Organic
farming for
newbies.
We coach a small number of new and aspiring organic farmers every year through setting up their own farms, and run workshops for everyone else exploring the path. From Goa, India, since 2011.
We take on a handful of farms each year.
Most of the people we coach are new and aspiring organic farmers — some with land in hand, some still looking — and the right instinct that setting up an organic farm needs more than good intentions. We work alongside you from the first site visit to a working second season.
Engagements run from a single season to two years. Format is one-on-one, mostly remote with scheduled site visits. Capacity is intentionally small — usually three or four new farms a year.
Explore coaching →Three phases, one arc.
Coaching isn't for everyone. Workshops are for most.
If you're earlier in the journey — still considering whether to farm, looking for land, or building the confidence to start — a workshop is the right first step. Short, focused sessions and conversations, in small groups.
Small in-person groups in Goa. Occasional workshops in Mumbai and Bengaluru. Online sessions a few times a year.
Still learning, still teaching.
We started growing food in Goa in 2011, and over the years have run farms in Taleigao and Santacruz. Every method we teach has been tested on our own beds before it reached anyone else's.
Essays in The Morning Context — From Fork to Farm, 2021–22, on Indian agriculture.
Farmer presentations processed for the 19th Organic World Congress, 2017, as part of the OFAI team.
Farmizen bootcamp mentor on the 12-week online organic farming programme.
The questions everyone asks first.
Most of the people who reach out are somewhere on the same short list of questions. Detailed answers are being written — a preview of the questions below.
How much land do I need to start an organic farm in India?
Answer coming soon.
Can I realistically earn a living from a small organic farm?
Answer coming soon.
How do I know if I'm ready to do this full-time?
Answer coming soon.
How long does it take for an organic farm to become productive?
Answer coming soon.
Should I buy land or lease?
Answer coming soon.
What's the difference between organic, natural, regenerative, and permaculture farming?
Answer coming soon.
The land we've actually worked.
Our growing season runs November to May — the winter and summer crops. The monsoon is rest and rejuvenation, for us and for the land.
See the farms →- 2011 Almeida Farm ~1,000 sq m · Taleigao, Goa
- 2012 Pinto Farm ~1 hectare · Santacruz, Goa
- 2013 Gomes Farm ~1.25 acres · Taleigao, Goa
We've thought hard about Indian agriculture, in public.
Alongside coaching, we write about Indian agriculture — for The Morning Context and on Medium. The essays below are a starting point.
- Busting the urban myth of the engineer-turned-farmer
- The Future of Farming in Goa must be Peri-Urban
- Cash crops are killing our farmers
- So, the good news is…
100+ farmer presentations from OWC 2017.
In November 2017, India hosted the 19th Organic World Congress — for the first time in the event's history, the stage was given to farmers themselves. Around 700 presentations from practising organic farmers across the world made up the Farmers' Track.
We were part of the OFAI team that helped farmers prepare those presentations, working with raw field experience across languages and formats. Over 100 of those presentations are being catalogued here — a living archive of real farms, real methods, and real problems. Attribution stays with the farmers.
Tell us where you are in the journey.
Whether you're ready for coaching, curious about a workshop, or have a question we might be able to help with — drop us a note. We read everything and reply personally.
We usually reply within a few days. Based in Goa, working across India.