This Woman Farmer Built Tijara Organic Farm on a Biodynamic Model, Empowering Rural Women and Promoting a Circular, Self-Sustaining Economy

Years ago, science established that plants are living organisms, much like humans and animals. They respond to their surroundings, interact with other living systems, and thrive only in a healthy environment, an understanding that forms the foundation of biodynamic farming. 

This belief strongly reflects in the journey of Sneh Yadav, the founder of Tijara Organic Farm, located near the National Capital Territory.

Growing up in a family based in Haryana, Sneh pursued a master’s degree in plant genetics to understand how living systems work.

She was expected to choose an academic or professional career later on, but she decided instead to create a self-sustainable system of her own through organic farming. This initiative not only helped her but also provided great relief to people suffering in the city’s chaos through produces.

When she bought the land in 2010-11, it was completely barren. Between 2011 and 2016, she made mistakes, learned from them, and patiently brought the soil back to life. 

Step by step, she built buffer zones, set up solar power, created water systems, and learned how different soils demanded different care.

Today, her biodynamic farm grows nearly 40 crops each season, is largely run by women, and functions as a self-sustaining ecosystem. It stands as proof that farming, when done with knowledge and heart, can be a deeply intentional way of life

About Tijara Organic Farm owner, Sneh Yadav

As a woman entrepreneur, Sneh carved her own path in agriculture with clarity and confidence. Unlike many who step into farming simply because it is a family tradition, she entered the field with strong conviction and a clear purpose. 

Her academic background in plant genetics shaped the way she thought about farming, pushing her to question practices instead of blindly following them.

"I have observed that Haryanvi women have the fortitude to make decisions. In Haryana, women work very hard, and as a result, they hold significant decision-making power. Even in villages, women play a crucial role in family decisions," Sneh says.

Sneh strongly challenges the common belief that organic farming is limited to using cow dung, cow urine, or neem oil. 

"There are a lot of myths attached to organic farming. People think it is just cow dung, cow urine, neem oil, or mulch. But if cow urine is not fermented nicely, it can lead to an E. coli infection,” Sneh tells Startup Pedia. 

People think, 'Oh, cow urine smells so it keeps insects away,' but they don't realise the risks. These myths exist because people are not taking a scientific approach," she added further.

She approaches it through the principles of soil science, microbiology, and genetics, understanding the soil as a living system where microbes, nutrients, and plants interact continuously.

This scientific perspective allows her to bring clarity to everyday farm practices. Whether it is composting, pest control, or seed preparation, she explains the logic behind each activity to her team. 

As a result, farm work is not done mechanically but with understanding and intent. By combining knowledge with practice, Sneh has turned routine agricultural labour into a thoughtful, science-driven process.

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Initial Investment and Challenges

Sneh bought barren land in 2010-11. The project was completely self-funded, using family savings. Her first major expense was creating a buffer zone. To protect the organic soil from chemical drift from neighbouring farms, she built a strong boundary wall, seven feet above the ground and four feet below it.

"First, we created a boundary wall, which is mandatory for creating a 'buffer zone'. If my neighbour sprays chemicals and I don't have a buffer zone, it will contaminate my crops," the founder tells Startup Pedia.

As the village had no electricity or water connections, she also invested early in a hybrid solar power system and a customised water harvesting setup.

Since the land was barren, it took three years of soil remediation, using biodynamic composting and green manuring, to bring the "dead" soil back to life before it could support a stable harvest. 

Commercially, Sneh learned that the traditional retail route was a dead end. Retail stores and middlemen treated her biodynamic produce as chemically grown vegetables, refusing to pay for the quality.

"It is difficult to give a fixed investment figure because we invested as per the requirement. It’s like building a house: if you have deep pockets, you build it in one go. If not, you go room by room. My husband helped with the financial investment, and he gave me five years to make it work," she says.

About Tijara Organic Farm

Tijara Organic Farm is located in Ibrahimpur Virampur village, Tijara Tehsil, Alwar district, Rajasthan.

It is situated roughly 100 km from Delhi. The farm is divided into two plots. One plot has clay-like soil, and the other plot has sandy soil. 

The clay-like soil plot has better water-holding capacity and higher natural fertility. This makes it suitable for growing nutrient-demanding crops such as leafy vegetables, seasonal vegetables, and crops that require consistent moisture. It also supports strong microbial activity, which is essential for organic and biodynamic farming practices.

The sandy soil plot, on the other hand, drains water quickly and heats up faster. While it is more challenging to manage, it is ideal for crops that prefer well-drained soil, such as root vegetables, legumes, and certain hardy, drought-tolerant plants. This plot also allows the farm to test how organic inputs and soil-building practices perform under harsher conditions.

By working with both soil types, the farm is able to grow a wider variety of crops, reduce risk, and demonstrate how scientific soil management can restore and sustain even difficult land.

Currently, the farm grows approximately 40 varieties of crops each season, including vegetables, fruits, grains, pulses, herbs, and oilseeds, following Rudolf Steiner’s biodynamic principles, which view the farm as a self-contained living organism. 

The farm has around 20 permanent staff members. Most of them are women, many of whom support their families as the main earners. 

The work is divided into two teams,  one looks after farming activities at Tijara, while the other manages packing and logistics in Gurgaon. Crops are harvested every week based on readiness to ensure freshness. Because the farm grows many different crops and harvests in small batches, calculating total production is difficult.

What is Biodynamic and How Does it Affect Agriculture?

Biodynamic farming is an advanced, holistic form of organic agriculture that views the farm as a single, self-sustaining living organism. Originating from the lectures of philosopher Rudolf Steiner in the 1920s, it predates modern organic certification and combines scientific soil management with ecological and cosmic principles.

According to Sneh Yadav, while standard organic farming focuses on what not to use (no chemicals, no pesticides), Biodynamic farming focuses on what to add to revitalise the ecosystem.

As per the biodynamic principle, a farm should minimise external inputs. Ideally, 80% of the farm's requirements, such as seeds, fertiliser, compost, and animal feed, should be generated from within the farm itself. 

At Tijara, the cows provide manure for the soil, and the soil grows fodder for the cows. This creates a cycle where nothing is wasted. Just as the moon affects ocean tides, biodynamic farmers believe it affects sap flow in plants and water content in soil. 

"Rudolf Steiner said that cosmic energy affects life on Earth. Just as the sea rises during a full moon due to gravitational pull, other planets affect life, plants, and humans," she tells Startup Pedia.

Sowing and harvesting are timed with lunar cycles. Sneh notes, for example, that pests often mate during the full moon, so non-chemical traps are deployed specifically during those windows to be most effective. 

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Day-to-Day Activities at the Tijara Organic Farm

Tijara Organic Farm functions year-round, as multiple crops are grown at the same time, and each requires daily care. A key part of everyday work is maintaining soil health through composting and natural inputs. 

Since the farm grows around 40 crops in a single season, activities like sowing, weeding, mulching, and soil preparation happen simultaneously across different plots.

The farm also prepares nearly 80% of its own seeds by collecting and processing them from healthy plants.

Business Model and Distribution Channels

Sneh Yadav follows a D2C business model because she does not sell through mandis or middlemen. She sells directly to people she calls “supporters,” not customers, building long-term trust. The idea is similar to a family doctor-patient relationship, where transparency and consistency matter more than volume sales.

"We call them 'supporters' because they support our farm... It is a symbiotic relationship: they get clean, fresh food, and we get revenue for the farm and staff," Sneh tells Startup Pedia.

The farm follows a fixed pricing system throughout the year, avoiding daily market price fluctuations. Prices may sometimes be higher or lower than the open market, but they balance out over time. The model is aimed at consumers who value quality, nutrition, and ethical farming rather than the lowest price.

For distribution, the farm uses direct ordering through WhatsApp, Instagram, and referrals, mainly serving Delhi-NCR and nearby cities. There is no website or automated ordering system. The farm also supplies select institutions like Olive, Grammar Room, Omo, and The Johri (Jaipur), where chefs plan menus based on what the farm harvests, ensuring freshness and zero wastage. 

Retail stores were avoided as they did not differentiate between organic and chemical produce. Farm operations and deliveries are handled by separate teams to keep farming work focused and organised.

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Annual Revenue

Sneh Yadav looks at success differently. For her, the farm’s value is not measured by how much money it makes, but by whether it can sustain itself and support the people working there. She says she has never calculated it in a formal way, as profit is not her main focus.

All the money the farm earns is reinvested back into operations. It is used to pay salaries to around 20 permanent staff members, maintain equipment, take care of livestock, and manage daily expenses. 

Sneh does not take a personal income from the farm; her household expenses are covered by her husband’s pension. This allows her to prioritise the farm’s stability and her team’s livelihoods.

"My real earning is good health, happiness, fresh air, water, and food. My husband’s pension runs my home," the Alwar-based agripreneur says.

Looking Forward

Sneh Yadav aims to make Tijara Organic Farm stronger, more useful, and sustainable for the next generation. Her plans are centred on reducing waste, supporting ethical farming, and building a lasting system. 

One key goal is to process surplus produce into value-added products such as ghee, butter, pickles, and preserves. She is also creating a network of trusted organic farmers who grow items Tijara cannot, like rice, pulses, and spices. 

This will allow her supporters to source a complete kitchen basket from reliable farmers while keeping Tijara focused on what it does best.

Sneh is also planting fruit orchards that will take years to mature, ensuring the land remains productive in the future. Alongside this, she wants the farm to continue as a women-led model, providing stable work, skills, and income to rural women. 

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