Now Reading: Mumbai Balcony Gardener Trades Advertising for a 10-Acre Farm
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Mumbai Balcony Gardener Trades Advertising for a 10-Acre Farm
Former advertising professional Arti Dwarkadas moved from a prolific Bandra balcony garden to 10 acres at Bahulewadi near Kolad during the COVID-19 pandemic. She and her friend Suzann bought the land in…
The Story in Brief
Former advertising professional Arti Dwarkadas moved from a prolific Bandra balcony garden to 10 acres at Bahulewadi near Kolad during the COVID-19 pandemic. She and her friend Suzann bought the land in 2021 to try full-scale farming. Dwarkadas has since grown crops including rice, mangoes, mushrooms, tomatoes, herbs and vegetables, while confronting the demands of rural life. Her book, Two Bandra Girls Buy A Farm, recounts the experiment with humour and also describes rural communities’ knowledge of medicinal plants. On The Rediff Podcast, she explains why the experience gave her a new sense of purpose and why she does not plan to leave farming.
The Indian Opinion
The easy story is that a successful urban professional can simply exchange a balcony for farmland and find fulfilment. Dwarkadas’s account sounds more complicated, since the humour sits alongside unfamiliar rural hardships and knowledge that city residents often overlook. The opposite caricature, that farming is an escapade available only to the affluent, also misses her sustained commitment. The useful test is whether the farm remains viable beyond the novelty, measured by its crops, costs and labour over time.
Source: rediff.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the source linked above.
