Hammiyala Collective
A Wilderness Collective nestled in the heart of Coorg, just 45 minutes from Madikeri
Our Vision
Preserving biodiversity while creating sustainable communities
The Origins
The Western Ghats are one of the 10 biodiversity hotspots of the world. A significant portion of this biodiversity exists outside protected areas, amidst intensively cultivated farms and plantations. Preservation of this rapidly declining biodiversity has far-reaching consequences, especially for urban centers downstream.
Asking planters to abandon their activities and letting the forest take over is not practical, as the plantation sector is the bedrock of the economy and a major source of employment. Wilderness collectives may very well be the answer — plantations or farms that function like forest systems, encouraging biodiversity to thrive without compromising estate viability.
In 2019, Beforest introduced the idea of a Wilderness Collective. We brought together people who wanted to invest in wildlife habitat preservation – what we call forest-friendly living.
Our approach combines sustainable agriculture, conservation, and community living to create a harmonious ecosystem.
Our Journey
From concept to thriving ecosystem
Poomaale 1.0
We launched Poomaale 1.0 with enthusiasm and an ambitious vision to blend a viable coffee plantation with a tropical forest ecosystem. We asked ourselves: Can coffee be one of the layers of a forest system?
Over the last 3 years, we've introduced forest-friendly plantation activities and built homes that blend seamlessly into the landscape. Each home uses zero electricity for heating and pumping needs.
The wildly grown coffee is now available under our forest-friendly produce brand 'Bewild'. The estate is abundant with mammals, birds, and reptiles – setting a benchmark in sustainable landscape management.
Hammiyala Collective
Hammiyala Estate emerged from the collective desire of people who wanted to participate in a wilderness collective in Coorg. We embraced this challenge and created a new collective with an innovative approach to ownership.
Located near Madhopura, Coorg, this beautiful coffee estate spans over 100 acres and features a perennial stream. Its proximity to the Pushpagiri ranges makes it an ideal location for a wilderness collective.
Building on Poomaale 1.0's success in landscape management, Hammiyala Estate introduces a fresh perspective on home ownership. We're committed to finding the perfect balance between economic viability and ecological sustainability, measured through the 4Returns framework by Commonland.
The Estate
The estate was historically a functioning coffee plantation, completely irrigated and conventionally run. We are reimagining this as a food forest where the existing plantation forms one of the many layers.
The estate encompasses two hillocks, a perennial stream, and many natural springs and monsoon nullahs. We plan to revive the land by promoting forest-friendly methods to grow medicinal herbs and spices, along with fruiting trees like oranges, figs, pomelos, avocados and vines like pepper, etc.
We are committed to leaving at least half the estate as a low-intervention forest zone and will restrict our food-growing activities to the other half. This will help preserve habitats for wildlife, including big cats, small-clawed otters, elephants, bat colonies, etc.
Along with all this, low footprint hospitality operations are also envisaged to ease the pressure on the food forest.
Join Our Community
Become part of our pioneering Seed Community
Our Founding Circle
Like any meaningful journey, Hammiyala begins with a small group of committed individuals who share a common vision. We're seeking conservation partners – people who want to be part of something larger than themselves.
This isn't about acquiring property; it's about joining a movement to demonstrate that regenerative living and biodiversity preservation can thrive together in the Western Ghats.
What We're Building Together
This journey requires patient capital and long-term thinking. We're looking for partners who understand that the greatest returns come from what we give back to the earth.
* Prices are subject to change. Contact us for current pricing and availability.
Currently, we are in the formation of a Seed Community – the early adopters who buy into the first 25% of the Collective land. They are instrumental in defining the character of the community and the rules that govern it.
More the Merrier
Hammiyala Estate – our new Wilderness Collective – comes with a lot of benefits. Our journey through coffee plantations, wildlife corridors and freshwater streams is now moving to its next stop with a horizon full of possibilities.
Economical Ownership
The reduced construction footprint translates to reduced costs and makes it easier on the pocket.
Collective Intent
Likeminded people coming together builds a lot of social capital towards a common cause, in this case, preservation of habitat.
Forest Friendly Living
Our wilderness collectives are an initiative to keep biodiversity intact without asking the planter community to compromise their livelihoods.
