An Electronics Engineer by profession, Mr Sameer Patil always had an eye for agriculture. At the age of 32 he decided to quench this agriculturist in him by reviving his ancestral land and hence the birth of Patil Nature Farms.
In what condition did your ancestral property exist earlier and what changes did you bring about on the land?
This is an 18-acre property, on which we had 6 acres of coconut plantation. The plantation consists of about 240 coconut trees - with around 100 teak trees on the periphery. The rest of the 12 acres was completely barren. It was being utilized for rain-fed agriculture, which was not being utilized anymore expect for about 2 trees. This was how the land existed in 2015.
There was a bore well for the coconut plantation, which unfortunately dried up in 2016. So, when we dug a new bore-well for the coconut farm, I realised that the ground water that we have was depleting and we had to do something about it. We had to either stop using it completely or replenish it.
Farmers usually let rain water flow out of their land so that their standing crops don't get affected. I saw a great scope for harvesting water but I had to strategically design the location of the pond etc. We had leased out the 18 acres of the farm to 3-4 farmers. I checked with them about the amount of water that flows out of the farm because I did not want to fracture the entire farm and I wanted to use water effectively. With the inputs that I got, I decided the location for my farm pond.
I then dug a trench (1600 ft length and about 2 ft deep) from the periphery of my farm. Water was being allowed to flow into my land from the neighbouring farms which I took as blessing in disguise (which was actually considered as a curse). This trench would channelize all the rain water flowing out from that land and also connect it to one of the main pipes so that it gets discharged into the farm pond. I designed the trench in such a way that I capture the run-off water flowing in from the neighbouring land and the water from the rain water “nala” of the farm lands at higher elevation for that particular part of the village.
Today, I have a farm pond that is approximately 12 ft deep and 100ft X 100ft width, all of it owing to the rains. It has a water holding capacity of up to 30 lakh litres. We don't pump in our bore well water into this pond. We don't source this pond with any water from our side. We only use the water. I don't want to artificially source the water because then the purpose of building it gets defeated.
Whatever I do, I want to do it on a sustainable basis.
Digging out this pond must have been a substantial investment, right?
Yes, it was. I got a subsidy from the government. During those days they only subsidized farm ponds which was around 5000 sq ft. I did not want a 5000 sq ft pond. I wanted a 10,000 sq ft pond, which is quarter acre. So, I had to pump in some additional money. The subsidy was around Rs 50,000/-. I had to pitch in about Rs. 1.2 lakh additionally.
Do you think this pond will keep getting rejuvenated with the amount of rainfall going down?
After we dug out the pond, this is the first year that we had plenty of rains. Ever since I got my pond dug, it was raining scarcely. But fortunately, my farm pond was always 70% filled each year.
Whenever it rains more than 20mm or 25mm, I get run-off water in my trench. I have subscribed to SMS notifications from KSNDMC, and I get daily notification on the amount of rainfall in my village through the rain gauge installed in our village limits. I have realised that water has its own memory. Once it knows that there is a place for it to empty into, it creates a path for itself in the subsurface. So, in the consecutive years, water found its way to the farm pond. Even in the most adverse conditions my farm pond has been 70% full. This year the pond overflowed twice due to abundant rains.
Are you the only one in that vicinity who has this pond or is it there in neighbouring farms as well?
Well, there are ponds but those were dug for getting subsidies and not for actually building a pond. The contractor pays the farmer around Rs 10,000/- and he pockets the rest of the subsidy money and they build a small farm pond which actually doesn't serve the purpose.
What are the benefits of the farm pond?
My farm pond has 30 lakh litres water capacity. This means my coconut farm can survive with this water even if, hypothetically, the bore well I dug were to go dry. Each coconut tree needs 40litres of water per day. So, if you do the Math, without considering the rainy season, my farm needs around 30 lakh litres. But, during the monsoons, I do not water the coconut farm and hence, I need to only consider the dry days. Therefore, I have sufficient water for my farm at any point in time.
Also, I have done a bore well recharge. I have dug a pipeline so that my bore well gets recharged through my farm pond. So, whenever it rains, water seeps from the farm pond to the bore well.
Does a bore well recharge actually work?
For the last 2 years we had silt getting accumulated in the pipe, which connects the bore well and the farm pond. There wasn't enough water pressure for the silt to be flushed away. This year since the farm pond was full, the silt got flushed out and the bore well has started recharging.
In fact, I could hear the water recharging in the bore well from at least 10 ft. distance. I have been clear in my head about what I wanted and whatever I do for a livelihood, I want to do it in a sustainable way.
What else did you do on the farm?
After having dug a pond which was now filled with water, I wanted to ensure that it is a living pond. I didn’t want it to be full during the rains and dry in the summer. So, the next good thing to do was plant trees around my farm pond.
It will be home for birds and it will give sufficient shade for my farm pond. My studies told me that during summer, at least 1 ft water gets evaporated from the surface of the earth. That means there is a loss of lakhs of litres every month because of evaporation. That is how I decided to plant trees.
I have planted around 100 trees around my farm pond in 2016 and 2017. We have fruit bearing trees like cherries, badam, fig trees, etc. All the trees are planted from seeds, not grafted because I want them to grow large enough to provide enough shade for my farm pond. I gathered all kinds of tree saplings I could get and planted them in my farm.
If I require sustainable farming, I have to focus on agro-forest trees. Since this was like an oasis there was room for lot of intrusion in terms of people and cattle and so in 2017 my main activity was to create a farm fence.
Before that, I created multiple farm bunds using the mud that got accumulated as a result of the pond digging. Then, I did farm fencing after which I thought of planting Gliricidia around my farm fence because I wanted to have a live fencing as well. These two works in tandem very well.
Every year my main activity during the monsoons was to plant saplings around my farm fence. This year I have completed this activity completely.
I also wanted to utilize the water that lies in the trenches. So, I planted trees on either side of the trench. The trees will help avoid soil erosion and the water in the trench will help the trees. So, it again becomes mutually beneficial.
Now, I do not want to water my trees. The monsoon rains are good enough for the trees and after that the moisture retained in the soil will suffice for the trees. Today, my farm looks bushy. There are lots of shrubs and lots of green.
I want it to be very dense and do not mind waiting for another 10 years to reap the benefits. I planted around 600 Malabar Neem and Honge (pongamia pinnata). They contribute to the biomass required for sustainable farming. It will also attract lots of birds and are also a source of income. It is the world’s best Fixed Deposit, in my opinion. Rs 30/- (cost of each sapling) can get converted to at least Rs 3000/- in 10 years. In future I would also want to consider apiculture (honey), these trees will be very good source of nectar and the honey will have medicinal property.
To check the run-off water in the rainwater “nala” next to our land, we built a small check dam costing just Rs 3000/- for the boulders. It is playing a significant role in retaining water and checking sand and water run-off. It has accumulated sand up to a height of 2 feet height in the past 4 years. It has increased vegetation along the pipe because of increase in water retention in the sand.
My neighbour and I did this as a noble cause.
This year I am going to dump another truck load of soil over this and so the height is going to increase. Earlier people used to do sand mining. Now, since there is an obstruction, they can't do it.
Similarly, I have done 3 farm ponds at our other farm lands at different locations in my village.
I also dug trenches between the lane of coconut trees in my coconut farm. All the biomass is dumped into the trench there. It decomposes there and hence there is no water stagnation in my coconut trees.
As an inter-crop I have planted mango trees - I have around 200 mango trees in my coconut farm. These are pickle mangoes and has a unique aroma and a very good market demand as well.
Right now, in my 18-acre land, I have only 2 acres of uncultivated land. By June next year, my plantation work will be completed. By then, I will have at least 3300 trees on my farm.
Is the land bringing you enough revenue to justify the effort and money you have put into it?
In time, it will happen.
Right now, I have invested close to 10-15 lakhs. I did lose some money because I did not hire any consultant and wanted to do it all by myself to be part of the learning curve.
Given an opportunity to share my knowledge with someone at no cost, they will definitely be able to do this at a better cost.
I don't assume water to be available forever, so I have planned my plantation to be drought resistant - it just needs enough water for the next 2 years. My plan is to get my farm into auto pilot mode and that should happen in the next two years.
What do you mean by auto pilot mode?
I mean, I am not going to interfere in my farm activities apart from reaping the benefits. Now, I am not going to give it any more external inputs.
I will have enough bio mass on my land and enough and more water too because the consumption is at the peak at the moment due to the saplings I have planted around.
For the next 2 years hence, the water must be sustained. From that perspective, I need my bore well to support me for the next 2 years. Later, I won't be dependent on my bore well.
I have planted only 50 jamun and 50 lemon trees, which I am sure I can sustain. My mango plantation (tolling 550), jackfruit (50 no’s of red and orange fleshed) and the rest of the trees that I have planted does not need the kind of water that jamun and lemon needs. The yield perhaps may go down a bit but I have ensured that lot of moisture gets retained on my land.
When we were digging for the farm pond, I realized that there is enough moisture in the soil. I used to hold the soil and it never crumpled. If my land was holding up so much of moisture with no best practices, the best practices should ensure that my bore well doesn't dry and the moisture content in the soil be retained.
I have also done marketing for some of the produce from my farm. For example, I have started building my customer base for pickle mangoes. I have started speaking to people who run cottage industries and they are ready to buy it. I am just waiting for my yield. Jack fruit is in high market demand. I have chosen to cultivate jack fruit that is unique in texture and color. I have cultivated jamun which is very popular nowadays and tamarind which is getting scarce these days. I have around 50 tamarind trees. So, I foresee all these to have a lot of importance in the market.
Have you taken to agriculture as a full-time activity?
No, I only spend my weekends at the farm. I have a good partner farmer on my farm who would be reaping benefits with me, in future. I take care of the finances and he takes care of the farm. He takes care of bargaining with the labourers etc. So, my labour cost is highly minimal.
This year onward, my plantation expense is going to be very low because all my plantation work is almost done and there is no monthly recurring cost for me because my partner farmer grows his crop and is our coconut plantation partner as well. 50% of his revenue comes from those coconuts. So, he is an equal partner. Hence, I don't pay any monthly salary to anyone. That is how I get to cut a lot of cost.
We have a very strong bond and he is also happy to do all that is required because he is aware that he also stands to reap the benefits.
I still am involved with the IT field. In 2015-2017 I experienced turbulence in the IT field. Now, I want to earn at least 10-20 lakhs per year. I have done enough homework and even if at some point my IT career comes to a standstill, I want to entirely depend on agriculture.
There is lot of ground work and research that has gone into this. So, I am confident that by 2023-24, I will start getting my returns and will quit IT field and get into full time agriculture. My earnings will start from 4-5 lakhs and increase by at least 20% year on year. The input cost will only be the labour costs. I will generate enough compost to sell.
Agriculture is a gamble unless we understand the domain well. There are a lot of things to be considered before jumping into it. It is not as fancy as it looks from outside. Some considerations to be done are, are the neighbours good, are you following the crowd, finding a good farmer partner, amount of rainfall, dependency on water, climatic conditions, wholesale and retail market close by, is it perishable, cost of transportation, is the product unique, impact of wild animals and monkeys, scope for value addition. My philosophy is investing few years and earn lifelong.
I have documented my learning and experience in a blog and in facebook page.
https://patilnaturefarms.blogspot.com/
https://www.facebook.com/thepatilnaturefarms/
Mr Sameer Patil’s thought process, in-depth knowledge, planning, hard work and ingeniously sticking to his plan has created an eco-friendly environment and an evergreen bank account, like he puts it. We wish him success in all his endeavours.
Contact –
Sameer Patil
HSR Layout,
Bangalore - 560102
9964232250
sameerp23@gmail.com
https://www.facebook.com/patilnaturefarms
In what condition did your ancestral property exist earlier and what changes did you bring about on the land?
This is an 18-acre property, on which we had 6 acres of coconut plantation. The plantation consists of about 240 coconut trees - with around 100 teak trees on the periphery. The rest of the 12 acres was completely barren. It was being utilized for rain-fed agriculture, which was not being utilized anymore expect for about 2 trees. This was how the land existed in 2015.
There was a bore well for the coconut plantation, which unfortunately dried up in 2016. So, when we dug a new bore-well for the coconut farm, I realised that the ground water that we have was depleting and we had to do something about it. We had to either stop using it completely or replenish it.
Farmers usually let rain water flow out of their land so that their standing crops don't get affected. I saw a great scope for harvesting water but I had to strategically design the location of the pond etc. We had leased out the 18 acres of the farm to 3-4 farmers. I checked with them about the amount of water that flows out of the farm because I did not want to fracture the entire farm and I wanted to use water effectively. With the inputs that I got, I decided the location for my farm pond.
I then dug a trench (1600 ft length and about 2 ft deep) from the periphery of my farm. Water was being allowed to flow into my land from the neighbouring farms which I took as blessing in disguise (which was actually considered as a curse). This trench would channelize all the rain water flowing out from that land and also connect it to one of the main pipes so that it gets discharged into the farm pond. I designed the trench in such a way that I capture the run-off water flowing in from the neighbouring land and the water from the rain water “nala” of the farm lands at higher elevation for that particular part of the village.
Today, I have a farm pond that is approximately 12 ft deep and 100ft X 100ft width, all of it owing to the rains. It has a water holding capacity of up to 30 lakh litres. We don't pump in our bore well water into this pond. We don't source this pond with any water from our side. We only use the water. I don't want to artificially source the water because then the purpose of building it gets defeated.
Whatever I do, I want to do it on a sustainable basis.
Digging out this pond must have been a substantial investment, right?
Yes, it was. I got a subsidy from the government. During those days they only subsidized farm ponds which was around 5000 sq ft. I did not want a 5000 sq ft pond. I wanted a 10,000 sq ft pond, which is quarter acre. So, I had to pump in some additional money. The subsidy was around Rs 50,000/-. I had to pitch in about Rs. 1.2 lakh additionally.
Do you think this pond will keep getting rejuvenated with the amount of rainfall going down?
After we dug out the pond, this is the first year that we had plenty of rains. Ever since I got my pond dug, it was raining scarcely. But fortunately, my farm pond was always 70% filled each year.
Whenever it rains more than 20mm or 25mm, I get run-off water in my trench. I have subscribed to SMS notifications from KSNDMC, and I get daily notification on the amount of rainfall in my village through the rain gauge installed in our village limits. I have realised that water has its own memory. Once it knows that there is a place for it to empty into, it creates a path for itself in the subsurface. So, in the consecutive years, water found its way to the farm pond. Even in the most adverse conditions my farm pond has been 70% full. This year the pond overflowed twice due to abundant rains.
Are you the only one in that vicinity who has this pond or is it there in neighbouring farms as well?
Well, there are ponds but those were dug for getting subsidies and not for actually building a pond. The contractor pays the farmer around Rs 10,000/- and he pockets the rest of the subsidy money and they build a small farm pond which actually doesn't serve the purpose.
What are the benefits of the farm pond?
My farm pond has 30 lakh litres water capacity. This means my coconut farm can survive with this water even if, hypothetically, the bore well I dug were to go dry. Each coconut tree needs 40litres of water per day. So, if you do the Math, without considering the rainy season, my farm needs around 30 lakh litres. But, during the monsoons, I do not water the coconut farm and hence, I need to only consider the dry days. Therefore, I have sufficient water for my farm at any point in time.
Also, I have done a bore well recharge. I have dug a pipeline so that my bore well gets recharged through my farm pond. So, whenever it rains, water seeps from the farm pond to the bore well.
Does a bore well recharge actually work?
For the last 2 years we had silt getting accumulated in the pipe, which connects the bore well and the farm pond. There wasn't enough water pressure for the silt to be flushed away. This year since the farm pond was full, the silt got flushed out and the bore well has started recharging.
In fact, I could hear the water recharging in the bore well from at least 10 ft. distance. I have been clear in my head about what I wanted and whatever I do for a livelihood, I want to do it in a sustainable way.
What else did you do on the farm?
After having dug a pond which was now filled with water, I wanted to ensure that it is a living pond. I didn’t want it to be full during the rains and dry in the summer. So, the next good thing to do was plant trees around my farm pond.
It will be home for birds and it will give sufficient shade for my farm pond. My studies told me that during summer, at least 1 ft water gets evaporated from the surface of the earth. That means there is a loss of lakhs of litres every month because of evaporation. That is how I decided to plant trees.
I have planted around 100 trees around my farm pond in 2016 and 2017. We have fruit bearing trees like cherries, badam, fig trees, etc. All the trees are planted from seeds, not grafted because I want them to grow large enough to provide enough shade for my farm pond. I gathered all kinds of tree saplings I could get and planted them in my farm.
If I require sustainable farming, I have to focus on agro-forest trees. Since this was like an oasis there was room for lot of intrusion in terms of people and cattle and so in 2017 my main activity was to create a farm fence.
Before that, I created multiple farm bunds using the mud that got accumulated as a result of the pond digging. Then, I did farm fencing after which I thought of planting Gliricidia around my farm fence because I wanted to have a live fencing as well. These two works in tandem very well.
Every year my main activity during the monsoons was to plant saplings around my farm fence. This year I have completed this activity completely.
I also wanted to utilize the water that lies in the trenches. So, I planted trees on either side of the trench. The trees will help avoid soil erosion and the water in the trench will help the trees. So, it again becomes mutually beneficial.
Now, I do not want to water my trees. The monsoon rains are good enough for the trees and after that the moisture retained in the soil will suffice for the trees. Today, my farm looks bushy. There are lots of shrubs and lots of green.
I want it to be very dense and do not mind waiting for another 10 years to reap the benefits. I planted around 600 Malabar Neem and Honge (pongamia pinnata). They contribute to the biomass required for sustainable farming. It will also attract lots of birds and are also a source of income. It is the world’s best Fixed Deposit, in my opinion. Rs 30/- (cost of each sapling) can get converted to at least Rs 3000/- in 10 years. In future I would also want to consider apiculture (honey), these trees will be very good source of nectar and the honey will have medicinal property.
To check the run-off water in the rainwater “nala” next to our land, we built a small check dam costing just Rs 3000/- for the boulders. It is playing a significant role in retaining water and checking sand and water run-off. It has accumulated sand up to a height of 2 feet height in the past 4 years. It has increased vegetation along the pipe because of increase in water retention in the sand.
My neighbour and I did this as a noble cause.
This year I am going to dump another truck load of soil over this and so the height is going to increase. Earlier people used to do sand mining. Now, since there is an obstruction, they can't do it.
Similarly, I have done 3 farm ponds at our other farm lands at different locations in my village.
I also dug trenches between the lane of coconut trees in my coconut farm. All the biomass is dumped into the trench there. It decomposes there and hence there is no water stagnation in my coconut trees.
As an inter-crop I have planted mango trees - I have around 200 mango trees in my coconut farm. These are pickle mangoes and has a unique aroma and a very good market demand as well.
Right now, in my 18-acre land, I have only 2 acres of uncultivated land. By June next year, my plantation work will be completed. By then, I will have at least 3300 trees on my farm.
Is the land bringing you enough revenue to justify the effort and money you have put into it?
In time, it will happen.
Right now, I have invested close to 10-15 lakhs. I did lose some money because I did not hire any consultant and wanted to do it all by myself to be part of the learning curve.
Given an opportunity to share my knowledge with someone at no cost, they will definitely be able to do this at a better cost.
I don't assume water to be available forever, so I have planned my plantation to be drought resistant - it just needs enough water for the next 2 years. My plan is to get my farm into auto pilot mode and that should happen in the next two years.
What do you mean by auto pilot mode?
I mean, I am not going to interfere in my farm activities apart from reaping the benefits. Now, I am not going to give it any more external inputs.
I will have enough bio mass on my land and enough and more water too because the consumption is at the peak at the moment due to the saplings I have planted around.
For the next 2 years hence, the water must be sustained. From that perspective, I need my bore well to support me for the next 2 years. Later, I won't be dependent on my bore well.
I have planted only 50 jamun and 50 lemon trees, which I am sure I can sustain. My mango plantation (tolling 550), jackfruit (50 no’s of red and orange fleshed) and the rest of the trees that I have planted does not need the kind of water that jamun and lemon needs. The yield perhaps may go down a bit but I have ensured that lot of moisture gets retained on my land.
When we were digging for the farm pond, I realized that there is enough moisture in the soil. I used to hold the soil and it never crumpled. If my land was holding up so much of moisture with no best practices, the best practices should ensure that my bore well doesn't dry and the moisture content in the soil be retained.
I have also done marketing for some of the produce from my farm. For example, I have started building my customer base for pickle mangoes. I have started speaking to people who run cottage industries and they are ready to buy it. I am just waiting for my yield. Jack fruit is in high market demand. I have chosen to cultivate jack fruit that is unique in texture and color. I have cultivated jamun which is very popular nowadays and tamarind which is getting scarce these days. I have around 50 tamarind trees. So, I foresee all these to have a lot of importance in the market.
Have you taken to agriculture as a full-time activity?
No, I only spend my weekends at the farm. I have a good partner farmer on my farm who would be reaping benefits with me, in future. I take care of the finances and he takes care of the farm. He takes care of bargaining with the labourers etc. So, my labour cost is highly minimal.
This year onward, my plantation expense is going to be very low because all my plantation work is almost done and there is no monthly recurring cost for me because my partner farmer grows his crop and is our coconut plantation partner as well. 50% of his revenue comes from those coconuts. So, he is an equal partner. Hence, I don't pay any monthly salary to anyone. That is how I get to cut a lot of cost.
We have a very strong bond and he is also happy to do all that is required because he is aware that he also stands to reap the benefits.
I still am involved with the IT field. In 2015-2017 I experienced turbulence in the IT field. Now, I want to earn at least 10-20 lakhs per year. I have done enough homework and even if at some point my IT career comes to a standstill, I want to entirely depend on agriculture.
There is lot of ground work and research that has gone into this. So, I am confident that by 2023-24, I will start getting my returns and will quit IT field and get into full time agriculture. My earnings will start from 4-5 lakhs and increase by at least 20% year on year. The input cost will only be the labour costs. I will generate enough compost to sell.
Agriculture is a gamble unless we understand the domain well. There are a lot of things to be considered before jumping into it. It is not as fancy as it looks from outside. Some considerations to be done are, are the neighbours good, are you following the crowd, finding a good farmer partner, amount of rainfall, dependency on water, climatic conditions, wholesale and retail market close by, is it perishable, cost of transportation, is the product unique, impact of wild animals and monkeys, scope for value addition. My philosophy is investing few years and earn lifelong.
I have documented my learning and experience in a blog and in facebook page.
https://patilnaturefarms.blogspot.com/
https://www.facebook.com/thepatilnaturefarms/
Mr Sameer Patil’s thought process, in-depth knowledge, planning, hard work and ingeniously sticking to his plan has created an eco-friendly environment and an evergreen bank account, like he puts it. We wish him success in all his endeavours.
Contact –
Sameer Patil
HSR Layout,
Bangalore - 560102
9964232250
sameerp23@gmail.com
https://www.facebook.com/patilnaturefarms
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