Shanooj Shahul is a farmer from Palakkad who is well-educated and ready to push himself to any extent for the love of farming. Today, we encounter people who shatter stereotypes and Shanooj is a classic example of this. He is a former Union government employee who called it a day the moment he realised agriculture is his passion. On a quest to find his heart’s true calling, he met his friend and mentor Santhosh Kumar who inspired him to be a full-time farmer.
Shanooj at his farm
During the course of discussion, they decided to start animal conservation, especially for cows. “In Palakkad district there are so many rare breeds of cows. Some of them cannot be found anywhere else. So we decided to start hoarding these cows and then, on my farm, we started a shelter,” says Shanooj. His farm is now a home for rare breeds like villuadri, ananganmalakallan, aand kanni. He also has a collection of different hens and pigmy goats.
Shanooj wanted to explore farming by staying organic. He wanted to expand his knowledge and, thus, started engaging himself in biodiversity programmes in Palakkad. There he received knowledge about new techniques and new-age farming. But he was never ready to add any pesticides. “The person who helped me take up organic farming was Reena, who I consider to be my guru and adviser,” he adds. Within his farm, he grows different medicinal plants, exotic and local fruits, and lot of different mangoes. Once he began his work, Shanooj realised many people want to start farming, but are afraid to invest their money. This incident rung a bell and he started thinking about starting a forum to familiarise youth with agriculture. Thus came the idea to start a project called ‘Back to Fields.’
Produces from his field
“This is a project for those who are interested in farming. At first, with the help of biodiversity programmes in the district, I started taking classes for students and adults. I used to get requests from educational institutions and some IT companies in Tamil Nadu to hold classes for them. After giving the basics, we offered seeds and saplings for free,” he says. “Once they start farming, we also offer a market for their products. In Palakkad district, there is an organic shop where you can sell organic vegetables, seeds, millets and saplings.” Soon, he learned that the farmers were not able to connect with the buyers. Hence, no one had purchased their produce directly from them. Instead of that, there were agents who worked as middlemen and it greatly reduced the profit. The organic shop really saved these farmers from that condition as they were able to deal with customers directly.
Each year, Shanooj’s farm produces one tonne processed rice and 15 tonnes of mango. Even though he is a successful farmer who followed his father’s legacy, Shanooj is not happy with the fact that the youth are not taking up agriculture. “They are not confident and not aware of the profit they can make out of it. Years ago, I decided to quit my job and started farming because I was confident and my father helped me. I am hopeful that if there is someone to help with the basics, agriculture is the best profession that one can take up,” he says. Shanooj, with the help of his friends and the district biodiversity board, is setting an example by guiding the new generation to the field of agriculture. He is also an active orator and adviser at organic farming classes and debates across the district. This 32-year-old proud farmer is living his dream!
