Alappuzha woman turns online star in New Zealand; nurse Lijomol's farming lessons gaining popularity

ALAPPUZHA: Even after arriving in New Zealand, Lijomol, a native of Kainakari, Alappuzha, did not forget the farming lessons she learned from her family. Lijo, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand 11 years ago, is now a farmer who grows local vegetables. Lijo's dream of farming in her own backyard came true when she bought a house in New Zealand in 2018. Her experience in farming in Kuttanad gave her strength.

With the help of her husband Sivadas, an IT officer, and her children Dhanwin, Dhyan, and Diva, they started growing bananas, tomatoes, bitter melon, ash gourd, spinach, eggplant, carrots, beetroot, cabbage, cauliflower, beans, broccoli, lemons, apples, and oranges on their thirteen and a half cent plot. Of the vegetables harvested, they take what they need for their own use and give the rest to friends and work colleagues.

The farming was done according to the garden plan for the crops to be cultivated in New Zealand at each time. Lijo, a nurse, works 36 hours a week. The rest of the time she devotes to farming. The absence of pest problems was a boon.

Reel to teach farming

Lijo gained a stream of fans after she started sharing her farming methods and harvesting on social media. To answer their questions, Lijomol started sharing reels explaining the process of preparing the farm, fertilizing and watering, and became a well-known farmer in New Zealand.

We are a farming family. The reason we started farming in New Zealand is so that our children can learn it

- Lijomol Augustine