JUGGLE BELLS, JUGGLE BELLS: CHALLENGES OF MAINTAINING A FARM WHILE DOING A FULL-TIME JOB

Running an orchard is a full time job. But with a full time city job, that’s two full time jobs. With close to two decades in the fast paced media business, my first proper brush with running the orchards I had inherited was overwhelming, despite having seen them being built over decades.

Juggling between the two required distinctly different skillsets, a redefinition of the concept of time and switching between two personality types. One on the edge, over the success or failure of a Friday film release and the other trying to fathom being told in October that the epiphytic orchid growing on the mango tree will flower soon. The soon being the month of May. That’s seven months ahead, during which I would have launched about 25+ campaigns.

Though not exhaustive, here are some elements you can consider while balancing the two

1. Why a farm?

Its raison d’Être? Is it a hobby farm where you spend time destressing, experiencing the rural life or are you going to be economically dependent on it?

2. Find the right fit

Annuals need daily effort, easy access to the land and markets, and for you to spend more time on the land. Perennials take longer to grow and bear fruit, but give you time to understand other aspects of the farm.

3. Experience your land

Spend at least a few days each season observing your land in different seasons. Keep journaling your observation – tree health, root rot, pest attacks, the soil, changing flora, fauna, wildlife etc.

4. Time management

Running a farm can be an overwhelming and time consuming. Figure out the time you can dedicate? Every weekend or a few annually? Plan what you would like to achieve during your time there. Include building a nursery for back-up plants to replace old ones or those felled by pests. Trees take long to grow and any damage could set you back by a few years.

5. People

The people around you will make or break your efforts. Are you and your partner / family aligned? Do you have a reliable man-Friday? Is your team motivated? Do you speak the local language? Interact with other farmers, visit farms and join farming groups. There’s a wealth of knowledge and experience that people are willing to share

6. Paperwork

Update your land records annually. Keep an eye out for any changes or claims on your land. Interact with and maintain friendly relationships with the local community, suppliers, authorities and bank staff.

Thankfully, mangoes being perennial, we can contract the maintenance and harvesting to an external party at a pre-negotiated price. This serves many in the region well as it allows them to adjust their level of involvement with the farming process.