At 75, Tarsem committed to organic farming

At 75, Tarsem Singh has become a well-known figure in and around Hoshiarpur for his commitment to organic farming. Hailing from Neela Naloya village in Hoshiarpur, Singh’s journey from struggling to make ends meet to becoming a respected farmer is nothing short of inspiring.

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Today, he is famous for producing a wide variety of organic vegetables, including seasonal crops, as well as products like jaggery, oil, and turmeric. Tarsem, along with his family, travels every week to Jalandhar to sell their organic produce at the weekly organic Mandi.

Tarsem Singh retired as a school principal in 2010 after serving 37 years in the education department, where he started as a math teacher. Throughout his career, he earned immense respect. However, his journey to success was far from easy. “I didn’t come from a farming background; my father worked as a farm labourer. I remember selling vegetables, working various jobs, and even pulling rickshaws to fund my education, especially my B.Ed. degree, as my family was facing a financial crisis,” Tarsem shared with The Tribune.

His determination to complete his education led him to work tirelessly, no matter the job, to pay his fees.

Eventually, he secured a government job and, with his brother’s support who went abroad, Tarsem was able to purchase land. Initially, he used chemical fertilisers and pesticides for farming. But as time passed, he decided to switch to organic farming, despite the challenges.

“When I sowed wheat for the first time on my five acres of land without using any chemicals, the yield was almost nothing. I only got two sacks of wheat, and people started calling me crazy. But I was determined to stick to natural methods, so I sought advice from experts to improve my practices,” he explained.

Tarsem’s dedication to organic farming deepened further when his daughter was diagnosed with cancer. “That was a turning point for me. My family joined me in the cause, and we committed ourselves entirely to growing everything organically,” he added.