Goan organic farmer’s self-sufficient paradise blooms in remote nook of Pernem

Panaji: Organic farmer Shekhar Parastekar lives at Paraste village on the Goa-Maharashtra border, about 5km from Pernem. Despite being away from urban amenities, he rarely needs to venture out of his Shangri-La-esque home to get supplies, nor does he require more than two gas cylinders a year for cooking.
Parastekar’s self-sufficiency bloomed from his integrated approach that transformed his land into a thriving farm, cultivating crops, running a dairy and a gobar-gas unit, and producing vermicompost. “Right from making the organic fertiliser from scratch, to building the vermicompost unit by hand, everything at the farm is sustainable,” he told TOI.
Supported by the department of agriculture (Pernem zonal agriculture office) and Agriculture Technology Management Agency (ATMA) North Goa, Parastekar embraced modern machinery, enhancing both productivity and sustainability.
He primarily grows cashews, areca nuts, coconuts, and black pepper, which bring in a substantial income, while six buffaloes provide milk to his family and the village.
“I do not let the buffaloes out of the cattle shed so that we can collect all the dung. We have four machines that convert this waste into gobar-gas,” he said. “This gas not only powers the cooking unit at our home but also that of the labourers who live and work at the farm.”
Parastekar added, “The slurry from the dung is added to the vermicompost, and we sell this nutrient-rich vermicompost for a nominal price of Rs 15 per kg.” The farm is located very close to a stream of the Terekhol river, giving access to fresh water 24/7 to run the irrigation system.
“The river water is our lifeline. We do not need to treat this water with added chemicals due to its cleanliness. The evidence of its purity is seen in our crops since we never encountered wilting in the pepper crop,” Parastekar told TOI. “Everything grown at the farm is therefore fully organic.”
Parastekar’s achievements led him to become a proud recipient of the Fr Inacio Almeida Memorial Special Award for Organic Farming in 2022. “Parastekar is a passionate and dedicated farmer whose life revolves around the soil,” ATMA North Goa said. “With a strong commitment to integrated and sustainable farming, he transformed his land into a thriving model farm… his farm exemplifies self-sufficiency and innovation.”