Success Story of Coconut Based Farmer- From Fashion Design to Farming

Linishawas, a visionary farmer, has established her name in the agricultural sector despite her initial disinterest in the field. Originally captivated by fashion design, her passion gradually shifted to farming with the aid, confidence, and encouragement she found in an active Facebook, Agriculture group, a social media platform.

Starting with just 50 bags, she ventured into bag cultivation of vegetables and currently manages over 300 bags, cultivating a diverse range of crops such as cabbage, cauliflower, carrot, beetroot, amaranth, chili, okra, Kasturi turmemoringa, capsicum, brinjal, tomato, turmeric, and more. Linishawas' farm is a thriving hub where she also cultivates tubers like tapioca and elephant foot yam, and intercrops fruits like banana and dragon fruit alongside coconut trees. Furthermore, she has integrated rabbit rearing, poultry, and ornamental fish culture, in addition to nurturing a wide variety of indoor and ornamental plants.

To expand her knowledge and skills, Linishawas attended a week-long training program on 'Nursery Management' in December 2020, facilitated by the Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Indian Institute of Spices Research (ICAR), Kozhikode, in collaboration with ATMA, Kozhikode and supported by MANAGE, Hyderabad. Applying the acquired expertise, she successfully increased her farm income, transforming herself into a model farmer and entrepreneur, serving as an inspiration for others.

Among Linishawas' notable achievements is her implementation of coconut-based mixed cropping systems, combining vegetables, fruits, livestock, poultry, rabbit rearing, and ornamental fish culture as complementary enterprises. Additionally, she propagates and multiplies a wide range of indoor and ornamental plants. 

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About 100 layer chicks, rabbits, and ornamental fish are kept in Linishawas' house as part of her side projects. She serves the community by giving excellent desi chicks to those in need and sharing vegetable seeds and organic produce from her garden with nearby farmers. She also warmly welcomes a lot of enthusiastic farmers and schoolchildren to her farm, passionately imparting her knowledge and encouraging them to use different farming techniques. In addition to her farming activities, Linishawas runs a registered cake-making business, using eggs from her farm to provide value-added, healthy, and affordable cakes to those in need.

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Her outstanding successes have not gone unnoticed. An award from the Principal Krishi Officer was given to Linishawas in 2019 for her exceptional kitchen garden (grow bag cultivation) through the Facebook group. The State Agriculture Minister presented her with a prize for her remarkable intercropping techniques using coconuts the same year. A nearby school honored Linishawas in 2020 for her numerous agricultural endeavors.

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