Manasvini Tyagi, the founder of Earthen Routes, is dedicated to bringing the benefits of natural farming to cities. With a degree in Textile Designing and a certified Permaculture practitioner, she is driven by a passion to raise awareness about the benefits of growing your own food. Manasvini is insightful, approachable and a wonderful person to connect with. She is a multi-faceted individual – an artist, urban farmer, animal lover, nature photographer, and more. Having starting as a volunteer in 2012, she has worked hard to build Earthen Routes into what it is today. Despite her accomplishments, in her words, she still believes “the journey has just begun!”.

The Hands that Feed You – Staff and Management Committee:
The land is planned and managed by Ms. Manasvini Tyagi, along with our farm hand – Munir, who has been the backbone of our project for the past six years. Munir is an avid learner, and we could not have come this far without his support, dedication and determination. We recruit other variable farm hands depending on the availability of resources. Our brilliant team of volunteers and community members who come out every weekend are also an integral part of our farm.

The Advance Centre for Treatment, Research & Education in Cancer (ACTREC) is the R&D wing of Tata Memorial Centre. Located in Kharghar, Navi Mumbai, Maharashtra, the hospital provides treatment in and advances the research of cancer. Behind the St. Jude’s ChildCare Centre inside ACTREC, our farm is spread out on a one-acre plot with a growing area of 30,000 sq. ft.

Growing Organically:
When the farm began 2012, the one-acre land was a dump site for construction waste. Our dedicated team of core volunteers put in tireless efforts to rejuvenate the soil and make it fertile for planting. This involved using organic matter from around the hospital (fallen leaves, twigs and branches), and collecting tender coconut shells from local vendors as a base to promote microbial activity in the soil. It took us over a year and a half to get the soil ready to actually start planting, but the results have been well worth it. At our farm, we take great care to propagate crops using heirloom, open-pollinated, and indigenous seeds, promoting seed saving and preserving biodiversity.

The Beneficiaries:
Our beneficiaries are the paediatric patients of St. Jude’s ChildCare Centre, who live on the ACTREC campus for their treatment. The seasonally grown organic vegetables, fruits, herbs and medicinal plants are cultivated with the intention of fulfilling their nutritional needs.

Earthen Routes was founded in June 2012 by volunteers of “Green Souls”, a project managed by “Leaf n Light”. It started on a barren piece of land at TATA ACTREC, in the backyard of the St. Jude’s ChildCare Centre. Despite initially facing challenges with the soil being unfit to grow anything, the team of volunteers utilized natural farming methods and composted over 150+ tonnes of organic waste like leaves, branches, and coconut shells over the course of five years. This has resulted in a thriving farm with over 50 varieties of seasonal vegetables, herbs, fruits, and medicinal plants. A thriving biodiversity, various species of butterflies, birds and other pollinators have also made Earthen Routes their home. The parents of the child-cancer patients also participate in farming activities, giving them an opportunity to relieve themselves of the stress of caring for their ailing children. The farm has become a hub for education in organic farming and environmental conservation, attracting volunteers from the local community, schools, and corporations.