The ‘Adiem Kaanan Farmstay’ in Nashik is built with locally grown bamboo and mud.

At its helm are Madhu Chougaonkar (59) and her daughter, Disha Madhu.

Everything at the homestay, right from the decor made out of recycled wood to the architecture, invokes sustainability.

Once a dead patch of land unresponsive to any farming efforts, the land where the farm stay now stands has transformed into a thriving ecosystem. It took six years of hard work.

Madhu, who had to learn the nuances of farming, says her biggest learning was that the jungle is an interdependent system.

“All plants, animals and insects help each other.” But she emphasises that present-day pesticides and chemicals are the culprits, killing the heart of this ecosystem — the microbes in the soil.

"Instead of focusing on the plantation, use the initial years to help your soil survive. Once the soil survives with different kinds of microbes, you can step back,” she advises.

With bird watching, peacock spotting, long walks and fruit plucking, the day is packed.

Adiem Farmstay boasts two cottages — a two-bedroom villa and a one-bedroom villa.

The farmstay is powered by solar energy and has a brilliantly designed rainwater harvesting system with a capacity of 32,000 litres.