The stories we hear in childhood often shape our destinies. They certainly shaped mine. I was raised in a city in Kerala in the 80s and 90s, yet it was my parents’ memories of their village that set me on the path to becoming a farmer. They talked of diverse crops and seasonal food, adventures in cashew orchards, paddy fields that became vast water bodies in the monsoon, and rivers teeming with fish. But what the stories did not prepare me for were the innumerable challenges farmers face: Unfair prices for our produce, a political economy that sidelines those who grow the nation’s food, a society that forgets that food is not born on supermarket shelves, and a weather pattern that keeps us guessing by the day.
My preparation to become an aware farmer began earlier, during my years as Greenpeace India campaigner. I learnt how our policies push farmers into distress by promoting practices that destroy soil, pollute and deplete water, erode biodiversity and accelerate climate change. These policies also ensure that farmers remain dependent on markets for seeds, inputs and, crucially, knowledge — despite India’s 10,000-year-old farming heritage and our position as a centre of origin and diversity for countless crops.
My transition into a “first-generation settler farmer” was completed over the last 12 years of living and farming in Wayanad. Those years taught me that farming means working with nature, not against it. It is rooted in collective family and community effort, not solitary struggle.
It requires knowing every inch of one’s land and local climate, planning accordingly and resisting the temptation to wait for instruction from others. It means celebrating struggles with those around you and seeking fairness not only for yourself but for others as well.
Thrissilery village in Thirunelly Panchayath has given me the life many dream of, and it is here that the foundations of Thirunelly Agri Producer Company Ltd (TAPCo) were laid. Formed in 2017 by organic farmers cultivating Wayanad’s traditional paddy varieties, TAPCo grew out of shared necessity.
And it was necessity that carved the path before us. We collectivised to secure fair prices and timely payments. The need to decipher the weather led to Climate Resilient Agriculture initiatives that offer hyperlocal advisories based on short- and medium-term forecasts. The gap in farmer-led ecological research pushed us to create the Farmers’ Knowledge and Resource Centre.
Finally, our farm-to-plate networks across and beyond Kerala were driven by the desire to connect people with safe, nutritious food.
Our collective effort has strengthened our belief that economic viability can go hand in hand with ecological sustainability and social justice. But on a personal level, being able to dedicate my time entirely into making our food systems sustainable has added greater meaning to my life.
Rajesh Krishnan is an organic farmer and entrepreneur from Wayanad, Kerala.
This article is on the theme of Down To Earth special edition Anxiety in a warming world published January 1-15, 2026, featuring exclusive interviews with Dia Mirza, Kalki Koechlin, Kiran Rao, Nila Madhab Panda, Sajana Sajeevan, Tsewang Chuskit, Manish Mehrotra and others, as well as columns by scientists, activists and journalists.
