About Us
Vision & Mission
Urvarasa is a project that seeks to partner with farmers who voluntarily implement and uphold a set of guidelines established by Jeeva Bhavana to grow their crops for conscious consumers who are seeking fairly-traded, sustainably-grown, cruelty-free and healthy food.
Farmers are duly compensated for their know-how and labour. We mentor, support and empower them to ensure their economic autonomy. They are connected with conscious consumers directly through established channels to ensure they get a fair price for their produce through optimal logistics.
Farmers take their role as guardians of seeds and soil health seriously by using neither chemical inputs nor any other inputs coming from outside their farm while using minimum to no heavy machinery. Crops must be adapted to the soil and climate of each farm, and low water-intensive crops are privileged.
Animals that live on the farm are not bred, exploited or sent to slaughter, but instead, live out their lives alongside their human caretakers who ensure that their basic, species-specific needs are satisfied. Natural farming techniques often use cow manure and urine as fertilisers; there is nothing amiss in using waste to maintain soil fertility as long as no animal is exploited. Farmers who have animals on their farm are, however, encouraged to set aside a small portion of their land for stockfree practices, and to increase that area annually in order to free their land from domesticated animal inputs for optimal soil fertility.
While cultivating vegetables, legumes, nuts and fruits is best for our environment, consuming whole plant-based food is ideal for human health. We make sure that not just the consumer, but also that Urvarasa farmers and their families enjoy healthy, nutritional food by encouraging a plant-based diet.
Goals & Objectives
- Inspire and help farmers in India transition from animal-based to plant-based agriculture.
- Promote plant-based agriculture and the products derived from plants.
- Educate the Indian public on the health benefits of adopting a plant-based diet.
- Inform the Indian public of the environmental destruction due to animal agriculture and pastoralism.
- Promote natural, toxin-free agriculture.
- Support research and documentation of the current agricultural systems in India, including at Urvarasa farms.
- Champion rewilding and the restoration and rejuvenation of ecosystems in India.
- Promote and help to establish food forests in India.
- Build a waste-free farm products distribution system.
- Help forward widespread urban kitchen gardens.
- Assist with the development of value-added farm produce.
- Partner with social enterprises to sell farm produce.
Natural & Stockfree Farming Techniques
In natural farming, nutrients for the soil are derived from biomass available in the form of crop residue and foliage from trees, grasses and weeds growing on the farm itself. Crop rotation and multi-cropping practices also help in adding nutrients to the soil. Practices like ploughing, tilling and weeding are kept at a bare minimum. Animal waste in the form of Jeevamrut, a fermented mixture of cow dung, urine, gram flour and jaggery, may be used if animals exist on the farm. Natural, farm-made pesticides like Dashparni Ark and Neem Astra are used to control pests and diseases.
Taking it a step further, stockfree (or veganic) farming entails farming without the use of any animal products or by-products. Instead, bio-enzymes, prepared from vegetable and fruit peels, are added to the soil for nutrition. Soil fertility is maintained by using green manures, cover crops, green wastes, composted vegetable matter and minerals.
Importance of Transitioning Food Systems
Animal agriculture, even on a small scale, is not economically viable for most farmers. Government subsidies have lured farmers into animal rearing on their farms. The hidden but very real costs incurred by the farmers to raise those animals, like fodder, veterinary care, medicines, electricity, etc., are seldom factored in and are usually unaffordable and unsustainable. After surveying several farms, we’ve concluded that most farmers recognise the flip side of animal-based farming and prefer to transition out of it if they are provided with solutions and support towards economic stability.
Plant-based foods are the best way to achieve and maintain optimal health and well-being, ward off a host of debilitating and deadly chronic and zoonotic diseases and achieve food sovereignty and security. Instigating and promoting the shift toward plant-based diets will ensure that demand follows supply and prompt a positive feedback loop for farmers, encouraging other farmers to follow suit.
The decline of animal agriculture will free up a tremendous amount of land. This greening of India will coincide with national developmental goals and programmes aimed at creating a sustainable economy and ecosystem.
Read More: Animal-based versus Plant-based Agriculture – Jeeva Bhavana
Our Story
Past, Present & Future
After successfully organising the Pune Health and Sustainability Conference in 2019, Madhavi Kolte and Julie Wayne joined hands with Sanjeev Naik to found an India-centred environmental non-profit. Jeeva Bhavana Foundation, an NGO that addresses the negative impacts of animal agriculture, was established in January, 2020.
Understanding that our food system was totally broken and in need of a systemic overhaul, in 2021 we created our farmers’ empowerment programme: Urvarasa. Among its many aims, Urvarasa (Sanskrit for ‘procuring fertile soil’) was born to ensure that none of the elements in the food production system – whether that be the animals on the farm or the living organisms in the soil – are depleted, damaged or exploited, aiming to achieve a healthier and a more just world.
Shortly after, we met Ramhari Kadam, who was already exploring natural farming practices, having experienced first-hand the environmental damages of chemical farming. Ramhari had also given up his dairy business after becoming aware of the unethical aspect of dairy farming and seeing firsthand the devastating environmental impacts of using animals as a source of food. Working with Ramhari was our first stepping stone in applying the Urvarasa guidelines toward sustainable stock-free farming in India.
In November 2024, Urvarasa set up a model farm in Saswad, 60 km from Pune to have the freedom to execute the vision in its entirety and work as a laboratory to find solutions to various natural farming-related hurdles. The farm is a living, organic example of how one can farm sustainably without the use of animals and in safer and healthier surroundings. We are also planning on creating a social enterprise for the produce coming from the farm, as well as working on the transformation of seasonal produce for job creation and value-added products. By organising periodic open houses, the farm will provide education to all current and potential stakeholders – farmers, consumers, experts, students, environmentalists and health professionals – to better understand holistic and ethical farming practices.
Our Roadmap
Our Farmers
Urvarasa Model Farm
Pisarve, Saswad, Maharashtra, India
The Urvarasa Model Farm, located on one acre of Kolte family land in Pisarve, was revived after lying fallow for six years. Madhavi Kolte and Shivraj established it in 2024 to showcase plant-based, animal-free natural farming. Soil fertility was restored using plant-based, organic practices, and water usage is closely monitored. The farm has an ancient well as the main source of water. Despite the dry region, the farm produced...
Bilva, The Natural Farm
Nandi hills, road
Bilva Farm is a farm of passion—an area where both soil and soul are nourished. What started as a project is now a full-fledged farm that produces vegetables, pulses, lentils, greens, and fruits. A 1,600 sq. ft. congregation of trees, planted using the Miyawaki method of forest plantation, is the highlight of Bilva Farm.
The farm, which is less than an acre in size, is 7 years old,...
Balwad Baug
Balwad, Taluka Rajgad (Velhe), District Pune
We are a family of agriculturists, farmers, gardeners, planters, growers and environmentally conscious citizens with a strong sense of social and national responsibility who wish to develop our agricultural land to create an example for conservation and preservation of natural and cultural heritage by functioning as an agro-tourist centre, hospitality and eco-education activity centre, and centre for training in natural, organic, sustainable and cruelty-free farming practices guided by the...
Gangadhar Baba Chhatralay
Guha, Rahuri, Maharashtra
One acre of a 24-acre farm supports an orphanage for underprivileged children in drought-prone Maharashtra. Water is sourced from a well and an artificial pond filled by the Bhandhara Dam. The farm is tended by the children and meets the food needs of 74 residents. It is currently transitioning to natural, plant-based practices under Urvarasa guidelines. This effort aims to build self-reliance and sustainability within the orphanage.
Our Team
Julie Wayne
Co-Founder & Director of Jeeva Bhavana Foundation
A recognised photographer and writer, Julie Wayne is a passionate environmentalist and an animal and climate rights activist. She conceived the concept of Urvarasa as a solution to combat the climate and food crisis as well as to protect animals from cruel farming practices in India.
Madhavi Kolte
Co-Founder & Director of Jeeva Bhavana Foundation
Madhavi Kolte, Project Leader for Urvarasa, is a certified permaculture designer, an internationally recognised artist and an environmental and climate activist. Aside from her work at Urvarasa, she continues to use her art to sensitise people about the beauty and fragility of the natural world and to conduct eco-sensitive art workshops for children.
Sanjeev
Co-Founder & Director of Jeeva Bhavana Foundation
Sanjeev serves as the Director and Finance Lead of Urvarasa, where he combines strategic vision with financial expertise to drive the organization forward. With a keen eye for detail and a strong background in financial management, he ensures that Urvarasa’s operations remain sustainable while supporting its long-term goals. Beyond overseeing budgets and resources, Sanjeev plays a key role in guiding strategic decision-making, ensuring transparency, and building a solid financial foundation for growth.
Sanjay Kolte
Advisor - Health & Liaison Officer
Dr Sanjay Kolte is a prominent general surgeon practising in Pune. He has offered his ancestral land near Sasawad (Pune district) to establish the Urvarasa Model Farm and conduct research to demonstrate the sustainability and economic viability of veganic farming practices. A plant-based-diet enthusiast, his medical expertise, as well as his strong roots in the farming communities and concern for their welfare, makes him an invaluable partner with the local population.
Ashutosh Kumar
Advisor - Fundraising & Business Scale-Up
Ashutosh Kumar, an alumnus of IIT Kharagpur, is the CEO of Jagriti Yatra and Jagriti Enterprise Centre in Purvanchal. A nationally renowned entrepreneurship/ train-journey program, Jagriti Yatra has impacted 8000+ aspiring entrepreneurs of India over the last 16 years. Jagriti Enterprise Centre in Purvanchal is an incubation and innovation program across 10 districts in eastern Uttar Pradesh.
Pankaj Kakade
Natural Farming Consultant for Urvarasa
Pankaj Kakade is an ex-Navy personnel with almost a decade of experience in natural farming. He is the founder of KSoil Farms, a sustainable farming initiative.