Urban Farmer

Following heart surgery on her five-month-old son, doctors told Subhashree Santhya to give her son chemical-free vegetables, which she decided to grow on her own. Now an urban farmer, she has started an organic food brand called ‘Mud to Mother’.

Samyuktha Kannan, a resident of Chennai, Tamil Nadu started a community garden in her locality after witnessing its success abroad. They grow a variety of flowering plants, vegetables, fruits and herbs.

Seven years ago, Jayanti Vaidyanathan (65), a resident of Chennai began growing plants on her terrace to eat healthy and to get some sunlight. Today, she grows over 250 plants, which includes a variety of vegetables, fruits, flowering and medicinal plants.

“The ultimate aim is to uphold the concept of organic food," says Ajay Tyagi who has inspired many corporate employees to turn towards organic farming.

His alternative farming journey began with a small 100 sq ft unit on his terrace in Navi Mumbai. Its success led him to purchase a 15-acre land in Raigad.

“It was only two years ago that the concept of hydroponics caught my eye. It started as a hobby because vertical farming in a limited space piqued my curiosity,” shares Rahul.

“The continuous hard work does not even give you enough time to visit the washroom. It started making me feel as though I was in jail,” she recalls.

Today, this resident of Pune has successfully converted a 3,500 square feet plot into a beautiful garden where she grows various fruits and vegetables, and she does it without using a drop of chemical pesticides or fertilisers.

Hemal Patel started ‘Urban Soil,’ an initiative which is striving to increase the number of space-efficient farms within cities.