When people arrive at Vaanavil Farm & Food Forest, the first thing they say is, “This doesn’t feel like a resort… it feels like someone’s home.” And that’s exactly what we want it to be. Most people see farms as places that produce food. But for us, Vaanavil Farm & Food Forest is a living…
Stop seeking like-minded people to start living off-grid in a farm
An uncomfortable note from someone who actually lives it. There’s a question I get asked regularly: “Is there land for sale around your farm?”“Is it okay if we buy land near other organic farmers?” Most times, my answer is either no or please think twice. Not because I don’t want neighbours. But because I don’t…
The Hidden Costs of Cheap Food in India
For years, I believed that the “cheapness” of food in India came from external forces — multinationals lowering prices, governments pouring subsidies, aggressive market capture strategies. But that was an illusion. After 7 years of farming and 4 years of running an organic shop, I’ve had to accept a harder truth:Food in India is not…
“Plastic Arisi”
Have you heard people say the rice from PDS (ration shop) is “plastic rice” or adulterated with floating grains? Recently, I heard Dinesh tell Esakki akka to sort out the plastic rice while washing it. Turns out, they were not joking… there’s a story behind it. Okay, lets back up. What’s going on? India eats…
Vaanavil Farm Stay and the Thought Behind Its Rooms!
We are not a resort! We are a farm foremost and the farm stay is our endeavour to share our way of life with you. The only other tag that I would attach is home stay. The room is only one of many aspects of the stay, but it is an important one. While we…
Slow Living isn’t an Escape — It’s a Responsibility
The purpose of money is to remain in constant circulation, not to be instrument for hoarding wealth and power. But unfortunately the modern socio economic system has evolved to incentivize saving at an individual level while collectively destroying ecosystems that guarantee a healthy future for our children. By choosing the lowest priced industrially produced produce…
Karuppu Kavuni Aapam
By now most of us know the history of Karuppu Kavuni – the fragrant black rice that was brought from Burma to Tamil Nadu by the Chettiar community. The first time I learnt about Karuppu Kavuni was a few months after we moved to Tirunelveli in 2018. It looked so exotic and I decided to…
Ode to 7 years of Vivasayee’s Life at Vaanavil Farm & Food Forest
10th July 2025 I now live in a farmAt the edge of a reserve forestOutside a small villageRight outside a small tier 3 town It has been 7 yearsSince i made the switchFrom the city to the rural itchBecause the urban lifestyle was a bitch I was attracted to the romanceOf being amidst natureI wanted…
Where am I from?
People around here are often puzzled — and sometimes unsatisfied — when I tell them that my sondha ooru (native place) is Vikramasingapuram. It’s the town where my farm is, where my family lives, and where I’ve put down roots for the past seven years. But that answer rarely feels enough for many locals. I…
Karuppu Kavuni Sakkarai Pongal Recipe
Deepa Reddy of Paticheri fame, a few years back, featured in and shared with us the beautiful short film Thirunel by Bigshortfilms. From that documentary, I gathered that the word Kavuni is adopted from the Burmese word Kao Hynin, which means Sticky Rice. Karuppu, in Tamil, means black. I love how the language of our food…
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