While tomato prices recently soared as high as ₹250/kg, one man in Lucknow’s Gomti Nagar didn’t bat an eye. Why? Because he had been growing tomatoes in his kitchen farm for years. In a noble move, he didn’t just keep his tomatoes to himself but generously shared them with his friends, neighbors, and relatives in the city.
Now, V K Pandey boasts a collection of nearly 1,000 plants
From his terrace, VK Pandey’s farm has now moved into the neighbor’s terrace and a nearby park as well. That’s quite a lot of real estate. Given the fact that he grew a total of around 250 kg of tomatoes since November 2022 amid soaring prices, neighbors are more than happy to let him work his farming magic on their space as well.
Professionally, VK Pandey works in a pesticide firm and began his terrace farm as a mere hobby. At it for the past 31 years, he now boasts a diverse collection of around 1,000 plants. These include everything from fruits and vegetables to medicinal herbs.
Everything in his farm is grown organically
In spite of being professionally related to a pesticide firm, everything in VK Pandey’s farm is grown organically. He spends around ₹10,000-₹12,000 from his own pocket to nurture his organic farm. Having said that, he has hired someone to ensure that all plants are watered regularly enough.
His farm invites a lot of birds and the occasional group of notorious monkeys. But his neighbors are more than happy to tolerate everything. And why not? They get to cook some of the most fresh, organically grown veggies, thanks to VK Pandey and his ever-growing farm.
