Christina Ajith was a hardcore non-vegetarian, but an autoimmune disease called Lupus changed her lifestyle forever.
On the advice of the doctors, the entire family switched to veganism within two months in 2019.
In 2020, when the pandemic hit, the family decided to move to their farm and try to live simply.
“When we moved there, it was still a functioning dairy farm, and we were set on converting it into a vegan farm,” informs Christina.
“We kept weaker and older cows who needed to be taken care of at the farm. The rest were sold to other dairy farm owners,” she adds.
Christina and her mother Anitha put in a lot of hard work, and because of their efforts, today the farm is vegan and provides a unique farm-to-table experience to people.
“The idea of the farm stay came to us when we started living on the farm. I loved cooking and my mother always had a passion for farming. So, we decided to combine our skills and that is how The Lilac Farm started,” she shares.
The guests at the farm get to taste herbal teas and fruit juices, and are offered the experience of enjoying a mud pond, a star-gazing deck and healthy vegan meals.
Additionally, the duo grows tomatoes, chillies, capsicum, green papaya and brinjals, fruits like bananas, gooseberries and mangoes, and flowers like butterfly peas, hibiscus and lilac.
All the vegetables and fruits are grown using natural farming methods, and the meals for the guests are prepared using this produce.
Currently, the mother-daughter team hosts health retreats, yoga retreats, corporate outings and school outings at the farm stay. They have hosted over 1,000 people so far.
“Living in harmony with nature and not harming the environment while we live our lives is what we believe in,” says Anitha.