Suresh Devang is one of the many people who switched from the corporate world to organic farming with an intent to not only grow their own food but also make organic veggies accessible and affordable to others.
When Suresh Devang, an IT professional working in California told his parents about leaving his job and starting organic farming professionally in India, he faced protests in place of support. His family members could not understand why someone at a senior level would want to relinquish all for farming, a field that is filled with risks.
The 48-year-old tried to convince his wife and parents by telling stories of successful organic farmers with a hope they would at least acknowledge his decision. But, the stories of farmer’s suicides and debt are so serious in India, that his parents were not fully convinced. But now, Devang has proved his mettle as a farmer and is making neat profits.
So, what made him leave behind a life of comfort and luxury and plunged into a profession that he had hardly any skill in?
It was a combination of various things that prompted him to quit his job and return to India. He came across the story of an old Indian lady creating a forest without expecting anything in return. While he felt extremely proud of her, it was also a triggering point for him.
Devang originates from an agrarian family and grew up eating chemical-free food which was left behind in his childhood. Something he realized after exploring the benefits of organic food.
“All of us want to eat healthy food, but no one actually wants to grow them. Some studies he read even revealed how people get lifestyle diseases at an early age due to unhealthy food. All the articles on farming he read during his free time motivated him to go back to his roots.
For any new entrepreneur, sustaining the business during failures and losses is very crucial. Thus, Devang chose to produce food around the year instead of the seasonal harvest.
For intercropping (where two or more plants are grown on the same place), he made a blueprint of short-term and long-term vegetables, and crops and shrubs he could grow on his farm.
He ordered organic seeds from nurseries across India and began his activities. He dug trenches across the land, deposited organic wastes and covered it. Trenches retain soil moisture for a longer time, allows only partial
sunlight and prevents soil erosion from rain.
Here’s how Devang has intercropped the seeds:
He planted one coconut tree each on four corners of the field at a distance of about 40 feet
He planted 100 lemon trees between two coconut trees.
He then planted banana trees at eight feet apart in between lemon trees.
Finally, the space between each banana plant was filled with plants like chillies, beans, marigold, medicinal plants, leafy and green vegetables.
As the vegetables in between the banana trees only take three months to grow, he is able to replace vegetables in every cycle.
One of the biggest advantages of this type of farming is the water that is saved, when the outside trees are watered, the same water runs off in the middle, watering the vegetables that saves up to 50 per cent of water every time field is irrigated.”
For his novel methods, Devang was lately awarded the ‘Best District Farmer’ by the University of Agricultural Sciences, Bengaluru. In terms of yield, the farm produces an output of 10-15 quintals of vegetables every year and 40 tonnes of bananas. This yield translates into yearly profits of around Rs.6 lakhs.
Devang has also tied up with local vegetable vendors, organic food outlets and companies across the state to sell his produce.
At a time when farmers are quitting agriculture, people like Devang provide hope for a greener future.