Payyanur: Kesavan Namboothiri (64) and his wife P Gowri (58), retired school teachers from Palakkad Manipuzha Illam in Kankol, Payyanur, have turned to full-time farming after retirement and are thriving. While their elder son Narayana Prasad works as an engineer at Wipro and their younger son Anand Shanker pursues research at IIT Jammu, the couple has found a new rhythm in the fields.

They now have three acres of paddy and another three acres of farmland where they grow 120 coconut trees, 150 areca nut trees, 100 plantains, and over 500 indigenous banana plants. Their land also yields a variety of tubers, vegetables, and even honey. They cultivate different rice varieties in rotation and run a cattle farm with 12 cows. With income from farming, cattle rearing, and the sale of value-added products, the couple now earns more than their combined pensions.

When asked, “Why work when your pension is enough?” they reply with quiet wisdom: “If we sit idle, our pension will end up going to hospitals. But staying active keeps us healthy and brings in extra income too.” Except for paddy, everything they grow is organic. Their collection of native banana varieties includes  Njalipoovan, Annarakkannan, Poovan, Veneer Poovan, Mannan, Kadali, and Chenkadali. which fetches up to ₹60 per kilo. Tuber crops are grown as intercrops between coconut trees. Last season, they harvested and sold 80 kg of honey at ₹300 per kg.

After the main harvest during Makaram (winter), they sow red cowpeas in the paddy fields. This season, they sold 100 kg of cowpeas at ₹100 per kilo. They also grow black gram for their own use. Of the 12 cows, five are currently milking. Around 50 litres of milk are sold daily through the local dairy society. One cow’s milk is used to prepare buttermilk at home. Since they grow their own fodder and hay, the cost of cattle feed is minimal. Cow dung is used as manure and also sold for additional income.

During summer, a wide range of vegetables is grown and sold through organic shops. One of their strengths is that whatever they grow, they find a market for it. Beyond farming, what sets this couple apart is their commitment to creating and marketing value-added products that are completely free of preservatives or artificial additives.

From their own cows, they produce ghee and buttermilk. Each cow earns them approximately ₹1.5 lakh annually. They sell 12 litres of buttermilk daily at ₹40 per litre. Ghee is sold at ₹1,100 per kilo, with about 2 kilos sold every week.

They also own a mini rice mill. Unakkalari (sun-dried raw rice) is sold at ₹70 per kilo, while Puzhukkalari (parboiled rice) fetches ₹80 per kilo. Turmeric powder, dried and ground on their farm, is sold at ₹400 per kilo. Using jackfruit, they make crunchy jackfruit papads (₹30 for a pack of five), while their tender mango pickle sells for ₹400 per kilo.