Often it is perceived that there are no employment opportunities in rural India, however, some people have completely eliminated this bias that good things can only be done in big cities. Hailing from Uttarakhand, Shweta Tomar shifted from Dehradun to Bengaluru after getting married in 2015. Until then, she was a successful fashion designer.
After moving to Bengaluru, she would often think of restarting her business. However, her interests took a U-turn when she visited a nearby farm over a weekend with her husband.
“It was a goat farm, and I loved spending time with them. I felt that I would enjoy taking care of them if I too started a goat farm,” she said, according to a report of The Better India.
After her first visit, Shweta Tomar started visiting the farm every day. She took formal training in goat farming and also gained hands-on experience for over a year in this farm.
Soon, she was confident enough to start her own goat farm and discussed the idea with her husband, Robin Smith, and had his full support for it.
Hailing from a small village, Shweta didn’t want to start her farm in a city. Instead, she decided to set up her farm in a village – hoping that she could prove that youngsters need not leave villages to find employment.
With that in mind, she left her comfortable life in Bengaluru and shifted to her ancestral land in a small village called Listrapur, in Ranipokhri area of Dehradun.
Video Courtesy: YouTube
In September 2016, Shweta and Robin laid the foundation of ‘Prem Agro Farm’ in Listrapur village. The farm is spread over 3000 square feet, with all modern amenities like 24×7 online surveillance through CCTV and an elevated platform, so that dung and urine can pass below and the platform remains dry and clean.
Notably, the farm has only desi breeds of goats. The goats are of high quality, which breeds only two kids per year. The farm does not indulge in the artificial breeding method.
The animals are kept with utmost care. A water tank and a fodder tank are always filled, and the goats can eat or drink whenever they want.
Video Courtesy: YouTube
Recently, Tomar started training sessions at her farm for anyone who wishes to start a goat farm. She believes that such businesses will encourage youth to remain in their villages instead of shifting to crowded cities for work.
Shweta sells her goats to small farmers in her village and doesn’t like to sell them to slaughter houses. She has also reared hens and plans to expand her business in the coming years. Right now her yearly turnover is Rs 3 to 4 lakh.
“No work is big or small. Nothing can be achieved easily. If you work hard and dedicate yourself to a cause, you are definitely going to succeed,” she concludes.
Source: Better India
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