It’s my story, Shaileshbhai Patel, from Dungarikampa village over in Sabarkantha. I’ve been working the land for a long, long time now, over fifteen years. You could say farming is in my blood, passed down through my family. I’ve seen seasons come and go, learned the rhythm of the soil, the signs in the sky, everything that tradition teaches you about growing food. There’s immense value in that experience; it’s the bedrock of everything I do.
But the world keeps spinning, doesn’t it? And farming is no different. The weather patterns seem to shift, the market demands change, and frankly, sometimes the old ways, while full of wisdom, feel like they’re fighting an uphill battle against new challenges. I knew, deep down, that if I wanted to keep providing for my family and make the most of my land, I had to be open to new ideas, open to technology. It wasn’t about replacing tradition entirely, but about seeing how it could work with the new.
That’s when I came across HyFarm. They have this idea, you see, that in our world, in agriculture, “Seeing is Believing“. And that struck a chord with me immediately. It’s easy for someone to stand in front of you and talk about fancy new methods, about data and apps. But as a farmer, your livelihood depends on tangible results. You need to see it work, to test it yourself, to build trust. You need someone to walk “shoulder to shoulder with the farmer“, not just tell you what to do from afar.
So, HyFarm did something clever. They built something called the HyFarm Paathshala. The word ‘Paathshala’ means a school, and that’s exactly what it felt like, but for farming. It’s a model farm, a place specifically designed so that farmers like me could visit and experience best practices in action. Instead of just hearing about new techniques, we could see them being used, understand the ‘why’ and the ‘how’ firsthand.
My visit to the Paathshala was a real turning point. Stepping onto that model farm was different. It felt… precise. Organized. They showed me things I thought I already knew, but with a new perspective. We spent time looking at seed handling – not just throwing seeds in the ground, but understanding the proper way to handle them for the best start. It seems simple, but getting that right makes a world of difference later on.
Then there was the way they set up the fields. They talked about optimised bed sizes. Honestly, I’d always made my beds based on what felt right, what we’d always done. But they explained how different sizes and shapes could make irrigation more efficient, give the plants the right space to grow strong roots, and ultimately lead to a better yield. Seeing those beds, feeling the soil structure, it made sense in a way that words alone couldn’t convey.
But the real magic, for me, came with the technology. They introduced me to Fyllo. Now, traditionally, I’d check the soil with my hands, look at the plants, maybe glance at the sky to guess if rain was coming. It was all based on intuition and experience. But Fyllo gave me real-time weather and soil moisture insights. Imagine knowing exactly how much moisture is in the soil at different depths, right there on a screen. It meant I wasn’t guessing about when to water or how much. I could give the plants exactly what they needed, when they needed it.
And then there was the FarmOji app. This felt truly modern. They showed me how this app could help me make smarter decisions about my farm. It takes the data – maybe from Fyllo, maybe other sources – and helps you analyse it, understand what’s happening in the field in a way you just can’t with your eyes alone. It was about moving from guesswork to decisions powered by data. It felt like having a wise advisor with you in the field, available instantly.
When I left the HyFarm Paathshala and came back to my own fields, I felt different. As I shared with them, “HyFarm Paathshala taught me not just how to farm, but how to farm better“. It wasn’t just about adding gadgets; it was about fundamentally improving how I worked the land, based on what I had seen and experienced first-hand.
Putting these new practices into action on my own farm, slowly at first, felt like stepping into the future. And the results? They started to show. One of the most immediate and significant changes was with water. Because I was using real-time soil moisture data, I knew precisely when and how much to irrigate. This meant I was able to save water. In a region where water is precious, this is more than just a cost saving; it’s about responsible farming.
I also learned about using optimised fertilisers. With better insight into the soil and the plants’ needs, I could use the right amount of fertiliser at the right time. No more applying too much or too little based on a hunch. This not only reduced waste but also ensured my plants were healthier.
Making decisions based on data brought a new level of certainty. Instead of worrying if I was doing the right thing, the data gave me more confidence. It felt like my years of experience were now amplified by precise information. When the data supported my intuition, I acted decisively. When it suggested something different, I was willing to try it because I had seen the results at the Paathshala.
All these changes together – saving water, optimising inputs like fertiliser, making confident data-driven decisions – added up. The most tangible benefit was the reduction in the cost of cultivation. Farming is a business, and reducing costs while maintaining or improving yield is key to profitability and sustainability.
My journey with HyFarm has been about more than just adopting technology. It’s been about building trust through shared experience, about taking the deep roots of traditional farming and grafting onto them the strong branches of modern tools and knowledge. It shows how, when experience meets trust & technology, a farmer doesn’t just keep up; they can actually lead. HyFarm talks about growing knowledge together, and that’s exactly what it feels like.
They even decided to share my story, my experiences from Dungarikampa, in one of their SpudCast episodes. It makes me proud to think that my journey might show other farmers that being open to change, to seeing and believing in new ways, can truly transform their fields and their lives. It’s about farming smarter, farming better, for a sustainable future.
Source: HyFarm Spudcast
