Life at Madakkal Ridges
Enveloped by rolling hills and beautiful views, Madakkal Ridges is a farming collective located just 65 km from Bengaluru. It’s a vision of sustainable living spread across 70+ acres and is being developed with principles of agroforestry and food forest. It will house a community of around 40+ like-minded individuals, each owning a ‘large parcel’ of 1 acre+ and independent houses.
We are working with Ananas, our farm design partner, to study the land and create a biodiverse natural ecosystem comprising various growing zones, earthworks, communal spaces, and water bodies. We are collaborating with architects committed to sustainability to design each member’s house, along with a community centre, communal dining area, guest rooms, and staff housing, all with the goal of achieving food sufficiency through natural farming practices. With a land as beautiful and rich as Madakkal, we see ourselves cultivating a bounty of produce, dairy, poultry, and native flora, all the while preserving the pre-existing biodiversity of the collective.
Fun Fact: Madakkal Ridges is blessed with a natural stream that runs through the land.
Glimpses from our collectives
A picture is indeed worth a thousand words. Each frame you see here tells a story—a story of mutual coexistence with the world around us and how we can thrive along with it.
Our Community Centre
A spot at Madakkal Ridges that has incited the most talk and excitement amongst our members is our community centre, designed by Samvad Design Studio. With comfort and functionality in mind, we are creating it as a place where our members can unwind, engage, and enjoy some quiet time alone. Whether someone’s reading a newspaper, discussing farm strategies with their neighbours over a game of chess, or simply enjoying a warm brew, a hotspot like this can allow our members to form meaningful bonds as a community.
What are we doing at our farms?
With farmland as vast and diverse as Madakkal Ridges, the possibilities are endless! We’re eager to maximise its potential while also preserving and adding to its ecosystem. Our farm design partner, Ananas, is lending a hand with the project design to ensure we make the most of this incredible land while including our community at every turn.
Here’s a scoop on what we are planning for our farm:
We plan to become self-sufficient.
Our farm will be a blend of agroforestry and regenerative farming, meaning we’ll grow a little bit of everything: veggies, fruits, dairy, poultry, and even some timber, all the while following natural farming practices. The ultimate goal is to make our collective self-sufficient.
We will grow our own food.
We will grow local and some exotic plant varieties in our collective. But we’re not stopping there. Our farm team is big on experimenting with fresh produce, creating value-added products that last longer on the shelf. And here’s the best part: everyone in the community will get exclusive access to these farm produce and products. We’ll be preparing fresh farm-to-table meals at the community kitchen for all our members.
We have implemented chemical and pesticide free farming practices.
To prioritise biodiversity conservation and soil health, we’ll implement strategies such as crop rotation, cover cropping, composting and using natural pest control methods to sustain the land.
We want our farm to become a hub for learning and collaboration.
We will be working with locals in and around the collective to manage our farming operations, and, in return, we’ll share our expertise with them. We are also planning to offer workshops, training sessions, and educational programmes to those who are keen to learn. Through these strategies, we want our farm to become a model of regenerative agriculture, benefiting both people and the land.
Meet Our Farm
Design Partner!
The Ananas team specialises in creating integrated systems for water harvesting, forest development, and sustainable living. Their approach emphasises educating us about the land while engaging the community in every step of their thoughtful, systematic process.
Get a house with the
most beautiful views.
Our nature-friendly houses are an essential part of the farming collective we are creating. Every porch you step on offers a front-row seat to Madakkal’s best views. We’ll also use environmentally friendly, locally sourced materials to build these houses. Members can involve themselves in the design process and work with our panel of architects to create a house that’s uniquely theirs. While we offer a minimum of 700 sq. ft. house with an acre of land or a 1100 sq. ft. house with 1.5 acres, these are customisable with respect to the design and size. All of our designs and construction processes prioritise local aesthetics, cultural sensitivities, and ecological considerations.
As a community member at Madakkal Ridges, you can work with one of our housing design partners to build your nature-friendly home!
Live sustainably with a like-minded community.
From individuals seeking an escape from the nine-to-five corporate grind to those searching for a forever house, our collective consists of folks from all walks of life. But no matter what stage of life they’re in, every member is here for the same reason: to be part of a vibrant community. For us, community living isn’t just a concept; it is our way of life. From sharing resources to simply enjoying each other’s company, our community thrives on mutual support and collaboration. We encourage all our members to share their goals and ideas, whether for a new project or a small change that could make a big difference. We do our best to implement these within the collective while respecting the natural balance of our surroundings.
Fun Fact: The seed community of Madakkal Ridges has been formed. In case you weren’t aware, the seed community consists of the first set of individuals who register with us and become members of our farming collective.
From our community
Hear what our members have to say.
Explore first-hand accounts from our valued members, each providing a detailed insight into our farming collectives. These testimonials unveil the details of our way of life and what you can look forward to if you join our farms.
Why join Madakkal Ridges?
Learn how we are creating a collective with agroforestry principles and eco-friendly housing.
What to expect from life at a farming collective?
Hear it straight from our farm experts.