A lot of you have asked about our transition — how Noushadya and I moved lock, stock, and barrel from city life to full-time farming. At a time when most of civilization is moving toward urbanization, as agriculture becomes increasingly mechanized and automated, it’s a valid question: Why go against the tide?
There were many triggers, but I realize I haven’t spoken enough about one of the earliest and most personal ones — my health.
Back in 2012, while working a desk job, I suffered from kidney stones three times. I had to go through a painful cystoscopy. By 2013, I was 85 kilos at a height of 5’4”. Years of sedentary work since 2008 and eating out regularly had taken a toll on my health.
This was a wake-up call.
- It was one of the triggers that made me start focusing on my diet and exercise.
- It was one of the triggers that led me to buy farmland.
- It was the trigger for the most significant lifestyle change of my life.
In 2013, I began improving my health through yoga, cardio, and better eating habits. By 2017, I started volunteering at other farms, slowly deepening my engagement with this new way of living.
In 2018 we moved to Vikramasingapuram. In 2020, just after the pandemic, we moved to the house we built in the farm. Today, in 2025, I weigh 64 kilos — a weight I’ve consistently maintained for the last seven years of farm life.
No New Year resolutions. Just long-term determination.
Two key changes made the difference:
- Adopting a physically active lifestyle
- Minimizing maida, refined sugar, and deep-fried foods
But this is not the end — only the beginning.
Weight is just one measure of health. Real fitness comes from strength, agility, and skill — all of which I continue to work on.
Every year, I try to set new physical goals. These are for the future:
- Learn to climb trees (without a climber)
- Learn to swim
- Learn to work the fields hands-on
- Learn to herd cows
A farm offers a variety of strenuous, meaningful physical work that no gym can match. Clean air, open spaces, and endless possibilities fuel your imagination and transformation.
If your health is suffering under the strain of urban, sedentary work, consider a different path — perhaps farming could be part of your future. For yourself. For your family.
What I’ve learned is this: it’s much easier to sustain a healthy lifestyle when you grow your own food and physically engage with the land every day. Organic farming demands more physical effort than industrial agriculture — but that’s exactly the point. Two birds, one stone.
Warm regards,
Sudhakar