Susheela Farms

Out here in Khanapur, things move at a slower pace than in the main part of Warangal. Our farm is at house number 8-89, and it’s where we spend almost every waking hour. The mornings start before the sun is even up, usually with the sound of the birds and the distant tractor from the next field over. We’ve got a lot of dirt under our fingernails and our boots are rarely clean. Most days are spent checking on the crops or fixing a fence that’s started to lean. It’s hard work, and your back definitely feels it by the time evening rolls around. We grow what the season allows and deal with whatever weather comes our way. Some years the rain is good and other times we’re just watching the sky hoping for a cloud. The house is right there on the land, so there’s no real gap between life and work. Eating lunch under the shade of a big tree when the sun gets too hot to stay out in the open is the best part of the day. It’s not a lifestyle for everyone, but it’s what we know. There’s always a chore waiting, whether it’s clearing weeds or hauling water. Using basic tools that have worked for us for years is easier than learning new machines. It’s a simple existence, focused on the land and what we can produce with our own hands after the long weeks of labor.