AuroOrchard

Shortly after the inauguration of Auroville in 1968, the Mother envisioned and blessed AuroOrchard to provide food for Auroville. It is the oldest, and at forty-four acres, the second-largest farm in Auroville. It supplies Auroville with a generous abundance of fruits, vegetables, poultry and milk.

In the initial years to meet the immediate needs of Auroville, conventional farming practices were used. However, in 2012, the farm transitioned to completely organic methods. Those methods have transformed into the current farming practices of Regenerative Agriculture where the focus is on producing food while enhancing soil health and the overall farm ecology. We believe in an integral approach to farming where we can find a balance between ecosystem health, social well-being and the joy of working for each individual.

AuroOrchard consists largely of mango, cashew, and coconut orchards. There are also four acres of vegetable gardens. In addition to this, we have poultry with around twelve-hundred chickens which have a free range to move around. We are currently experimenting with nurturing country chickens with an intention of slowly replacing our old flocks with varieties that are indegenous and self-sustaining. We also have 9 cows which are managed holistically and the calves have the first right to the milk produced. The intention of having the cows is mainly for the dung and urine which helps us add fertility to our vegetable growing areas.

 

The farm’s evolution has benefitted from people with different cultural and professional backgrounds. To continue to evolve and realise the true mission of the farm, we welcome all volunteers with goodwill. Experience in any field, though useful, is not a strict requirement.

Gerard, Bithi, Ramanan, Erik, Eric & Anshul as the management team

supported by a wider team of Aurovilians, employees and volunteers.