Celebrating the New Indian Farmer this Kisan Diwas
Dec 25, 2025, 11:00 AM
Computer science to farming
Healing Harvest
She started by planting vegetables around the villa. Today, her farms are dotted with over 200 crops. But what is now a successful venture was born out of grief. Her story is one of resilience and finding purpose in nature.
Organic farming: A turning point
Upon returning to Kerala after her son’s treatment, Sheeja delved into organic farming, attending formal courses and workshops where she learnt precision farming and drip irrigation.
What Sheeja built
Today, Sheeja’s fields are thriving with over 200 plants, including 40 varieties of vegetables and eight types of fruits, including exotic fruits like rambutan and mangosteen. She also ventured into beekeeping, poultry, and processing spices.
Her returns
By selling fruits, vegetables, and eggs, she earns around Rs 2,00,000 annually from her farming activities.
Why it matters
The way Sheeja sees it, her farming is a reflection of her resilience. “My garden is a reminder that from the darkest moments come the most beautiful beginnings,” she adds.
Lessons for others
An interesting technique that farmers could borrow from her is her use of hand droppings from her poultry farm as a primary component for her organic fertiliser.
She fills a 200-litre drum with water and places 25 kg of poultry droppings into a fibre-based covering that acts as a filter bag. The bag is partially submerged and left hanging in the drum, allowing nutrients to slowly leach into the water without direct mixing.
After about a week, one litre of the nutrient-rich liquid is removed and diluted with nine litres of water. This solution is then applied directly to plants as a nitrogen-rich liquid fertiliser.
A tribute
K S Sheeja is an exemplar of a New Indian Farmer who is leading the way through innovative practices.
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