Raveendran Kodakkad’s Farm to Function as a Farm Field School with Recognition from KVK Kasaragod and Kerala State Biodiversity Board

Raveendran Kodakkad’s Farm to Function as a Farm Field School with Recognition from KVK Kasaragod and Kerala State Biodiversity Board

Kasaragod, October 30, 2026: The agricultural holding of Raveendran Kodakkad, Associate Director of Karshaka Vidyapeedam (Farmers’ University), at Kodakkad in Kasaragod district, including his paddy fields, is set to function as a Farm Field School with recognition from Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK), Kasaragod, operating under the ICAR–Central Plantation Crops Research Institute (CPCRI), and the Kerala State Biodiversity Board (KSBB).

The initiative envisages transforming his working farm into a centre for practical agricultural learning, where farmers, students, agricultural professionals and other interested visitors can observe and understand traditional as well as modern farming practices. Facilities for marketing agricultural produce grown on the farm are also proposed.

The recognition brings renewed attention to Raveendran's longstanding involvement in traditional crop conservation, diversified farming, agricultural resource management and the sharing of practical farming knowledge.

From Government Service to Farming

Raveendran's agricultural journey is distinguished by his decision to take voluntary retirement from Central Government service and devote himself to farming.

Over the years, he has developed a diversified agricultural enterprise incorporating paddy, coconut, arecanut, black pepper, banana, vegetables, fruit crops and livestock.

His approach reflects a broader understanding of agriculture as an activity involving not only production and income generation but also the conservation of traditional crop varieties, efficient use of farm resources and the sharing of knowledge among farmers.

Conserving Traditional Rice Varieties

Paddy cultivation has been a major component of Raveendran's farming activities, with particular attention to traditional rice varieties and their continued cultivation.

Among the traditional varieties previously reported from his farm are Allikkannan, Malakkaran, Gandhakasala, Rakthashali, Navara, Chennellu, Kayama and Chitteni. Improved varieties, including Uma, Jyothi and Jaya, have also formed part of his cultivation activities.

A profile published in November 2023 reported that he was cultivating paddy on approximately 13.5 acres and had produced around 23 tonnes of paddy that year.

Importantly, his contribution has extended beyond production on his own farm. The same report documented his involvement in producing and supplying paddy seedlings and seeds to other farmers, including seedlings sufficient for approximately 40 acres and four tonnes of paddy seed during the reported period.

Such activities contribute to the continued cultivation of locally adapted rice varieties and facilitate access to planting material among farmers.

Integrated Farming and Resource Conservation

Another distinctive feature of Raveendran's farm is the integration of different agricultural enterprises.

Coconut and arecanut plantations accommodate intercrops, while livestock and crop production are linked through the utilisation of farm-generated organic resources.

The farm has also maintained indigenous cattle breeds, including Kasaragod Dwarf and Vechur cattle.

Crop residues, livestock manure and other locally available materials are utilised in farm management, demonstrating opportunities for recycling resources within an integrated agricultural system.

Water conservation and irrigation management have received considerable attention. Earlier reports documented the development and use of ponds and wells to support cultivation across the farm.

These practices offer opportunities to study the relationships among crop diversification, livestock integration, soil management, water availability and agricultural sustainability.

Value Addition and Farm-Based Marketing

Raveendran's activities have also extended to the processing, value addition and marketing of agricultural produce.

Products associated with his farming enterprise have been marketed under the name Kodakkadans, reflecting efforts to connect farm production with consumer markets.

The proposed Farm Field School will also provide opportunities for visitors to understand how agricultural production can be linked with processing, value addition and marketing.

Such exposure is particularly relevant for farmers seeking to improve the economic viability of diversified agricultural enterprises.

A Farm That Shares Knowledge

Beyond his own agricultural enterprise, Raveendran has been associated with collective farming initiatives, the promotion of traditional cultivation practices and agricultural educational activities.

He was associated with the Kadalivanam Agricultural Village initiative, launched in 2006, which sought to bring local participants together for agricultural activities.

His involvement in preparing a paddy seedbed for an agricultural learning programme attended by biology teachers in Kasaragod in July 2025 further illustrates his interest in sharing practical agricultural knowledge.

As Associate Director of Karshaka Vidyapeedam (Farmers’ University), he is also associated with an organisation that promotes farmer education, farmer innovations and the exchange of agricultural knowledge and experience.

Farm Field School: Learning Through Experience

The Farm Field School approach places the farmer's field at the centre of the learning process.

Unlike conventional classroom-based instruction, a Farm Field School provides opportunities for participants to observe agricultural practices under actual field conditions, examine crop performance, discuss problems and learn through practical experience.

Effective Farm Field Schools involve more than farm visits or demonstrations. They encourage systematic observation, participatory learning, discussion and collective evaluation of farming practices.

Raveendran's farm offers a particularly relevant setting for such activities because of its combination of traditional rice cultivation, diversified cropping, indigenous livestock, resource recycling and farm-based marketing.

Visitors can potentially learn not only about individual agricultural practices but also about the interactions among different components of a working farming system.

Recognising Farmers as Sources of Agricultural Knowledge

The development of Raveendran Kodakkad's farm as a Farm Field School has significance beyond the recognition of an individual farmer.

It reflects the educational value of experienced farmers and their working farms.

Farmers accumulate knowledge through years of observation, experimentation, adaptation and practical decision-making. When such knowledge is systematically shared and critically examined, it can complement formal agricultural research and extension services.

The initiative also aligns with the emphasis placed by Karshaka Vidyapeedam on recognising farmers as contributors to agricultural knowledge rather than viewing them merely as recipients of technologies developed elsewhere.

With the involvement of KVK Kasaragod and the Kerala State Biodiversity Board, the Farm Field School has the potential to contribute to agricultural biodiversity conservation, practical farmer education and the wider exchange of locally relevant agricultural knowledge.

For Raveendran Kodakkad, the initiative represents another stage in a farming journey that has combined agricultural production with conservation, experimentation and the sharing of knowledge. His farm is now poised to serve not only as a place where crops are grown, but also as a place where agricultural experience becomes a resource for learning.