Profile information
Host rating
100 %
Last replied
7 Mar 2024
Reply rate
93.3 %
Usually responds within 5 days
Feedback
33
Email verified
Badges (2)
Details
Description
We are a family of five: me (Nalini); my husband Mano; our grown children Michelle and Noel, who both live in Bangalore but are often around; and our furry canine butler, Jeeves. We have a gorgeous 4 acre organic farm, full of coconut trees, as well as tamarind, mango, papaya, banana, and a rotating cast of vegetables. We're located just 30 mins from Mysore near KR Nagar.
We are originally from Bangalore but we decided to buy land close to Mano's work (he's a veterinarian). We purchased the land more than 30 years ago, when it was nothing more than 4 acres of dirt and weeds. Over the years, we built a house and planted hundreds of trees, painstakingly transforming it into the beautiful organic farm it is today. After I retired from my job as a Tupperware executive manager a few years ago, we finally moved to the farm full time to give it the attention and love it deserves. We also just finished constructing a couple of cottages to start a homestay!
Come help us maintain our little paradise--get your hands dirty, get creative, build some muscles you didn't know you had. There's always lots of work to do on our farm, whether it's harvesting, planting, watering weeding, helping with construction and art projects, or starting a project of your own!Types of help and learning opportunities
GardeningDIY and building projectsGeneral MaintenanceCreating/ Cooking family mealsFarmstay helpHelp with Eco ProjectsHelp around the houseArt ProjectsUN sustainability goals this host is trying to achieve
Cultural exchange and learning opportunities
The travelers will learn to farm and garden organically. They'll learn about the work that goes into growing our crops, and what we do with the crops once they're harvested--for example, making jams and juices and pickles; shelling and packing tamarinds; using coconuts to make different grades of oil, to fertilize the soil, and for cooking delicious dishes. I love to cook, so if they are interested I can teach them about Indian cooking, and they can show me dishes from their home in return. If they are interested, they can join me for morning walks and yoga. And I'm always up for a Scrabble match!
Projects involving children
This project could involve children. For more information see our guidelines and tips here.
Help
We need help with general farm maintenance: watering, weeding, harvesting various fruits and veggies depending on the season, planting, etc. If you have an idea for a project that excites you and utilizes your specific skill set, you can do that, too. Past workawayer projects include landscaping, building cob benches, planting an herb garden, creating a pond, and decorating the homestay cottages.
Languages spoken
English: Fluent
Hindi: Fluent
Kannada: Fluent
Tamil: FluentAccommodation
A room in the main house with an attached toilet and delicious home cooked meals three times a day.
What else ...
The volunteers can go on bike rides (bike not provided), walks, or runs by the canal next door. It is also a great place for birding--you can spot peacocks, cuckoos, kingfishers, weaver birds, and many others. The nearby backwaters have spectacular sunset views and half sunken temples. Mysore, a culturally rich town with a beautiful palace, is 30 mins away by bus.
A little more information
Internet access
Limited internet access
We have pets
We are smokers
Can host families
How many Workawayers can stay?
Two
Hours expected
Max 5 hours/day, 5 days/week
Feedback (22)
I would like to thank Nalini and Mano, as well as Jevs and Sweety (incredible smart dogs, specialy Jevs 😊) for welcoming me so nicely to their home on the farm. It's a pity that I stayed short time but I learned a lot of stuff and I enjoyed. The farm beautiful, with a lot of coconuts, guava trees, mangoes, papayas and many more… read more
Feedback
These are extra optional ratings when members leave feedback. The average rating left for each option is displayed.
Accuracy of profile:
(4.8)
Cultural exchange:
(5.0)
Communication:
(5.0)
I would like to thank Nalini and Mano, as well as Jevs and Sweety (incredible smart dogs, specialy Jevs 😊) for welcoming me so nicely to their home on the farm. It's a pity that I stayed short time but I learned a lot of stuff and I enjoyed. The farm beautiful, with a lot of coconuts, guava trees, mangoes, papayas and many more… read more
We stayed with them for just 2 weeks, but it was a very rewarding experience. Nalini shared with as many tasty recipes and thought how to make perfect chapatti 😁
The only disappointment was that they decided to shorten their stay with us . But we did manage to complete jobs that were… read more
We started working the next day and got rewarded with the beauty of nature that surrounded us and hearing the birds singing
Nalini is very knowledgeable and has great stories to share, we also enjoyed the morning walks… read more
Nalini and Manu were very welcoming from the first moment. Nalini prepared delicious indian food, we shared recipes and she shared with us a lot of knowledge about farming.
The working time was adjustable and the tasks were different, like weeding, peeling coconuts, harvesting, cleaning, working with… read more
And though he had no farm experience, he was willing to learn and did his best. He was most helpful with filing all our taxes- an in- house auditor was what he was! His patience with my computer skills and… read more
I really enjoyed the everyday routine with nalini, walking along the fields at sunrise when the weather allowed us and during the afternoon… read more
We also had a good time exchanging ideas and views as also information about our countries.
I would definitely recommend… read more
Work is fair, there's a lot to do around the farm and the coconut trees! I did mostly gardening (watering, planting, weeding, picking) and helped… read more
The job consisted mostly in gardening (dee weeding, watering… read more
Nalini is great chef, the best dishes we try in India. We learn a lot cooking with her. Thank you to Mano for his help too. It was nice to share experiences each others...
We keep in touch, thank you for your happiness and generosity,
Franck and Goulven
The room is… read more
A very shy boy but a delight to talk to!
All the very best… read more
We got some greens and flowering beds ready and a lot of weeding done!
All the best Sarah!
love and Best wishes!
All the best Will!
There is always work and good time here
Warm hugs thank you so much for everything!
Thank you Hannah and George!
Nalini and Mano are very kind and provided us with such delicious food, knowledge on culture and great conversations.
I would totally recomend staying with… read more
He also cleared up so many misconceptions we had about Russia and introduced me to a… read more