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- Building a Permaculture Farm and an Earthbag Dome in the Himalayas
Building a Permaculture Farm and an Earthbag Dome in the Himalayas
Build Naturally, Live Beautifully.
No.064 — Read old posts on Tinyfarmlab.com
Reading Time 3 minutes
Today, we want to share the story of two people from different continents sharing the same dream and vision.
They are not only dreamers but doers.
We thought trekking 2km to our remote village was challenging—
until we heard their story.
Meet Pavan and Marloes.
Picture Courtesy: Pavan and Marloes
They are the founders of Vanirah Farm,
a permaculture farm located at an altitude of 2100 m in the Himalayas.
Pawan had a dream in 2007 of starting his farm on 11th January 2018.
He wanted a fruit forest.
Marloes had a dream of living the farm life.
Their story is a celebration of human potential.
It is one of passion, perseverance, and a deep connection to nature.
To live a simple life in modern times is indeed a rebellious act.
Picture Courtesy: Pavan and Marloes
In the early days, they trekked for two and a half hours to fetch drinking water.
Their nearest neighbours live 2 kms away.
There was no electricity.
They collected their own firewood.
Pawan has an engineering and environmental management background.
He volunteered across various farms in Europe and Asia,
and realized his true calling lay in agriculture.
"Since my childhood, I have dreamed of being a farmer and to start something like this, I feel really lucky. We practice permaculture and Indigenous Indian natural farming practices and moving towards being self-sustainable," says Pavan.
Marloes is Dutch but fell in love with the Indian Himalayas.
She is a civil engineer and loves building with mud.
Marloes met Pawan through her professor and later volunteered on the farm.
Since then they got married,
built an earthbag dome,
multiple animal shelters,
A- frame cabins,
rainwater harvesting tank,
and other building infrastructure.
Picture Courtesy: Pavan and Marloes
They have been actively experimenting with permaculture techniques
and growing a food forest.
Marloes believes that "living a self (of community)-sufficient life and sharing this life and the knowledge we gained is my absolute dream. Living remote, peaceful, and with nature."
Picture Courtesy: Pavan and Marloes
Finding a partner who shares your dreams is crucial in pursuing such ambitious projects.
They complement each other's strengths and support one another through challenges.
Do not think it is going to be easy. It is going be hard. It is going to be difficult. You are going to struggle a lot but just start. You will learn along the way. Step by step things will start happening.
They envision the farm to be an inspiring farm.
A research and learning center for local farmers,
young farming entrepreneurs,
and farming enthusiasts from all around the world.
TFF Podcast
We had the incredible opportunity to sit down for a podcast with Pavan and Marloes. Their journey of establishing an organic permaculture farm atop a Himalayan mountaintop is nothing short of inspiring.
You can listen/watch it on Tiny Farm Friends Podcast—
YouTube or stream it on Apple, Spotify, or your favorite platform.
What You'll Learn:
🛖 Building a life in the mountains.
🛖 Building an earthbag dome.
🛖 Living the off-grid life
🛖 Challenges of mountain life
🛖 Life lessons from the country living.
You can also follow them on Instagram and subscribe to their YouTube channel.
Love,
Raghav and Ansh
P.S. - If you enjoyed this newsletter, please show some love on LinkedIn or forward it to your friends. It does help.
What you can watch - 100 people from 18 Countries Built this Cob House with Earth and Reclaimed materials.
Catch a glimpse of how we built the cob house.
What you can listen to - Building an Earthbag Dome and Vanirah Farm with Pawan and Marloes
What You Can Read - Architecture of Happiness by Alain De Botton
I (Raghav) am reading this currently and find it one of the most insightful books I have read on architecture and well-being.
#1: Have you seen our YouTube Channel? We are putting a ton of energy into creating heaps of valuable content that we think you'll like. Come check out our latest videos, and give us a like and subscribe.
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