Since 1998
We started our journey with wasteland development in a remote village named Veetikund in Attapadi, Palakkad, Kerala, India. The farm is in a rain shadow region. We initiated a lot of natural resource enhancement steps like applying composting, water harvesting methods, etc. After that we planted many varieties of gooseberry and converted this arid wasteland into a beautiful and unique gooseberry farm which in return worked magic, reviving the fertility and water preservation potential of the soil. Later Mr. Reji Joseph, prime developer of the farm, received Plant Genome Savior national award(2015) for the project, and again in 2021 this farm got affiliated to Kerala State Biodiversity Board as a Farm School to spread the concept of biodiversity conservation and eco restoration.
With the confidence gained from the gooseberry project, In 2014, a Food Forest garden of 75 cents was established at Sreekrishnapuram, Palakkad, Kerala, which included mostly fruit plants like jackfruit, mango, starfruit, guava, and other local fruit plants. It was from this experiment the idea of canopy management for maximum harversing of light energy in farm lay out originated.
We further progressed and in 2015, we implemented the first Sustainable Food Forest Farm(SFFF) at Ravi and Biji’s plot at Sreekrishnapuram (see below). By this time, we developed and fine tuned further ideas of Food Forest Farming including crop mixtures, composting, live shading, live mulching, canopy management and water conservation methods. In 2016, we developed and implemented the first full fledged Sustainable Food Forest Farm in a plot owned by Mr. Suryapraksh at Sreekrishnapuram.
From 2017 onwards Suryapraksh and Reji Joseph engaged themselves in disseminating the concept of Sustainable Food Forest Farming by conducting workshops and camps.
So far we have undertaken 380 projects with plot size ranging from 5 cents to 7 acres, in diverse areas including arid to tropical. Many times we have been able to improve existing plantations. We overcome all types of natural resource limitations by adopting appropriate methods, for example water scarcity through selection of plants, season, rain water harvesting and irrigation methods.
Challenging Projects
Sreekirshnapuram Project - 2015~
Ravi and Biji’s farm was leased for stone mining for a year. Mine then had a depth of 15 feet. The land was left with clay soil. Later this plot of 90 cents was later leveled using an excavator and planted with tree saplings, adopting food forest techniques. Being clay soil, water stagnation was a major problem and diesel motor was used to pump out the water. By the end of 2017, water holding capacity of the soil was restored as plants roots went deeper, and the farm survived two floods of 2018 and 2019.
Vattamkulam Project - 2018~
One of the challenging projects was in Dr. Mohan’s plot in Vattamkulam of size of 6 acres. This plot was a wasteland, laying vacant for 14 years. 60 feet of soil including topsoil was removed from this plot for a project. The remaining soil could not hold water and became infertile. To overcome these harsh conditions planted indigenous stress surviving plants were planted. The water holding capacity of land was restored by digging trenches, rain pits, and live shading. Now it has become a natural forest!
Sreekrishnapuram Project – 2015 ~
Ravi and Biji’s farm was leased for stone mining for a year. Mine then had a depth of 15 feet. The land was left with clay soil. Later this plot of 90 cents was later leveled using an excavator and planted with tree saplings, adopting food forest techniques. Being clay soil, water stagnation was a major problem and diesel motor was used to pump out the water. By the end of 2017, water holding capacity of the soil was restored as plants roots went deeper, and the farm survived two floods of 2018 and 2019.
Vattamkulam Project – 2018 ~
One of the challenging projects was in Dr. Mohan’s plot in Vattamkulam of size of 6 acres. This plot was a wasteland, laying vacant for 14 years. 60 feet of soil including topsoil was removed from this plot for a project. The remaining soil could not hold water and became infertile. To overcome these harsh conditions planted indigenous stress surviving plants were planted. The water holding capacity of land was restored by digging trenches, rain pits, and live shading. Now it has become a natural forest!
Meet our Founders
Reji Joseph
Co-founder & President
An Organic Farmer well known for developing extremely challenging lands, got many awards including National Plant Genome Saviour Farmer award 2015, National Medicinal Plants award 2016, Kerala State Medicinal Plants award 2013.
Suryaprakash S P
Co-founder & Secretary
An organic farmer and active environmentalist since 1996, organizes forest study camps for students, develops healthy food habits and actively works in a group called “Kutti koottam” to empower children.
Trust Members
Nalin Sathyan
Treasurer
Free software activist developing software for visually-impaired community, Co founder of Zendalona. Three time consecutive Google Summer Of Code(GSoC) winner.
Preetha E P
Vice President
An Organic Farmer, Actively involved in value additions of the farm products and marketing under the named “Antherjanam Food Products”, She Graduated in economics from Farook college in 1988
Raven Mathew
Joint Secretary
An Organic Farmer, holding post graduation in Social Work(MSW) from Calicut University. Currently maintaining Gooseberry-Valley farm and providing Social engineering support to the project
Sathyaseelan K
Member
Philosopher, Writer, Free Software activist, Prime advisor of Zendalona. Well known for his works in Free Sofware movement and in empowerment of visually impaired community in Kerala
Udayabhanu T B
Member
An Organic Farmer who is also an expert in water shed management and a experienced livelyhood trainer, presntly working as Project manager of Attapadi Social Service Organization.
Advisory Committee
Dr. C. R. Elsy
Adviser
Dr. Joshy V Cherian
Adviser
An active farmer with over 30 years of ‘hands-on’ experience in Farm Development and Management. Promoter and participant of Anthiyoor wastland development project Pollachi, Tamil nadu. Promoter and Managing Director of Omega Ecotech Products India Pvt.Ltd. Founder Chairman of Indian Organic Farmers Producer Company Ltd, the First Farmer Producer Company in India. One of the Founding Directors of ICCOA (International Competence Centre for Organic Agriculture). Currently doing a collaborative research with Waste Management Institute of Cornell University Ithaca, New York, U.S.A on anti waste.
Dr. K M Unnikrishnan
Adviser
An experimental farmer to his core, and a teacher and a human resource development trainer by profession. He has done pioneering efforts taken in making green home by installing home based solar power plant, biogas plant, rain water harvesting and organic cultivation, and protecting indigenous breed of Kasaragod dwarf cows.