplied her community with fresh, organic produce.

Sheeja’s venture didn’t go unnoticed. Marketing her product mostly through word of mouth and WhatsApp groups, she garnered a loyal customer base. Her clientele, including local doctors, appreciated the quality and organic nature of her offerings. While she faced challenges in scaling up and reaching distant markets, the demand for her produce continued to grow organically.

Dr Rajasree K P has been a regular customer of Sheeja for more than four years. Sharing her experience as a consumer, Rajasree says, “I have been interested in gardening and rooftop vegetable cultivation. It was through common friends that I got to know Sheeja. After that, we have been purchasing organic farm products like cucumber, lady fingers, watermelon, tomatoes, cabbage, cauliflower, eggs, honey, curcumin powder, and more. We are blessed to get farm-fresh and extremely tasty organically grown produce. All my family members appreciate it.”

By selling fruits, vegetables, and eggs, she makes around Rs 50,000 as an annual income from her farming activities. With just honey alone, she earns Rs 11,000 by harvesting 20 kgs each year.

While her earnings may not revive industrial scales, they embody the priceless yield of self-sufficiency and mental peace. For Sheeja, gardening is her escape, a therapeutic pursuit that brings peace and purpose. Through her YouTube channel, ‘She Garden,’ and her everyday interactions, Sheeja inspires others to embrace organic farming.

In every fruit and flower at her farm, Sheeja sees a reflection of her struggles and triumphs. 

Commenting on her transformation from homemaker to passionate organic gardener, she says, “More than just sowing seeds — it’s about nurturing dreams, healing old wounds with each harvest, and offering others the gift of organic life. My garden was born from a time of adversity and is now a thriving oasis of hope and healing. It is also a reminder that from the darkest moments, we can bloom the most beautiful new beginnings,” she adds.

Edited by Vidya Gowri; All images courtesy KS Sheeja.