Dan Graham from the Vegan Organic Network interviews members of the Urvarasa project in India.
Friday 17th October 2025
2.30PM UK 7PM IST
Click here to watch free and ask questions
Bio of the participants:
- Madhavi Kolte – Co-founder & Director, Jeeva Bhavana Foundation; Project Leader, Urvarasa, artist & a passionate veganic gardener.
- Julie Wayne – Co-founder & Director, Jeeva Bhavana Foundation; Economist, photographer, writer & political, environment and animal rights activist.
- Namratha Sastry -An Engineer by education, a Farmer by heart, a Forest enthusiast by Soul, a Traveller by interest and an Eco-activist as a person.
- Arati Khatu – Associate Professor in Political Science at the Department of Political Science, Fergusson College (Autonomous), Pune. An Environment enthusiast and conservationist at heart, a vegan for the sake of the environment and the animals. Passionate about people-centric sustainable development and ethical farming practices.
Project Description:
Urvarasa is Jeeva Bhavana’s flagship farmers’ empowerment project, aimed at facilitating the smooth transition of Indian farmers from animal-based, chemical agriculture to natural, plant-based, sustainable farming practices and providing alternative livelihoods to farmers who want to stop rearing and exploiting animals across India, starting in the state of Maharashtra. To achieve this goal, we have established a model veganic farm in Saswad, near Pune, in Maharashtra.
As a model for Urvarasa, the goal is two-fold:
- Growing chemical-free & nutrient-dense food first for the farmer & his family, and
- Selling the remainder of the farm produce to conscious consumers at a fair price.
Currently, we have two other veganic farms under Urvarasa stewardship. One is ‘Balwad Baug’, located at Balwad, Taluka Rajgad, District Pune, Maharashtra, run by Arati Khatu & the other is the ‘Bilva Farm’, managed by Namratha Sastry at Nandi Hills near Bangalore, Karnataka. Our very first Urvarasa farm is in Pandharpur, Maharashtra, where the cows are well cared for, and only their waste (dung & urine) is used as fertilizer. A fifth farm at Rahuri, Maharashtra, is currently in a transitional phase toward full-fledged membership in Urvarasa.
We are in the process of collaborating with the Centre for Sustainable Development at the Gokhale Institute for Politics and Economics, Pune, in order to conduct research on the devastating impacts of animal agriculture in India.
Urvarasa has been nominated for the Earthshot Prize for two consecutive years in 2024 & 2025.
Name of the farm: Urvarasa Model Farm
Location: Pisarve, Saswad, Maharashtra, India
Farm Description:
The Urvarasa Model Farm, located on one acre of Kolte family land in Pisarve, was revived after lying fallow for six years. Madhavi Kolte and Shivraj established it in 2024 to showcase plant-based, animal-free natural farming. Soil fertility was restored using plant-based, organic practices, and water usage is closely monitored. The farm has an ancient well as the main source of water. Despite the dry region, the farm produced high-quality wheat and chana, with more crops expected after the Kharif season. A fruit orchard is being developed, and surplus produce is sold to conscious buyers.
Name of the farm: Gangadhar Baba Chhatralay
Location: Guha, Rahuri, Maharashtra
Farm Description:
One acre of a 24-acre farm supports an orphanage for underprivileged children in drought-prone Maharashtra. Water is sourced from a well and an artificial pond filled by the Bhandhara Dam. The farm is tended by the children and meets the food needs of 74 residents. It is currently transitioning to natural, plant-based practices under Urvarasa guidelines. This effort aims to build self-reliance and sustainability within the orphanage.
Name of the farm: Bilva, The Natural Farm
Location: Nandi hills, road
Farm Description:
Bilva Farm is a farm of passion—an area where both soil and soul are nourished. What started as a project is now a full-fledged farm that produces vegetables, pulses, lentils, greens, and fruits. A 1,600 sq. ft. congregation of trees, planted using the Miyawaki method of forest plantation, is the highlight of Bilva Farm.
The farm, which is less than an acre in size, is 7 years old, and the forest is 5 years old. Bilva Farm has never used chemicals since its inception, and it became fully vegan 3 years ago.
Bilva Farm also serves as an inspiration to surrounding farmers, instilling confidence and trust in organic farming, building soil health through natural methods, and enhancing crop resilience through soil-based solutions.
Name of the farm: Balwad Baug
Location: Balwad, Taluka Rajgad (Velhe), District Pune
Farm Description:
We are a family of agriculturists, farmers, gardeners, planters, growers and environmentally conscious citizens with a strong sense of social and national responsibility who wish to develop our agricultural land to create an example for conservation and preservation of natural and cultural heritage by functioning as an agro-tourist centre, hospitality and eco-education activity centre, and centre for training in natural, organic, sustainable and cruelty-free farming practices guided by the spirit of love and compassion, based on the eternal human value of Ahimsa.
We are slowly and steadily, within our means, conserving the greenery on the plot which is about 15 acres in size. The locals are rice growers and so we also grew rice in some terraces on the farm. We have planted over three hundred fruit trees and bamboo on the farm. We are learning from the locals while they are also watching our work, willing to learn from some of our practices.
We managed to solve the problem of water by digging a 55 feet well on the farm that will now enable us to do more on the farm.
Name of the farm: Vishwajeet Natural Farm
Location: Gopalpur, Pandharpur
Farm Description:
Vishwajeet Natural Farm, near Pandharpur, is run by brothers Ramhari and Laxman Kadam. Ramhari, a vegan in practice before knowing the term, stopped dairying after learning about the fate of male calves. For nearly a decade, he has embraced natural, chemical-free farming. The farm is home to rescued desi cow Sukhri and her calf Kosi, cared for with love but never milked. Their dung and urine enrich the soil naturally. The farm’s toor dal is gaining popularity among conscious urban consumers, and we aim to support Ramhari in building a thriving, dairy-free farming model to inspire others.
