House of Kodai

One of the most fortunate things that has dawned on me after this ‘retirement’ and wedded to agri causes (the organic or sustainable ones) is that we get invited to so many fantastic organic farms..in beautiful locales..incredible achievements, phenomenal people, out of the world farming techniques beckon us..
I said above that we get invited..pl include ‘getting invited’ also as a category..on hearing of good fabulous farms me and W do get ourselves invited and launch ourselves there..

One such farm is the House of Kodai..one heard of Karthik long back with his ingenious ‘Basket of Kodai’ idea..then we at restore get some plums, bananas and other stuff from HOK..later we hear that that the inimitable F is also there..F is known for her extraordinary baking & cooking skills incidentally..so more reasons to go.. meanwhile K & F send restore some pickles and jams in some matchless packing..(am sure its F’s hand)

So more reason to visit..but plans don’t lead to visits, u know..i have been promising K since last year that we will land up there in the next opportunity..KSY, other tours, some advocacy issues, other GM fights, restore tasks all play up in this perennial postponement..
And suddenly in August mid we steal a couple of days and go to Kodai..and so stay over in HOK..oh? did I say Kodai? No its only when we went there we found that it was Switzerland..or prolly a cut paste..
It was very swiss like locale and their practices and style all were very unique and added to my swiss memoirs..
It’s a beautiful piece of land overlooking a ‘north face’ like ‘grindelwald’ type hill range..
A stream running on its edge of their land, recent rains having made this whole place more than a green heaven..
Add to that K & F’s hospitality..one of the best in recent past..
K also ventured in to telecom a bit..out of sheer selfish need to get himself a broadband (for net access) he brings in some wireless equipments and weaves his magic- in the midst of no-where, (since it was surrounded by hills alla round there was no solution earlier..) he gets broadband..This solution especially working with the local youth attracted so many eyes and even the normally immovable BSNL was moved! They have now asked him to use his ‘technology’ to offer to any one who asks for in Kodai and may be scale up to other places..
So this place also is beyond farming..since it is telecom that attracts me more..I really wish it does go places, for all his perspiration!
Add to that K’s popularity all over the Kodai hills..
So we could just go around visiting many more farms and lotsa interesting org farmers..
A memorable trip..inimitable folks..one of the best farms I visited in the recent past..NO! Iam not going to get in to their organic farm, produce, techniques etc..
If I were to build a house in an eventual farm that I will settle, I will copy this house- kitchen, bedroom, balcony overlooking the hill, swiss-like wooden benches and the bath!
Actually I can write one long piece only on that bathroom..i can see F’s stamp on it..This is the best bathroom I have ever used..mind u, I have traveled really wide..across the globe and easily more than 100 organic farms across India and to say this I must be more than convinced..The best bathroom ever..may be I might even opt to just stay there in that bath next time..since Iam still traveling fotos incl those of bathrooms shall be posted only later..but their blog and site has some fotos i guess..
Till then keep checking here..
Please don’t ask me for their address, phone number etc..Iam not going to give that..if u ‘qualify’ u shall get to go there..