Farmville gets real

Social media is full of videos and posts of people bringing to light the amount of adulteration that is happening with the food we consume. Veggies and fruits being sprayed to look shinier has become common and opting for organic tends to burn a hole in your pocket. But now Bengaluru-based Sunil Kumar has come up with a way for you to grow your own veggies and eat them too!

Swayam Krishi has been created for people who want to grow their own food but, don’t have the resources. “They can come and rent out land for four months. We will help them from sowing to harvesting. Providing them with labour and care,” says Sunil, adding that they will be provided with seeds, water and manual labour.Why is it so important for people to grow their own food nowadays? Sunil replies, “The first aspect is kids, who are blind to the fact of where their food comes from. Secondly, the amount of adulteration happening.”

Sunil tries to ensure that money never comes into the picture. He shares, “We follow a barter system, where customers can share with each other the things they grow on their plot. And the excess is given to old-age homes and orphanages.”

Sounds idyllic but one can’t help but wonder how, if you’re a complete amateur when it comes to farming, you will maintain your plot? “We will be there at every step. People don’t have the luxury of time on the weekdays. They come during the weekends, have barbecues and spend the entire day there,” he assures, making it sound like a picnic. But he is really serious about this venture and the need to give back to the environment.

Having grown up around the Bannerghatta region, Sunil has noticed how nowadays the green belt is being drastically depleted. “Through my Adopt a Tree initiative, I plan to plant over 5,000 saplings in that area,” says the ecopreneur who is also working on an app that will help deliver the veggies you grow to your doorstep. “A lot of people due to work commitments are unable to come for the harvest. There have been requests coming in if these veggies can be being delivered at the door. This app will help with that,” he beams proudly.

Growing up, Sunil and his brother, who studied in the city, would head to their farm on the weekends to work there with their parents. Sunil shares, “This hands-on experience was a big motivating factor to start Swayam Krishi. People and kids nowadays are unaware of where and how food reaches their plates. This venture was an effort to change this mindset.” With the motto of ‘Making organic affordable’, Sunil’s venture now has over 170 people growing over 18 different vegetables. Having done his masters in pharmaceutical Sciences and currently pursuing a PhD in pharmacology, Sunil left his corporate career behind to start this venture. He declares, “This entire project would not have been possible if not for the support I got from family and friends. I started this project on my uncle’s five-acre land.”