Nellai Farm
Kumari Gurusamy
Working with the soil and observing the vegetables as they grow through the summer, pleases my soul. I started farming in the summer of 2021. At Nellai farms I have a homestead focus, with some amount of commercial production for farmers markets. I decided to grow all the vegetables Indians regularly eat in their curries and salads, like tomatoes, onion, hot peppers, bell peppers, potatoes, carrots, peas, beans, okra, cucumber, pumpkins, bitter gourds and bottle gourds. Life feels meaningful cooking food with vegetables that my children can see growing at my farm, alongside butterflies, turkeys, deer and many beautiful flowers. One of the non tangible products is personal happiness and peace. When there is an opportunity to share well being with other women, or new immigrants, in the future the farm will be open for community involvement.
As an immigrant mother, who comes from a small town called Nellai, in South India, I am learning to market my produce, in Ottawa main street farmers market, through support and companionship of fellow farmers at Just Food. I have started learning how to grow other marketable green leafy vegetables like lettuce, brussel sprouts and herbs like celery, basil and garlic.
Value added products that are ready to use are more prefered by urban customers, and are more profitable than the farm fresh vegetables. So in the future years, in addition to homestead gardening, Nellai farms is planning on growing crops that can be input for value added products like veggie burger as the focus for the market gardening
Products: |
Many types of vegetables |
Location: |
2931 Pepin Court, Gloucester ON |
Production Practices: |
Self-identified ecological practices |
Buy & Savour: |
Just Food Farm Stand |
Contact: |
gvkumari@gmail.com Facebook: Nellai Farms |