Call Out…

S. Menon, 45, Bengaluru “My brother P. Menon farms 20 acres near Mysuru Road. He saw an organic exhibition in Lalbagh. Got excited. I pushed him to try. He struggled badly at first.

Today he refuses certification, but continues organic. He looks happy. But is this really working?”

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Reality Translation Layer.

Menon, your brother did not enter organic for premium or scheme. He entered because he liked the idea. Initial years were painful. Yield confusion. Pest pressure. Doubt. He stayed only because someone pushed him — you. Then slowly, farm changed. Diversity increased.

Fruits, vegetables, spices, grains, beans, cows, goats, poultry. Risk spread. Dependence reduced. Organic here became a system, not a crop switch.

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Am I alone or someone is holding my hand!

He is not alone — but support is informal. NGOs gave exposure, not money. Government officials gave encouragement, not guarantees. No certification agency. No exporter. No premium promise. The real support is one Bengaluru shop that buys everything.

And family that absorbs unsold produce. This is relationship-based support, not institutional support.

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Is it really worthwhile or just cosmetics?

For him, organic is real, not cosmetic. Not because income doubled — maybe it didn’t.

But expenses stabilized. Food quality improved. Stress reduced. Control returned to farm.

No certificate, no label drama. He teaches others now — not as expert, but as practitioner.

This model works only when patience exists. Organic here is not a business trick. It is a chosen way of farming and living.