Despite holding a well-paying job in Bengaluru, Chethan Shetty couldn’t shake the feeling that something was missing. Sensing he wasn’t fulfilling his true purpose, he embarked on a quest to discover his calling.

Reflecting on his childhood, Chethan fondly remembered his cherished moments spent in the paddy fields. The tranquility and enchantment of those fields were unparalleled, providing him with a sense of peace he never found elsewhere.

“This became my main inspiration to leave everything behind and build a green paradise,” he shares.

In 2017, Chethan decided to quit his job and move to his ancestral home in Bellare, 75 km away from Mangaluru city. His family did not react the way he expected, “My father was not okay with my decision and my mother was definitely not okay with it! My friends were confused about where we would sit and party every weekend. Everybody had their own set of concerns,” he laughs.

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While he faced a lot of retaliation, he still decided to take a leap of faith and start farming. To set up his Farm, he used all his savings of Rs 10 lakh.

He prepared his 10-acre ancestral land, dug a new borewell, and initially planted 550 rambutan plants, 50 mangosteen plants, and 100 tender coconut plants, along with vegetables such as ladyfinger, cucumber, long beans, radish, and green leaves. He named his farm — Manjanna Shetty Family Farms.

Presently the farm has over 2,500 areca nut trees, 800 pepper vines, 50 nutmeg trees, 300 coconut trees, 650 rambutan trees, over 100 mangosteen trees, and 50 avocado plants. He earns a profit of Rs 15 lakh per year by selling 5,200 kg of produce.

“I am a man who likes to be in nature, especially when it rains. Now, we do not have to pay to be in a resort; we are in a resort every day,” he smiles.

(Edited by Pranita Bhat)