Family-run vegetable garden in Chembur supplies fresh produce to local vendors

Chauhan grows spinach, fenugreek and raddish. Pic/Shadab Khan

On a busy stretch of road in suburban Mumbai lies a patch of land that's secluded yet familiar to most residents of Chembur Postal Colony. This writer faced some trouble finding the exact location, but after asking a few local shop owners, we were shown the way to the lush farm.

Dhanraj Chauhan, 27, who is studying to appear for the MPSC exam, is the owner. "This property has been around since 1935 and I'm the third generation in my family to be working on it," he says. His grandfather, followed by his father and now him, along with his cousins, all contribute to its upkeep. Chauhan usually sticks to vegetables that take around a month to grow. His produce includes spinach, fenugreek, radish, chavli (black-eyed bean) and lal chavli (red kidney bean/lobia).

"We grow the commercial varieties [of vegetables] which can be harvested in 15-20 days," he says. Chauhan has consciously stayed clear of ladies finger "because it attracts insects causing nuisance to the people living around". Pumpkin and brinjal too are a challenge, he adds, because they require more investment.

"This [land] has been under dispute for redevelopment. And because its future is in limbo, it makes no financial sense to make a heavy investment," he explains. The biggest hurdle for the family is during the rains when the farm becomes inaccessible for four months. "We can't grow anything due to water logging. We stop in June and start again in October."

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Acres of land Dhanraj Chauhan grows vegetables on