Five engineers who turned barren land into profitable farms

Away from the pull of urban offices and corporate cubicles, some engineers are finding new potential in barren land. Instead of letting ancestral plots, rocky hillsides, or underutilised fields lie fallow, these innovators are turning them into engines of sustainable income.

What was once considered unproductive or “good-for-nothing” soil is now yielding high-value crops like dragon fruit, organic moringa, sandalwood and thriving food forests, proving that with the right crop choice and planning, even barren land can become profitable.

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The trend is rising firstly due to consumer interest in healthy, organic, and exotic produce. This has created a strong market demand. Second, many of these crops are well-suited to marginal soil conditions. They are drought-resistant, require less water, or can thrive where staple cereals might fail. Third, engineers bring a methodical, analytical mindset to farming using data and experimentation to reduce risk and enhance yields.

Together, they have given rise to a new model of agripreneurship where land that was once an economic burden becomes a source of livelihood, community development and even ecological restoration.

Below are five stories of engineers who reclaimed barren land and turned it into profitable farms:

1. Mandeep Verma: Kiwi and apple orchard on barren land

Mandeep Verma, originally an engineer and MBA, converted his ancestral 4.8 acres of neglected hillside land in Shilli, Himachal Pradesh, which was barren and uneven, into a productive organic orchard.

After clearing grass and wild weeds and enriching the soil with natural inputs like jeevamrit, he began kiwi farming by planting 700 saplings, which now yield over 9 tonnes annually. He also planted 1,200 apple trees, generating around Rs 40 lakh in total annual revenue. This transformation not only improved soil productivity but converted a once-unused site into a robust, diversified orchard business.  

2. Jitender Mann: Organic moringa on fallow soil

Jitender Mann, an engineer formerly with Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), and his wife reclaimed two acres of ancestral, underutilised land in Mehmudpur, Haryana, by planting moringa plants. The land had lost fertility due to years of fertiliser use and was uncultivable.

Moringa is a hardy, drought-resistant tree with rich nutritional value. By focusing on organic cultivation and processing leaves into powder and capsules, the couple tapped into both domestic and international demand. Their strategy turned a once barren field into a productive orchard, generating a turnover of around Rs 10 lakh per acre. They sell the products directly, earning a profit of around Rs 8 lakh per acre.

3. Kavita Mishra: Agroforestry with sandalwood

Computer engineer Kavita Mishra transformed 8 acres of rocky, thirsty land in Raichur, Karnataka, where even a half-bag of bajra was once hard to produce. She turned it into a diverse integrated farm, centred on sandalwood agroforestry.

After clearing stones and attempting basic horticulture, she shifted to sandalwood cultivation, which thrives in dry conditions. Today, the agripreneur has 2,500 sandalwood trees, projected to yield Rs 5–6 crore per acre by 2027. Meanwhile, mangoes, guava, and other fruit trees contribute a regular income. The mango trees yield Rs 18 to Rs 20 lakh, while livestock provides a daily cash flow.

4. Shihab Kunhahammed: Creating organic food forests

Shihab Kunhahammed, an IT engineer from Bengaluru, left his corporate job and shifted to ecological farming and restoration. Starting with degraded patches near Shoolagiri, Tamil Nadu, he now designs and plants food forests across India on previously barren or degraded land.

Food forests are layered, ecologically balanced systems. Since 2021, Shihab has created over 1,000 food forests and 100 micro-forests, planting more than a lakh trees over 600 acres in seven states, restoring soil, biodiversity, and food productivity. This ecosystem design enhances long-term land value, improves soil health, and offers diverse agricultural outputs.

5. Anshul Mishra: Dragon fruit on degraded land

Anshul Mishra, a computer engineer from Uttar Pradesh, saw potential in his barren family land in Shahjahanpur that was previously unused and rocky. In 2018, he planted 1,600 dragon fruit saplings on one acre, introducing this exotic fruit, which is ideal for poor soils and low irrigation needs.

After initial preparation like removing stones and enriching the soil with manure, his investment of around Rs 3 lakh per acre began yielding results by 2020. Today, his dragon fruit farm not only makes around Rs4 lakh profit per acre annually but also supports a nursery business that sold 42,000 saplings for Rs 18 lakh last year.

(US Anu is a Madurai-based writer. She specialises in stories around human interest, environment and art and culture).

Also Read: Profitable Dragon Fruit and Exotic Mushrooms

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