India: Community Farming in the North Western Himalayas
Over the years, the farm has grown into the only small-scale organic farm in the region to consistently follow natural farming practices.
Anshul and Angelica
From the Shunya Farm, Bir Website
Shunya farm is a small (3/4 acres) farm located in the Bir village of Himachal Pradesh, India in the north-western Himalayas at 1800 metres above sea level.
Bir has a vibrant community of local farmers, pastoralists and craftsmen, students and practitioners of Buddhism and a growing population of people from India and outside choosing to live in a small-pristine village and exploring a low impact sustainable lifestyle.
In 2013, an American couple, Robin Jameson and Spero Latchis rented a piece of land in Bir, a part of which was a garbage dump and a part was being used to grow seasonal grains (corn and wheat in succession) with application of synthetic fertilizers and insecticides-pesticides.
In 2016, Robin and Spero moved back to the U.S. and we took up the responsibility of the farm to continue our research on farming, soil, permaculture and with an intention to explore how a couple can sustain themselves with a small piece of land.
Our work are has been influenced by Fukuoka’s natural way of farming and Permaculture design. Along the way, many indigenous communities and traditional farmers helped us to understand the deep connection of humans with forests, water, land and animals which helped us create new visions for the farm. Our belief in a holistic culture which considers the dimensions of spirituality, social relationships, and ecology has been at the foundation of this work.
Over these years, the farm has grown into the only small-scale organic farm in the region to consistently follow natural farming practices. Since 2016, seasonal vegetables, fruits and herbs have been harvested every week and sold at the farm to a dedicated local clientele and few local restaurants. In sharing food, seeds, and plants, the farm is slowly developing a community of people seeking to learn about the soil and plants to grow diverse edible landscapes.
