Rooted in Resilience: A Permaculture Journey in Kashmir

Written by Deepika Nandan and Ovee Thorat

Photos by Deepika Nandan

Art by Ovee Thorat

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Region: Mahwara, Budgam, Kashmir

Organisation: Kashmir Valley Permaculture

Area of Work: Permaculture, Regenerative Farming

About Kashmir Valley Permaculture:

Kashmir Valley Permaculture is a small community of Kashmiris working with the land while making sure that what they do is in harmony with nature. They work towards developing a deeper connection with land and food through their everyday regenerative practices and community-building. The attempt is to take every step towards harbouring a nourishing ecosystem. The site in Badgam was an old brick kiln which is now a thriving piece of land that supports a variety of biodiversity, including livestock varieties and fruiting trees. They also undertake consultancies to inspire more people to take up farming.

The valley of Kashmir has been fraught with a long history of political upheaval and turmoil. It was in the 1990s that the conflict in the region reached a stage where the daily survival of many Kashmiris became uncertain under the shadow of violence and unrest. The youth of Kashmir faced the brunt of this violence. Families who could support their youth and children in moving away from the region did so, hoping their future would be protected. Higher studies in Kashmir itself had a bleak future. Saalim and Muneeb represent the youth of these difficult times. Saalim, the older of the two brothers, was sent to the UK to pursue an MBA degree. He came back wanting to be close to Kashmir’s soil and to be a farmer, pulling his little brother into it too. 

During a time when violence was high, permaculture became a refuge – a quiet act of resistance and renewal. Nestled near the Pir Panjal mountain range, the earth that Kashmir Valley Permaculture nurtures is on a steady path of renewal, guided by hands that work in harmony with nature. A brick kiln that had stripped the earth of its topsoil, leaving it barren and lifeless. Here, the Nazki brothers, Muneeb and Saalim, are using permaculture not just as a method of farming but as a tool to heal the landscape.

The farm is alive with the quiet presence of plants, trees, and animals, each contributing to the rhythm of the land. Through no-dig techniques, soil regeneration, and sustainable building methods like mud and lime plaster, they are nurturing the land back to life, creating a self-sustaining ecosystem where nature and creatures thrive.

Permaculture, for them, is more than a practice; it is an alternative way of living – one rooted in care, resilience, and deep connection.

The initial years were full of challenges. Water was scarce, and the land was heavily degraded. With no major natural water sources apart from rain and snow, and no large streams or flowing rivers nearby, they had to rethink everything. Slowly, they began healing the land through permaculture, an approach that provides holistic solutions for land, water, and life itself. Instead of forcefully working the soil, they used no-dig techniques, allowing nature to regenerate at its own pace. The garden they cultivated has been no-dig for five years now. In this patch, along the living quarters and livestock shelters, techniques such as swales, berms, and mulching have been used so that a variety of medicinal and edible herbs and plants, including fruiting trees such as pomegranate, cherry, and berries, grow together with each other’s support. It is on its way to becoming a tiny patch of food forest that the brothers reach for in everyday cooking. The newly added land surrounding this garden, used for market gardening, is undergoing a slow transition to a no-till system. Healing the land, like healing anything, requires patience.

Muneeb speaks about permaculture with an infectious passion, explaining how every creature has a role to play in the land’s ecosystem. Bees pollinate the plants, geese and other animals consume food scraps, and the cats act as natural pest control, protecting crops from damage. It is a system of mutual care, where nothing is wasted, and every being contributes to the cycle of regeneration. Before they started designing the garden, they would leave sheep on the land overnight, allowing their manure to naturally fertilize the soil. Slowly, as organic layers settled, the soil began to regain its vitality. The farm now thrives as an ecosystem where every creature contributes to its balance and development.

For Muneeb and Saalim, permaculture is not just about growing food, it is a way of life. It influences how they build their homes, how they interact with their community, and how they approach challenges. Regenerative agriculture focuses on soil restoration – how to improve soil health, increase yield naturally, and reduce chemical use. But permaculture extends beyond that.

It is about fostering sustainable relationships between people, between animals, between the land and those who tend it. It is about returning to ways of living rooted in compassion and mutual help.

In their village, this includes age-old practices like bartering. "If someone has extra rice, they give it to someone who needs it and get maize or something in return," Muneeb explains. "I also practice this."

Four years ago, they met Muzamil Ahmad Akhoon, another Kashmiri youth passionate about farming. Muzamil had already set up a highly efficient, well-designed commercial organic farm called Green Space Organics in his hometown of Bandipora. The more they worked together, it proved nourishing for them, as well as for Kashmir Valley Permaculture as they exchanged knowledge and experiences. Multiskilled and extremely creative, Muzamil became a big part of projects that involved carpentry, masonry, plumbing, electrical work, be it anything, Muzamil made it happen. Two years later, Mauzamil joined Muneeb and Saalim almost full time while his own organic farm back in Bandipora was tended to by his mother. As he was experienced in a more commercial form of agriculture, Muzamil provided vital inputs on the market gardening being developed at Kashmir Valley Permaculture.

Despite all their efforts, these farmers have faced some scepticism. People wondered and questioned why educated men, who could have pursued careers elsewhere, chose to dedicate their lives to working with their hands and the land. Farming is often seen as a struggle, a profession that demands immense effort for little return. Many young people are moving away from it, seeking faster ways to earn a living. Large-scale farming, with its reliance on chemical inputs and intensive practices, further depletes the soil, making traditional farming even less sustainable. But the Nazki brothers believe in an alternate way forward. They advocate for permaculture and small-scale farming, which they see as more beneficial than industrial agriculture.

Small farms, when managed with care, can provide abundance while preserving the land for future generations.

Through their work, they hope to inspire others. Their farm has become a space for learning, attracting people like Abrar Hussain Dar, a young local who has taken an interest in permaculture. Abrar remembers, as a child, being carried on Saalim's shoulders because he was scared of a nearby dog. Today, he and his Muneeb bhai share a close relationship, working together to steward the land. Abrar has embraced the lifestyle, learning about regenerative land practices and sustainable techniques. His journey reflects a larger shift, one that requires patience, trust, and a willingness to work with nature rather than against it. "It's been six months," he says. "I'm still learning, but I also help out. A lot of kids come here too. They love the fruits, especially grapes."

Muneeb sees their farm as a place of continuous learning, an open space where knowledge is freely shared. "At agricultural universities, they charge people just to walk through the campus. Here, anyone can come, no money involved," he says. This philosophy extends beyond just food production. It informs how they build, how they live. "Before, there were tin sheets here. My brother, Saalim, would say, 'No, don't use this. Use something else.' It took time to change our thinking. But now, when I travel, I observe. I see something and think, how can we use this? Like the fence outside – I saw some poles stacked in a pile and realized we could use them for fencing. It's about shifting the mindset. If you have a creative mindset, you can do anything."

Their approach is simple: minimize dependence on money, maximize self-sufficiency. "I can live without money for months," Muneeb says. "I’m not poor either. I can feed a hundred people. What do I really need? Food, shelter. That’s what everyone works for, right? In permaculture, those things are already secured. You’re not running after money; instead, you first secure your shelter and food system. Once that’s in place, there’s no problem."

As daylight fades behind the mountains, the fields hold the weight of the day. The Nazki brothers persevere through it all. Their journey is proof that there is no single way to live, only choices. "A Bakarwal (nomadic herder) walking through Srinagar city is an alternative in himself, in the way he chooses to live," Muneeb reflects. "You can live alternatively anywhere."

Their choice is to live in harmony with the land, to heal what has been broken, and to show that an alternative way of living is not only possible but necessary.