◊ By Rutaksha Rawat

Visit ORGANIC SHOP by Pure & Eco India

Dudhsagar Plantation, an organic farmstay in Goa, makes its own organic feni and uraak.

On a recent trip to Goa, I had the pleasure of spending a night at this verdant organic farmstay spanning 50 acres with more than 150 species of plants and trees—including organic cashew trees.

Located near the Dudhsagar Falls, this tropical Garden of Eden is home to only 5 eco-friendly cottages, each, shrouded by a veil of foliage. The owners—the Malkarnekars—along with their 3 dogs, posse of hens and roosters, 11 mixed breed cows, and pet goat, also reside in this idyllic mini forest in Karmane village (between Sanvordem and Kulem).

FARM-BREWED ORGANIC FENI & ORGANIC URAAK

The entire farm is organic, ie, the Malkarnekars have not ever used chemical fertilisers or pesticides on its soil or plants. They use neem as a natural pesticide and abstain from any chemical usage. They promote a totally organic lifestyle, and this extends to their food and drink as well.

The owner, Ajit Malkarnekar, showed me their inhouse distillery in which they brew the organic feni and uraak. These are Goan spirits derived from the cashew plant. Once a year, the fruit portion of their organic cashews is gathered and crushed.

Feni and uraak are Goan spirits derived from the cashew plant. Photo source: Dudhsagar Farmstay (Karmane)/Tripadvisor

The inhouse distillery, wherein organic feni and uraak are brewed. Photo © Pure & Eco India

Feni distillation in progress. Photo source: Dudhsagar Farmstay (Karmane)/Tripadvisor

The juice is collected and steamed in a furnace. After a few days of fermentation, feni is obtained. While feni is the second draft of the cashew wine, its first draft—lighter in alcohol content—is uraak. While feni has an alcohol content of 55%, uraak has only 40%.

Do try their delicious but deceptively potent Jungle Juice cocktail if you visit, but not too many, lest it bring out the junglee in you.

HISTORY OF DUDHSAGAR PLANTATION

The hundreds of trees, plants, the pool, the cottages, etc, did not appear overnight. It has been an arduous task more than 30 years in the making.

In 1984, Ajit, who was keenly interested in rural living, along with his brother, purchased a 50-acre piece of barren land, with the conviction that it could be transformed into a self-sufficient farm residence.

The farm has been an arduous endeavour more than 30 years in the making. Above: Ajit Malkarnekar. Photo © Pure & Eco India

In 1985, along with his German wife, Doris, he started fostering the farm and named it Dudhsagar Plantation.

Prior to this, Ajit had worked at Anandwan, the village created by Baba Amte for lepers in Chandrapur, Maharashtra. Anandwan also started out as a barren land that was developed into a rehabitational village for lepers, complete with small scale industries to keep the community sustainable. This is also where Ajit met Doris.

Back in the day, Ajit recounts, there was no electricity or water connection at the farm and it was no easy feat to acquire these. The farm is, even today, in the middle of nowhere—part of its bucolic charm. However, in the 80s, transport was uncommon in India and the Malkarnekars had to trek kilometres to and fro the electricity board office in pursuit of an electricity connection.

“There was absolutely no public transport available in these parts at the time and we did not have a vehicle—we had ordered one but even a Fiat took 1 year to arrive post order in those days. So, the multiple trips to the water and electricity board offices were made on foot,” recounts Ajit.

Eventually, water and electricity reached the farm and the planting of trees and plants commenced. The cottages were added much later, in 2012.

For a while, the Malkarnekars—Doris, Ajit and their 3 children—lived an idyllic existence on the farm, but as the children started to grow, the need for a school became pressing.

The nearest school was miles away and could only be reached by train, forcing the family to pack up and move to Germany for the children’s education. During this time, the farm was left in the care of Ajit’s sister.

Photo © Pure & Eco India

Once the children had left the nest, Ajit returned to the farm full time and constructed the cottages for the farmstay in 2012.

Today, of course, the plantation is established, with every aspect of farm life having been addressed sustainably. Only 25 acres has been grown by the hosts, whereas the remaining land has been left to the whims of nature, and is virtually a wild forest.

Ajit’s eldest son, Ashok, is now the farm manager and both father and son reside onsite currently, whereas Doris divides her time between Germany (where she’s still employed as a teacher) and India.

FARM SHOP

Feni is not all that’s on offer at the farm. Other food products are also available for those who wish to take a piece of Dudhsagar Plantation back with them. The farm shop sells coconut, coconut oil, pepper, and dehydrated banana snack—all of it organic.

I did not buy the rest but did take some of their banana snack, which is lip-smackingly delectable. I highly recommend purchasing at least a kg of this delicious and healthy treat.

Read the detailed review of Dudhsagar Plantation here.

CONTACT DETAILS

Dudhsagar Plantation, Karmane Village-403410, Goa

Ph: +91 9765364456 (Ashok) / +91-9420766782 (Ajit) 

Email: [email protected] 

Website: www.dudhsagarplantation.com