A Journey Back Home: How Andhra Agripreneur Built a RS 7 Lakh/Month Organic Biz Model

Tirupati: “Money, comfort, and a luxurious life abroad did not give me satisfaction. What disturbed me was a single thought: what we eat and what we feed our children has turned into poison. That question haunted me day and night. That was when I decided to return to my home in Andhra Pradesh,” said Gondi Jhansi Lakshmi, whose journey from America to natural farming is now inspiring many.

“I was born and raised in Tirupati. My father loved agriculture, and my mother always prioritised health. Those values stayed with me,” she continued. According to Lakshmi, after her marriage in 2008, she, along with her husband, moved to the USA and lived there for 10 years. Life was comfortable, but her heart yearned for village life in her native place.

“My two children are athletes. I felt sad that despite having everything, I could not give them truly healthy food,” she said. “During that time, the words of Rajiv Dixit and natural farming expert Vijayaram gave shape to my thoughts. When I understood the truth behind aluminium utensils and chemical fertilisers, I felt I had to change my way of life,” Lakshmi added.

Even while in America, she started cooking only in clay pots that she brought from India. “That is when I realised that our health lies in our kitchen and in our soil,” she pointed out.

In 2018, she returned to India with a firm decision. “I wanted to become a farmer, but finding land was very difficult. After a long search, I finally found three acres near Tandur in Vikarabad district,” she said.

The biggest challenge for Lakshmi was that nobody wanted to work at her farm. “As a woman starting farming in a new place, I faced many difficulties. I was mentally stressed, but I did not give up,” the agripreneur said.

When she expressed her desire to cultivate dragon fruit, Lakshmi was discouraged. ‘I was told that it will not grow here, but I wanted to give it a try,” she said.

She began cultivation on two and a half acres using the high-density method. “I built raised beds and planted around 6,344 plants. Between them, I grew fenugreek and coriander,” Lakshmi said.

“People asked me how I would grow crops without chemical fertilisers. I bought 35 Gir breed cows. I prepare Jeevamrutham and Ghana Jeevamrutham myself and use them as fertilisers. Instead of pesticides, I ferment buttermilk for 15 to 20 days, mix it with asafoetida, and spray it. This makes the plants strong,” Lakshmi said.

According to her, villagers did not buy her produce because they did not understand organic farming. “I distributed 500 kilogrammes of dragon fruit free of cost to government hospitals and schools near Tandur. Slowly, people began to trust organic food,” Lakshmi said.

“Today, I sell my produce at a higher price than the market rate, and people buy it for its quality. Along with farming, I sell 65 to 70 litres of milk every day. My monthly income is now more than Rs. 7 lakh,” she said proudly. Initially, she did everything herself, milking cows, churning curd, making ghee, collecting dung, and preparing fertilisers. Later, she bought machines to manage the work better.

Currently, she works as the joint secretary of the Telangana Goshala Seva Samithi. “I want to connect with farmers who think like me,” she said. “My goal is not just my success. I want to inspire at least ten more farmers to adopt cow-based natural farming. This journey taught me one thing: returning to farming was my biggest achievement,” she concluded.