Happy Star Orchard

Happy Star Orchard is located up in Village Punan, which is part of the Nankhari area in Rampur. It’s a bit of a trek to get up here, but the air is clear and the land is good for growing. We spend most of our time out in the trees. Farming isn't an easy life, but it’s what we do and what we know. We have been working this land for many seasons now. The cycle of the year dictates everything for us. In the winter, we are busy preparing the soil and pruning the branches. When the fruit finally starts to come, the whole family gets involved in the picking and packing. It is a lot of physical labor. We don't have a fancy office building; our office is basically the orchard itself under the open sky. Sometimes the weather doesn't cooperate and we just have to deal with it. That’s how it goes in agriculture. We aren't trying to be the biggest orchard around, just a productive one that does things right. The village is small so everyone knows whose trees are whose. We take pride in the way the fruit looks when it’s finally ready to go down to the market. It’s a simple existence, really. We wake up early, work until the sun goes down, and then do it all again the next day. Being out in the open air is better than being stuck inside an office. We wouldn't change our way of life for anything.