Precision defined Jose Anto's years in banking, where not a single calculation ever went wrong. In retirement, that same discipline and clarity have found a new expression in agriculture.

Today, Arackal House at Chilavannur and its surrounding premises, close to the Kochi–Kundannoor National Highway, stand as a thriving organic haven. For the past decade, Jose has been actively engaged in cultivating vegetables, flowers and fruit crops. From chrysanthemum cultivation, which he took up last Onam season, to his other farming ventures, his efforts have consistently delivered encouraging results.

For generations, Malayalis have relied on flowers brought in from Tamil Nadu for Onam and other festivals. "Why can’t we grow them ourselves?"- a simple question from his wife, Sophie, set Jose on the path to chrysanthemum farming. A retired teacher from Thevara Sacred Heart Higher Secondary School, Sophie shares his passion for agriculture and has been a constant source of support and inspiration.

With limited space available, chrysanthemum cultivation was undertaken on the terrace of their house, using 70 pots. About 75 days ahead of Onam, one-month-old hybrid chrysanthemum saplings were procured from the Krishi Bhavan and local nurseries and planted. Neem cake, poultry manure and a mixture of bone meal were used as basal fertilisers.

When the plants reached about 8 inches in height, they were pruned to promote new shoot growth. During the growth phase, fish amino acids were sprayed, and slurry from the biogas plant at the house was also applied. Being grown on the terrace, the plants received ample sunlight.

During the Onam season, yellow and orange chrysanthemums bloomed in abundance. The blooms won first prize in an online flower competition organised by a WhatsApp group called `Koottu' as part of the Onam celebrations. The flowers were also used for the nine-day novena organised by the Little Flower Church at Kundannoor and for the two-day annual feast. In addition, flowers from the farm were offered for the offertory during the Holy Mass at the church.

Jose says many of their neighbours have developed an interest in flower cultivation after seeing the chrysanthemums in full bloom on his terrace. Within his six cents of land, he has created space for a wide range of activities, from vegetables and fruit crops to medicinal and ornamental plants, as well as poultry and ornamental fish. Jose Anto and his wife Sophie have thus emerged as a source of inspiration for those who hesitate to take up farming due to space constraints.