How a Kerala Couple Quit Their Jobs & Turned Ancestral Land Into a Zero-Cost Eco Home

By Raajwrita Dutta 1 August 2025

Video credits: @lifeonroads__

Called ‘stupid’ for leaving city life, Sangeeth and Kavya invested 60% of their savings to build a sustainable homestead on ancestral land in Kerala.

1. Self-sufficient farming They grow rice, vegetables, mushrooms, and fish, and raise cows and chickens, producing nearly all their food right on their farm.

2. Biogas for cooking Their biogas plant, fed by cow dung and kitchen waste, powers all cooking, removing the need for LPG cylinders and reducing household waste.

3. Solar energy savings Solar panels supply electricity for the house and irrigation. Surplus energy is sold back to the grid, cutting their power bills to nearly zero.

4. Cultivating mushrooms and beekeeping Mushrooms are grown indoors and harvested every 25 days. Wooden beehives support pollination and provide fresh honey, enriching local biodiversity.

5. Compost and soil health All organic waste is composted, and biogas slurry nourishes the soil, completing the nutrient cycle for chemical-free and zero-waste farming.

They have lived without spending on food, fuel, or electricity for over three years, showing that a zero-cost and sustainable lifestyle is achievable.

Their Instagram page, @lifeonroads__, shares this inspiring journey and daily insights, motivating thousands to embrace sustainable living.

Having planted over 10,000 trees during their travels, they now plan to plant 100,000 native saplings across India through community action.

Kavya teaches dairy farming in rural villages, helping locals adopt low-cost and regenerative agriculture to protect their environment.