Blog

Vaanavil Diaries : January 2026

Posted by Noushy on

January was a difficult month for us.

  1. We lost several batches of Oyster mushroom to Trichoderma (thankfully detected during incubation) and Inkcaps mushroom (unfortunately during fruiting) contamination
  2. A Jungle cat ate almost 30 chickens from our coop within a week. We tried covering all the possible ways the cat was attacking but it still made its way into the coop.
  3. We missed the vaccination schedule last year and a few cows were infected with Foot & Mouth disease. A cow had difficulty getting up after giving birth naturally. We have witnessed this for the first time in 7 years of raising native cows.
  4. The brush cutter that we use to clear weeds around the farm underwent a breakdown. So the farm is more wild than it should be. It has still not been fixed. Hopefully it should be serviced by end of this week. It is absolutely silly, what caused this. The young guy who operates this brush cutter was not aware that the engine oil is mandatory for operations. The cylinders as well as the carburettor seems to have gotten damaged. Finding smart people to work at the farm shop as well as oyster mushroom cultivation.
  5. Palmyra Sprouts that usually matures before Pongal didn’t arrive on time this year. This is mostly because of the extended cloudy season this monsoon. We haven’t seen much sun since the monsoon started in October.

A lot of positives happened last month too:

  1. We have been having a healthy stream of guests in Vaanavil farm stay. We hosted people from Bengaluru, Chennai, Mumbai, London. Thanks to the exposure to all of these cultures, our homeschooling with Vanya is a little bit easier.
  2. We participated in an exhibition beyond South Tamil Nadu, beyond our comfort zone, for the first time. At the BirthWell Expo in Tiruchirapalli, we met many young mothers. Unfortunately, it rained the entire day of 25th January.
  3. The rice crop is looking healthy barring a little stem borer attack in Vaasanai Seeraga Samba fields. The weather has been kind to us this January unlike the deluges we witnessed the last few years.
  4. The vegetable garden is slowly picking up pace. We harvested a small patch of Chinese Potato. The sweet potato, papayas, tapioca that we planted are looking healthy.
  5. 2 coconut trees were uprooted by elephants in December. They have been converted into stools, benches and a coffee table for the farm stay and outdoors.
  6. We have started contributing towards ESI scheme for the farmers working at the farm. Even though we have not yet reached the minimum amount of 10 employees, we thought it would be prudent to get them started on health insurance. Medical expenditure is usually the largest unexpected expenditure for their household. And it is a common contributor of indebtedness.

We have not been regular with posts as much as we would like to be. Hosting guests, homeschooling Vanya, and running our small organic groceries business has been taking up much of our time. So here is a photo dump from all the happenings at the farm in January. This is our second attempt at starting a monthly newsletter for y’all as well as for cherishing our own memories.

Regards

Noushadya & Sudhakar

VISIT OUR ONLINE STORE
Chat on WhatsApp
A black bowl filled with fresh, white oyster mushrooms, showcasing their unique shapes and textures.
Organic Oyster Mushroom cultivation
A basket filled with numerous round yellow fruits.
The Lemon trees have slowly been yielding more and more fruits as the years progress
A woman holding a child stands amidst tall green banana plants in a lush garden.
Turmeric and Bananas are looking healthy
A family gathering featuring multiple generations, standing together on a porch with greenery in the background.
We are humbled that people are choosing Vaanavil Farm Stay for their breaks
Close-up of a green plant with tall, slender stems and a vibrant, layered flower or bud emerging from the central stalk, surrounded by broad green leaves.
Turmeric Flower is so pretty, no?
A hand holding a stainless steel plate containing two round, dark flatbreads and two small bowls of soup and lentil dish, with green grass and flowers in the background.
Ragi Roti with Green Gram and Mushroom Soup : all ingredients in the online store
A close-up of green leafy plants growing in a black plastic pot, with rich soil visible at the base.
Papaya saplings thanks to seeds from Aleaf farm
A woman standing in a garden holding a large bunch of bananas, surrounded by greenery and flowers.
Sevvaazhai bunch grown with gray water from kitchen and bathrooms
An overhead view of a stainless steel plate containing rice, yellow pumpkin curry, grated carrots, and a yogurt mix, held by a hand against a backdrop of green foliage and pink flowers.
Noushy’s cooking skills are the major reason behind success of Vaanavil Farm Stay
A close-up view of a large, circular dosa with crispy edges, accompanied by two bowls of coconut chutney, one containing a green leaf and vegetables.
Aappam is one of the favourite breakfasts of guests
A diverse group of five people posed together outside a house, surrounded by plants and flowers.
Lauren & Jack from Wales spend 3 nights with us and thoroughly enjoyed the quiet time
A close-up of a single purple and white flower surrounded by large green leaves in a garden setting.
What’s the story, morning glory?
A cluster of white oyster mushrooms growing from a jar marked 'BIO9', surrounded by other jars with mycelium.
Baby mushrooms look very cute, no?
A woman chopping ingredients on a wooden cutting board in an outdoor kitchen surrounded by greenery. A bowl of cut fruits and vegetables is nearby, with turmeric and a colorful cloth on the table.
2026 is going to be a lot of fermentation
A lush green landscape with various trees and plants under a cloudy sky, suggesting an impending rain with a hint of sunlight.
Our moods have been as cloudy as the weather
A cow and its calf standing together in a shelter, with the calf closely positioned beside the adult cow.
Circle of Life : A lot of births and deaths the last couple of months in the animal shed
A stainless steel plate holding a portion of cooked rice, a serving of mixed vegetables, a golden-brown flatbread, and a bowl of green yogurt sauce, set against a backdrop of lush green plants.
Have you checked out millets on the store?
A person sitting on a brick pathway preparing herbs near a steaming pot, surrounded by greenery.
Pongal celebrations outdoor is the best!
A family portrait featuring six members, including two elders seated front, a child in a colorful outfit, and four adults, all smiling. The background displays traditional wall art.
Having family around makes it even more special.
A smiling family portrait featuring a woman wearing a green and black saree, a young girl in a pink dress, and a man in a green patterned shirt, all posing together outdoors with greenery in the background.
Vanya is the glue that holds the family together
A young girl in a pink dress is arranging flowers on green leaves while sitting on a tiled floor. An elderly man stands in the background, watching her, and a woman is nearby, dressed in traditional attire.
Group of women in colorful saris posing together, with a few men in the background, against a brick wall.
Without our farmers and parents, our farm & business will be non-existent
Vaanavil Farm Stay building exterior with decorative murals and lush landscaping.
Local painters from Sambangulam and Chettikulam painted this
A lush green rice field surrounded by tropical plants and trees under a cloudy sky.
The lush green paddy fields are a treat to the eye
A smiling woman crouches next to a calf on the ground, gently petting it. The background features a rustic shed and a natural outdoor setting.
A tree branch densely populated with green fruits, surrounded by leaves, against a blue sky.
Nellikai thokku
A person holding a jar of homemade chutney or sauce, set against a blurred green natural background with trees and a clear sky.
Close-up of a person's ear showing a triangular wooden earring with a black design and a small gold stud earring in the upper earlobe.
Ear Studs made with coconut shells are a new introduction in the online store
A vendor at a market booth promoting 'VIVASAYEE'S Life' with various natural products displayed, including grains, herbal powders, and jars of honey and peanut butter. The vendor, wearing glasses and a striped shirt, is smiling and gesturing welcomingly.
At BirthWell Expo, Tiruchirapalli. We barely recovered the expenses for the participation. But we got to meet a lot of people doing interesting work.
A pile of green palm fronds and branches on the ground beside a concrete wall, surrounded by lush greenery.
Palmyra tree uprooted by an elephant in the neighbouring farm
A serene landscape showing fields and lush greenery under a pastel sky with a visible moon.
We took a well deserved break at Mekkarai in Tenkasi district after 3 months of hosting at Vaanavil Farm Stay
A decorated chocolate birthday cake with colorful butterfly decorations and the words 'Happy four Vanya' written on top.
Vanya turned 4 on 31st January. She celebrated it while surrounded with her favourite people : parents & grandparents. We usually avoid treats with refined sugar as much as we can while at the farm.

Leave a Reply