You know what’s amazing? A plant that costs ₹25 can turn into ₹25,000 in just 10 years. And I’m not talking about some fancy technology or complicated setup. I’m talking about simple, smart farming that Padma Shri Bharat Bhushan Tyagi has been practicing for years.
- Meeting a Farming Legend
- The Problem He Saw Early On
- Nature’s Blueprint Changed Everything
- Breaking Down Tyagi Sir’s Three-Zone System
- The Numbers Don’t Lie
- The Zero-Input Secret
- The Melia Dubia Investment
- Nature’s Pest Control
- For Small and Marginal Farmers
- The Circular Economy Vision
- At 72, Still Going Strong
- His Message to Indian Farmers
- An Open Invitation
- The Bigger Picture
- Key Takeaways from Bharat Bhushan Tyagi Sir’s Method
- Can This Work for Everyone?
- Final Thoughts
Let me share with you an incredible story that completely changed how I think about agriculture.
Meeting a Farming Legend
When I visited Bharat Bhushan Tyagi Sir’s farm – he calls it “Krishi Teerth” (a sacred place for agriculture) – I didn’t expect to learn so much in just one day. This 72-year-old farmer has cracked the code that most farmers are desperately searching for.
While farmers across India struggle with rising costs and falling incomes, Bharat Bhushan Tyagi Sir is pulling ₹3-4 lakh from a single acre. And here’s the shocking part – his input costs are almost zero.
The Problem He Saw Early On
Bharat Bhushan Tyagi Sir started his journey back in 1987 when he noticed something disturbing. Farmers were getting trapped in what he calls a “linear economy.”
Think about it – to plow, farmers take loans to buy tractors, then pay interest, buy fuel, and spend on repairs. For irrigation, they buy pumps and repeat the same cycle. For fertilizers, seeds, and pesticides – everything comes from the market at a cost.
Then at harvest time, they sell everything in the market at whatever price is offered.
“Farmers are bleeding money at both ends,” Tyagi Sir explains. “We’ve become slaves to the market.”
Nature’s Blueprint Changed Everything
Instead of accepting this system, Bharat Bhushan Tyagi Sir did something radical – he started studying nature.
“In nature, production happens in density,” he says. “Root crops grow underground, sugarcane grows tall. Every seed has its own form and nature.”
This observation led him to develop what he calls “Sah-astitva Moolak Aavartansheel Krishi” – Co-existence Based Circular Agriculture. It sounds complex, but the concept is beautifully simple.
Also Read: Thinking About Polyhouse Farming? Start with These 10 Vegetables in 2025!
Breaking Down Tyagi Sir’s Three-Zone System
After spending time on his farm, I realized his approach is something any farmer can replicate.
Zone 1: The Buffer Zone (Border Crops)
Bharat Bhushan Tyagi Sir plants productive trees around his field boundaries – timber trees like Melia Dubia, fruit trees like mango and lemon, and banana plants.
“This 2-3 meter border strip protects my organic crops from outside contamination,” he explains. “But more importantly, from just the border of one acre, I can easily make ₹1-1.5 lakh.”
He plants 80-100 plants each of different species – timber plants, fruit plants, and fodder crops underneath. It’s a farm within a farm.
Zone 2: Perennial Crops
These are crops that last more than a year. Bharat Bhushan Tyagi Sir’s sugarcane has been growing in the same spot for 5 years now, and he plans to continue for another 5 years.
His innovative approach? He plants sugarcane in double rows spaced strategically, leaving plenty of room for other crops in between.
“I get the same sugarcane production as someone who plants their entire field,” he says with a smile. “But I use only a fraction of the space.”
Zone 3: Seasonal Cash Crops
Between the sugarcane rows, Bharat Bhushan Tyagi Sir rotates through multiple crops:
- October: Chickpeas (they’re cheap and fix nitrogen in the soil naturally)
- After chickpeas: Carrots
- After carrots: Onions
- After onions: Turmeric
That’s five different income sources from the same land in one year!
The Numbers Don’t Lie
When Tyagi Sir broke down his actual earnings, I was stunned:
Sugarcane: 300 quintals at ₹400/quintal = ₹1,20,000
Turmeric: 40 quintals at ₹5,000/quintal (after processing) = ₹2,00,000
Carrots: Around ₹1,00,000
Plus the border crops add another ₹1-1.5 lakh.
Total from one acre: ₹4+ lakh with minimal input costs.
The Zero-Input Secret
“How is your input cost zero?” I had to ask.
Tyagi Sir walked me through his field, pointing at the soil. It was covered with earthworm castings – small mounds of soil that proved earthworms were actively working.
“See these? The earthworms are plowing for me. I haven’t tilled this field in years.”
He continued: “The chickpeas fix nitrogen. The onion and garlic residues feed the sugarcane. Everything on this farm feeds something else. That’s co-existence.”
His cows eat the weeds from the field. The cows give milk and manure. The manure enriches the soil. Nothing is wasted. Nothing is bought from outside.
“I have 30 cows and 10 acres. We always have 2-3 quintals of pure desi ghee at home,” he says proudly. “We don’t sell milk. We don’t buy feed. Everything comes from the farm.”
The Melia Dubia Investment
One story really captured my imagination. Bharat Bhushan Tyagi Sir showed me a Melia Dubia tree (a timber species) on his border.
“I planted this for ₹25. After planting, I did absolutely nothing – no watering, no fertilizer, no maintenance. Ten years later, I sold it for ₹25,000.”
He’s already done this through three cycles. “Show me any other investment in the world where ₹25 becomes ₹25,000 in 10 years without doing anything,” he challenges.
Nature’s Pest Control
I noticed something interesting – despite all the crops growing together, there was hardly any pest damage.
“People think pests are the enemy,” Tyagi Sir explains. “But when you have diversity, nature controls itself. I have beneficial insects, earthworms, snakes, birds – they all balance each other.”
He showed me turmeric leaves with a few bite marks. “That insect ate what it needed and moved on. Where’s the fight in that?”
The secret? The mix of smells and plants confuses pests. The strong scent of turmeric and garlic protects the sugarcane. Different root depths mean no competition. It’s genius in its simplicity.
For Small and Marginal Farmers
When I asked about small farmers with limited land, Bharat Bhushan Tyagi Sir got passionate.
“People say land is getting smaller and farmers can’t earn. That’s wrong! Land isn’t getting smaller – we’re just not using it properly.”
He explains it like a multi-story building. “When you farm in layers – roots underground, ground-level crops, medium-height plants, tall trees – you’re not farming one acre. You’re farming multiple acres of productive space stacked vertically.”
The Circular Economy Vision
What struck me most was Bharat Bhushan Tyagi Sir’s broader vision for Indian agriculture.
“If we can make ₹4 lakh from one acre, imagine what a farmer with 10 acres can do – ₹40-45 lakh annually! But this only works when we shift from linear economy to circular economy.”
In his model:
- One seed produces many seeds (natural multiplication)
- One field grows many crops (crop diversity)
- One tree planted once gives for decades (perennial systems)
“This is nature’s circular economy. Money comes in and stays in the system instead of flowing out to companies and markets.”
At 72, Still Going Strong
What really inspired me was seeing Bharat Bhushan Tyagi Sir work. At 72 years old, he still works 6 hours daily in his fields.
“If I don’t use my body’s labor, I wouldn’t be able to talk to you like this at 72,” he says with a laugh.
But he’s quick to add: “We don’t work mindlessly. We work with understanding. We know which tool to use when, which crop to plant where, how to rotate efficiently. It’s about working smart, not hard.”
His Message to Indian Farmers
Towards the end of our conversation, Bharat Bhushan Tyagi Sir shared something profound:
“I’m not special. I’m just a farmer who understood nature’s principles instead of blindly following market-driven agriculture. Farmers aren’t poor because farming is weak – they’re poor because of our ignorance.”
He continued: “Organic farming isn’t just about making compost or avoiding chemicals. It’s about understanding the entire ecosystem – how soil builds itself, how pests regulate themselves, how diversity creates abundance.”
An Open Invitation
What touched me most was Tyagi Sir’s generosity. He’s not selling anything. He’s not running a business. He simply wants to share knowledge.
“If any farmer has questions, they can WhatsApp me at 8754986xxx,” he offered. “This is Krishi Teerth – a sacred space for agriculture. Every farmer should feel welcomed here.”
He hosts visitors regularly, sharing his 20+ years of research and experience freely.
The Bigger Picture
As I left his farm, I realized Tyagi Sir isn’t just teaching farming techniques. He’s offering a solution to multiple crises:
- Economic crisis: Farmers can escape debt and earn substantial income
- Environmental crisis: No chemicals mean healthy soil, clean water, and biodiversity
- Health crisis: Quality organic produce means better nutrition
- Social crisis: Profitable farming means youth will return to agriculture
“If we understand nature’s co-existence principles and apply circular economy thinking,” Tyagi Sir says, “organic farming can transform not just agriculture but our entire rural economy.”
Key Takeaways from Bharat Bhushan Tyagi Sir’s Method
After spending time with him, here’s what stuck with me:
- Diversity is wealth – Multiple crops mean multiple income sources and natural pest control
- Nature does the work – Earthworms plow, chickpeas fertilize, diversity controls pests
- Think vertical – Use height, depth, and ground level simultaneously
- Keep money on the farm – Produce your own inputs instead of buying from markets
- Plan for the long term – Mix quick cash crops with perennial investments
- Never leave land empty – Rotate crops continuously through the year
Can This Work for Everyone?
I asked Bharat Bhushan Tyagi Sir directly: “Can any farmer do this?”
“Absolutely,” he replied without hesitation. “This isn’t my invention. These are nature’s principles. They work the same way for everyone – in plains, in hills, everywhere. You just need to understand and apply them.”
The key, he emphasizes, is shifting from a mindset of “what inputs do I need to buy” to “how can I work with nature’s systems.”
Final Thoughts
Meeting Padma Shri Bharat Bhushan Tyagi changed how I see agriculture. Here’s a man who proves that:
- Farming can be highly profitable without heavy investments
- Small landholdings aren’t a limitation when you farm smart
- 72 is just a number when you work in harmony with nature
- Sharing knowledge freely creates more value than hoarding it
His farm isn’t just producing crops – it’s producing hope. Hope that Indian farmers can escape the debt trap, that organic farming is economically viable, and that our rural economy can thrive again.
If you’re a farmer frustrated with rising costs and falling returns, maybe it’s time to learn from someone who’s walked the path successfully. Tyagi Sir’s door is open, his phone is available, and his farm is living proof that there’s a better way.
Sometimes the most revolutionary ideas are the simplest ones – just watch how nature works and follow along.
For farmers interested in learning multi-layer organic farming, Bharat Bhushan Tyagi Sir welcomes visitors to his farm “Krishi Teerth” and can be reached via WhatsApp for guidance.