Moved by the environmental degradation around them, a growing tribe of professionals is leaving behind the urban life and seeking purpose in this form of farming in the hinterlands of India
ISSUE DATE: Sep 11, 2023 | UPDATED: Sep 1, 2023 20:33 IST
On the outskirts of Panchkula district in Haryana lies the sprawling 12-acre Aanandaa Permaculture Farm, built as a testament to the harmony between humans, plants and animals. Unlike conventional farms with their rows of monoculture crops, Aanandaa resembles a lush forest where more than 6,000 trees intermingle with a diverse array of plants, creepers and shrubs in seemingly chaotic fashion. Co-founded by Manisha Lath Gupta, former marketing head of Uber India, and her husband, Agam Gupta, the farm follows the principles of permaculture, a model of agriculture that leverages the complementary qualities of plants, trees and animals to create a self-sustaining and regenerative ‘food forest’.