As Carl Jung is often quoted as saying, “You are what you do, not what you say you’ll do.” By that measure, Vani V is many things: a natural eco-farmer, an organic agri-preneur, a climate-resilient agriculturist and a conservator of traditional seeds. These are not labels she claims, but values she lives by, every single day. Together, they define not just what but who she is.
A roll call for a bio about Vani has much more: She is a Farmer Master Trainer of the NMNF (National Mission on Natural Farming); Champion Farmer of Natural Farming; Secretary of Arippadam Farmers Producers Organisation FPO; Founder of the Natural Nutritious Food Venture- Ruchira Prakrithi Foods; Co-Founder of the Community Food Basket , Prakrithi Jaiva Kalavara; a Custodian Farmer of Kerala State Biodiversity Board (KSBB); the Convenor of Biodiversity Management Committee at the Harippad Municipality; and Technical Support Group Member – Alappuzha Dist of the Kerala State Biodiversity Board (KSBB).
Not just her email, even her handles on social media bear the tag ‘prakriti’ meaning nature. Committed not just to eco-friendly scientific farming, she is passionate and vocal about human rights, women empowerment and gender equality – all values she has embraced in her own life, despite societal and familial challenges.
Vani’s integrated sustainable sector framework covers four streams: The primary sector is agriculture with Vasu Jaivaganam, a 4.5-acre natural ecological scientific farm that includes indigenous cattle conservation, indigenous fish farming and poultry and agro-forestry and bamboo cultivation.
The secondary sector is manufacturing through Ruchira Prakrithi Foods,which focuses on value addition and product diversification, producing prebiotic healthy ethnic foods with over 80 food products developed already.
The tertiary sector is service-oriented through Prakrithi Jaiva Kalavara, an agriculture nature eco=product market and an organic product marketing platform that supports over 480 farmers, drives a farm-to-consumer ecosystem, promotes sustainable rural trade and provides training for over 8,000 farmers a year.
The quaternary sector is an organic biosphere focused don research and development in prebiotic, probiotic and post-biotic foods, natural ecological farming innovation, energy efficiency improvement systems and innovations and alignment with UNSDGs.
Here is how her story unfolded..
Her story begins in the Onattukara region, one of the historic rice bowls of Kerala, near a town called Haripad. The very name of the place – often linked to the Malayalam words for “where the rice came from” – is steeped in agricultural heritage.
Yet, the farms and farming that Vani witnessed growing up was already fracturing. Her family possessed acres of land and used to cultivate a mix of crops. They practiced integrated farming in its rudimentary sense, keeping cows, hens and ducks, and using dung as manure. However, like many in the era following the Green Revolution, they also relied on synthetic fertilizers like urea and Factamfos.
Even as a child, Vani noticed the subtle, irreversible changes in the fields around her. She grew up feeding on natural produce from the farm, rarely eating anything bought from outside except for the occasional cabbage or carrot, which held little appeal for her.
Her household was largely self-sufficient, relying on the land for everything from food to natural cosmetics like shampoos. But she also saw the consequences of chemical interventions. Herbs and shrubs that she used to forage for her grandmother from the field were vanishing. The natural bounty that defined her childhood was quietly depleting.
This early ecological awareness evolved into a profound conviction. When she was in the 12th grade, she read an article in Kerala Karshakan, a Farm Information Bureau publication, about the devastating impact of chemical fertilizers and the urgent need to return to nature. She witnessed the decline of coconuts and the loss of crops, exacerbated by global geopolitical shifts such as the ASEAN accords. It was then she made a choice that defied all expectations.
Choosing the Unconventional Path
In a society where academic excellence inevitably funnels students toward medicine or engineering, Vani rebelled. Despite having the opportunity to pursue those conventional, lucrative paths, she decided to study agriculture. Her ambition was clear: she wanted to bring back the extinct herbs and shrubs, and more importantly, she wanted to restore respectability to farming. She wanted to be a farmer.
This decision was met with immediate resistance. Her parents were not delighted. The pressure was intense, especially given that her sister was an Ayurvedic doctor, and the expectation was for Vani to become an allopathic doctor. Yet, she stood her ground. She enrolled at the Kerala Agricultural University in Vellanikkara.
In college, Vani would ask tough questions about natural farming, challenging the orthodoxies of modern agronomy. Many of her peers and professors viewed her as impractical or irrational. But Vani’s independence was not just intellectual but also financial. Refusing to take support from her family, she worked for her seniors to earn her pocket money, maintaining her autonomy at every step.
Her connection to nature was visceral. She recalls walking to school every day, discovering the myriad wonders of the changing seasons, the shrubs, and the trees. That fostered an intimacy with the land that she felt a bicycle or a vehicle could not have given.
This deep-rooted connection fueled her most unusual decision post her graduation. Despite the limited employment prospects for agriculture graduates, she embraced farming as her livelihood, much to the chagrin of her parents.
Designing an Ecosystem
Vani’s first venture was on her home land, and it was a success. She broke even, bought a cow and a bull, and began to build her vision. But the societal pressures did not relent. By the time her sister married an IPS officer, the pressure on Vani to marry intensified. She refused to conform, declaring she would only marry someone who shared her inclination toward farming.
She found that partner in Vijith, whom she met during a protest against a hydroelectric dam project. Their shared activism blossomed into a partnership, both in life and in agriculture. Their wedding was a statement of their values: no elaborate ceremonies, no trace of gold, only homemade produce for the feast, and a celebration rooted entirely in the raw materials of their farms.
In 2009, she launched her enterprise. The challenges were immediate and manifold. Growing the food was one thing; ensuring it reached the consumer fairly was another. When they took their produce to the village market, they were handed a pittance. Market keepers offered a mere eight rupees for produce that now fetches forty-five.
Simultaneously, Vani was navigating intense personal turmoil due to some familial pressures. Yet, her vision remained unclouded. Encouraged by Elizabeth Daniel, the Assistant Director of Agriculture, she decided to bypass the exploitative middlemen and open her own store.
The Village Food Basket
She started an Eco Store in a modest 400-square-foot plot. Today, that initiative has expanded into Prakrithi Jaiva Kalavara, a dynamic organic market that operates under the powerful ethos: “Zero food mile – local is future.” From having no employees, her team has grown to over 45 people. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit shortly after they expanded, sales surprisingly surged, as the public suddenly prioritized natural, immune-boosting produce.
Prakrithi Jaiva Kalavara is today a lifeline for the community. It operates on a farmer-first policy, ensuring fair and fixed prices for vegetables, upholding the dignity of the farmers. The platform supports over 480 farmers and provides training to more than 8,000 farmers annually. Vani actively procures produce from local women farmers within an 8-kilometer radius, strengthening local food systems and championing women-led agri-entrepreneurship.
Her business model has evolved into an integrated sustainable sector framework, encompassing the four distinct pillars that define her life’s mission, purpose and joy.
A Blueprint for Climate Resilience
Vani’s 4.5-acre campus, Vasu Jaivaganam, is a masterclass in biodiversity and self-sufficiency. It features over 5,000 trees, nine water ponds, 12 varieties of banana, 32 varieties of bamboo, medicinal herbs, and indigenous vegetable crops. The farm operates on renewable energy, utilizing a 10KW solar plant and biowaste-to-biogas systems, drastically minimizing its carbon footprint.
Her agricultural methodology is meticulous and strictly zero-chemical. She relies on traditional organic manure and natural formulations like Jeevamrutham to nourish soil microbiology. For pest control, she uses natural remedies like buttermilk mixed with turmeric spray. The entire plantation is supported by automated drip irrigation, ensuring optimal water utilization.
The results are undeniable. A recent soil health card revealed a soil organic carbon level of 2.4%, vastly exceeding the normal range of 0.50-0.75%. This is the true metric of climate resilience: soil that is alive, carbon-rich, and capable of withstanding the increasingly erratic weather patterns of the region.
The Reluctant Laureate
Vani’s pioneering efforts have not gone unnoticed. She has been honored with the State Karshaka Thilakam (Best Woman Farmer Award) and the Yuvakarshaka (Best Young Woman Farmer State Award) by the Kerala Department of Agriculture. She holds numerous prestigious positions, including Farmer Master Trainer under the National Mission on Natural Farming and Custodian Farmer for the Kerala State Biodiversity Board.
Yet, awards mean little to her. She admits they were perhaps initially driven by a desire to prove her detractors wrong, but her true motivation lies in the soil itself. For Vani, agriculture is a profound convergence of art, culture, science, and business.
She has built more than a farm; she has built a movement. Through nature education camps and tireless advocacy, she is training the next generation to respect the earth.
In a world grappling with ecological collapse, Vani V. stands as an inspiration: a woman who looked at the vanishing herbs of her childhood and decided to nurture a new green ecosystem.
Her life cannot be captured in plain tones; it is as vibrant, complex, and unyielding just like the ecosystem she has so fiercely protected and nurtured.
