Experience an Organic Summer in India – CY's List of Farm Residencies for This Vacation Season

With the mercury rising and the hustle and bustle of the city refusing to diminish, plan an organic trip this summer to fill your soul with nature, farming and a taste of rustic life. Check out CY’s list of farm stays.

The agricultural art greatly amplified chances of human survival thousands of years ago. Today, India ranks second in farm output across the globe, and more than half of the country’s workforce is engaged in crop growing. But with Indian urbanites growing more and more ignorant of the integral role of agriculture in our custom, and perceiving it as just another profession – as a means to generate remuneration – modern farming processes that rely heavily on chemical fertilisers and pesticides are tarnishing the earth with their unsustainable means. More than being a skill, agriculture is a science – a science of breeding flora and fauna. But a prudent culture of organic farming that has been thriving in the nation since the era of the Indus Valley Civilization is being pushed to the brink of oblivion.

Creative Yatra explores a few bodies that are still sowing the seeds of sustainable farming within the hearts of city dwellers, taking them back in time to rural terrains. Explore that inner part of you that loves to nurture, tend and eat! Visit these residency farming destinations in India in summer with your friends and family.

Buda Folklore’s Kokum Harvesting, Karnataka

In this overnight expedition within the lesser known forest of Angadibali in Karnataka, BuDa Folklore takes city dwellers to experience the ancient harvest skills of the endemic fruit Kokum. Savita Uday founded BuDa Folklore in an effort to work with Adivasi tribes and convey their almost extinct ancestral skills to urbanites. Adventure seekers climb trees, relish piquant Kokum juice, weave baskets, stay in tribal shelters and unwind around a bonfire at night, while the villagers get free labour. A holistic and fair deal for the community, right?

Know more about BuDa Folklore via its website.

Spice Tours in Goa

Indian vacation state of Goa offers more than just sun, sand and surf. A farm residence located near the fantastic Dudhsagar waterfall touches the rural topography of Goa and takes its guests to the organically grown spice plantations of nutmeg, pepper, cinnamon and humid terrain saplings like coconut, areca nuts and cashew nuts. Leaving the typical Goan shores behind, the exotic horticulture of this property diverts you to a slow pace of life. Bees, butterflies and birds are attracted to these colourful plantations, and guests towards the Konkani delicacies prepared with home-grown ingredients.

Know more about Dudhsagar Plantation via its website.

The Bon Farmhouse in Kewing, Sikkim

‘Kewing’ in Sikkimese Bhutia language means the ‘land of wheat’. With a population of only a few hundred, the serene environ of this farm’s accommodation can be enjoyed by learning agriculture lessons and trekking across the neighbourhood (since the property is located at more than 1700m of altitude). The forestry and plantations of cardamom and tea lend travellers a first-hand experience of life on a rural farm. A great alternative to beat the scorching heat of the cities!

Know more about Bon Farmhouse of kewing via its website.

The Organic Farms of Himalaya

Situated near Jim Corbett National Park, Dana Pani is a farm stay that still practises traditional agriculture methods for growing organic vegetation. Located in Nainital in Uttarakhand, the Himalayan environ of this property nourishes some breath-taking blooms grown for commercial purposes. Guests are given an opportunity to try a hand in cattle cultivation or in farming of fruits and vegetables for the villagers staying around. The unpolluted terrain of Dana Pani connects one directly with the earth, offering mesmerising night skies for star gazing, with the tranquil sound of the river flowing across the forest.

Know more about Dana Pani Farm here

Rajasthani Farming

The regal land of Rajasthan is about much more than royalty and breath-taking architecture. Nirvana is an organic resort in Jaipur that’s located far away from the hustle and bustle of mundane city traffic, connecting one with the roots of the place through stay at a mud cottage. Contrary to the general impression of Rajasthan as a desert land, the lush resort here helps one relish the smell of moist soil – identical to petrichor emanating after the first rain – over a warm cup of tea made from fresh cow milk.

Know more about Nirvana via their website.

Make sure to leave behind your formal shoes and don some flip flops for your ‘back to the roots’ adventure this summer. Happy Yatra!