From saleswoman to 'farm' entrepreneur: Sophie's tale of grit and success

Sophie Ronald has a success story to tell - a story of grit and determination that transformed 1.5 acres in the heart of Alappuzha town into an oasis of profit-yielding greenery.

She had been a saleswoman at an organic vegetable store until eight years ago, when she embarked on a drive to grow vegetables organically on the land at Pathinettil Chira near the District Court. At the Niravu vegetable store, jointly launched by the Department of Agriculture and the Alappuzha Municipality, Sophie also collected the produce of farmers in nearby areas and put them up for sale by evening.

Frequent visits to organic farms to procure vegetables for the store encouraged her to try farming. But finding the ideal land was a problem. It was then that a regular customer and a former General Manager with the SBI, Shirley Thomas, offered Sophie the land near Pichu Iyer Junction in Alappuzha. Sophie started farming two years ago.

Today, she nurtures the plants on her farm and has an impressive list of VIP customers keen on buying the vegetables directly from the farm. For the customers, the vegetables are direct from the farmer to their dining tables.

Sophie grows tomato, yard-long beans, salad cucumber, brinjal, ivy gourd, birds-eye chilli, and Palayamkodan banana regularly. During the Onam season, she grows flowers as well. Cauliflowers and cabbages are grown in gro bags, while pots have been provided for bush oranges. She follows the open precision method for vegetables.

She gets fertilizers produced from organic waste by the Alappuzha municipality. Along with it, she used poultry manure, too, as the base, and planted the saplings after spreading mulch sheets. A slurry made of a mix of groundnut cake, neem cake, and cow dung, and diluted fish amino acid, too, is sprayed. Sophie, who makes the fertilizers by herself, uses organic pesticides to keep her plants healthy.

Marketing the product is not difficult, thanks to the Niravu outlet on the Old Municipality Office premises. Former District Police Chief Chaitra Teresa John inaugurated the harvesting at the farm. The officer often visits the farm to purchase vegetables, Sophie said.

Several others, too, buy vegetables directly from her.  

Phone: 9526428380