๐๐ฎ๐ซ๐ญ๐ฎ๐ซ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐๐ง๐, ๐๐๐๐๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐ก๐๐ง๐ ๐
In the green, rain-washed landscapes of Wayanad, where farming is both a way of life and a constant struggle against a changing climate, Geetha Anthikkadu has quietly redefined what it means to cultivate the land.
Like many smallholder farmers, she once faced uncertain rains, declining soil health, and low returns from conventional agriculture. But instead of stepping away, she chose to rethink farming itself-seeing the land as a living system that needed care, balance, and respect.
A turning point came when she connected with Swayam Shikshan Prayog (SSP) through a project supported by the Oak Foundation. With exposure to climate-smart, women-led resilient farming practices, Geetha began to experiment and rebuild her approach. This marked her transformation from a farmer into a community mentor.
On her one-acre land, she developed a diverse, chemical-free farming model with crops such as rice, pulses, tubers, coconut, and vegetables. Through mixed cropping and intercropping, she ensures year-round food security while improving soil health.
Her farm has now evolved into a Farmer Field School-a space where women come together to learn practical skills like soil testing, composting, and preparing natural inputs. She also preserves indigenous crop varieties through her seedling unit, strengthening local resilience.
Today, her income has increased nearly fivefold, and her family enjoys nutritious, chemical-free food. More importantly, her work has inspired many women in her community to adopt sustainable farming and take on leadership roles.
Looking ahead, Geetha dreams of building a seed bank, starting beekeeping, and producing bio-inputs locally-creating self-reliant and resilient rural communities.
As she says, โWhen we farm with nature, the land feeds us in many ways. Knowledge is the seed-when shared, it multiplies.โ
Swayam Shikshan Prayog
07 April, 2026
