[OffRoadFun]

I would like to share my exploits in Ananthpur district that capture some scenery, some serious Off-roading testing Audi Quattro and some farming. Hope you will like it!

Some preview:

How it all started, some background

I was once driving north of Devanhalli and stopped to buy grapes from a roadside vendor and upon asking casually the source of those grapes, I was told it was right behind us, on the road. I visited the farm and it re-kindled my desire to have a farm(house) which will also offer me opportunities to spend weekend out in country and also to drive on BLR-HYD Highway.

I guess the stars were in favor, decided to buy a farmland(?) in Ananthpur district (for budget and other reasons) and even hired couple of guys to manage that.

Here is how the land looked on first day. The disappointment was visible, luckily the guys did not leave after seeing the land:


Nevertheless, capabilities of modern earth moving machines should not be underestimated. In a couple of months, it looked like this:


Not bad I would say, I managed to capture a couple of shots using my mobile on way back"



Monsoons are coming, we start marking the pits for the upcoming orchard:


And then we dig the pits for the plants:



Hard work, on way back to Bengaluru, captured this sunset somewhere on the highway:


Green shoots are visible in the next visit:


The farm was getting into better shape now and with even family members willing to visit that barren and rocky piece of wasteland :-)


And I was getting better scenery shots along the highway:


It was now in a decent shape and my son showed interest in visiting the farm. To keep the interest high and trip memorable, we rented a Mercedes Benz GLA 220d from Zoomcar:


My 5 year old son doubly excited to be travelling in Mercedes to the farm and that too for the first time.

The GLA was gorgeous looking and equally fun to drive. I was especially impressed with its quick acceleration and ever present torque available at ANY RPM or ANY SPEED. Overtaking was so easy. It was decently spacious with good interiors. I felt for my use, it could have been more spacious for the money spent. But the 2.1L diesel engine was indeed impressive. Even at around 140HP, it felt powerful and agile.

On way back, shot a picture where I had earlier captured a sunset, this time in monsoons:

Another trip, things are looking up. My 6 year old was now always looking for a trip

Being a windy area, the area is suitable for windmills which started propping up as soon as we set up our base there. On one of those trips, we decided to explore a few of them and also capture the pictures.

Here is a picture of the windmills in background and groundnut crop in foreground close to our farm:


We went closer to the windmills, my son was really excited to see them, even I was. Had never seen them so closely ever.

Here is one of them and we are at the base of it. At 6'3" being used to feel tall, I rarely felt so tiny :-)


Apologies, the pictures could have been better had I not been lazy to not pick the DSLR gathering dust at home take pics via my mobile!

Sunset was nearingr but I managed to capture a beautiful picture of a farm which just harvested tomatoes and the mulch's silverish tinge was giving beautiful look at the sunset:


Transformation ongoing, another trip:
The farm was a decent attraction for outing now, despite the not so short drive, I loved the drives, exploring Andhra style cashew curry and mushroom curry and naan on BLR-HYD highway. And of course the drive is so much fun.

Here is a glimpse of in and around. Our orchard in background with some tomatoes we tried in foreground:


The trees were big:


With patience and hard work yielding some "fruits" finally :-)


And there were unique vehicles to try on:


Next trip, we tried a couple of detours to see interiors. The area is relatively lightly populated and I like the semi-arid landscape. The nearby mountains (low) are ideal for day trekking, camping and off-roading; more on that later.

Noticed this marigold farm on way:


Then found another one, this time with a good background:


As I mentioned, the area is relatively sparsely populated with good road accessibility and some granite rocks and mountains with moderate temperatures in monsoons. I wish I had time to do some trekking or just some bonfire here in the middle of nowhere.

This place is tempting to take the Q5 off-road and some trekking but unfortunately, we were short on time to try that:


Inviting and empty roads, though single lane but hardly any traffic:


Another Angle:


I still tried venturing out a bit out into the open though my friends wer not so keen:


Captured this one on a nearby farm, on way back:


This is getting longer than I thought would be. In interest of brevity, I think I will capture further off-roading adventures in second post. And hopefully some feedback will help it make better.

Hope you liked it till now. I will shortly come up with follow-up travelogue of this long journey I took with much more emphasis on car and scenery than the farm!

Cheers,

OffroadFun

[phamilyman]

This is truly a transformation and a triumph of technology!

You've just scratched a lifelong itch among so many folks - I know a dozen plus folks who harbor such dreams. When feasible, do share high level numbers so we can understand the practicality of such an adventure besides the gory details of the paperwork (something which I worry a lot about, in Gurgaon)

[Aditya]

Thread moved out from the Assembly Line. Thanks for sharing!

[ampere]

Very nice! Its ideal to head to a farm and also in that process get to drive a long distance.

The only thing I was wondering is how consistent is the need to look after the farm? Because I am sure it will need lots of care.

But did you get sufficient time to head out that far on a regular basis? How do you juggle that part out?

[OffRoadFun]

Originally Posted by ampere

Very nice! Its ideal to head to a farm and also in that process get to drive a long distance.

The only thing I was wondering is how consistent is the need to look after the farm? Because I am sure it will need lots of care.

But did you get sufficient time to head out that far on a regular basis? How do juggle that part out?

I was lucky to have found a good guy to manage it, so I could do with minimal visits.

[Chillout]

Kudos to you, lot many have similar interests, but do not have the will power to make it happen. I am amazed by your passion and the sight of those pomegranate fruits would have erased all the pains. Your thread has given me lot of confidence to start something along similar lines. Bravo and keep it going , hope you are able to convert lot more arid lands

[Raghu M]

I studied in Ananthpur district for around 9 years. I can relate to the landscape and climate. Mostly a dry area but the rocks and mountains form for a great drive during monsoon. Clever idea to buy a farm land, would turn out to be a great investment in a few years from now. Good luck!

[drumbrakes]

The farm looks beautiful. You are truly living the dream. Quattro car, Tomato farm, family, blessings bro.

Do share the timeline & costs if possible. You can also write a blog or a book. The journey of transforming a piece of land into a farm is no small thing. It will be a guide for some of us.

Question, Did you consider the hydroponic setup for growing tomatoes? I have heard they taste better and uses less water. What was your experience in dealing with bugs or pests?

[Fateh Salim]

So happy to find someone who enjoys farming. Even better, you're attempting to instill the same values in your little kid. Since the early 1930s, our family has been immersed in automobiles and farming. We find it tough to manage the farm and livestock even after becoming so accustomed to the routine. So, kudos to you for effectively transforming a desolate piece of ground into something so useful.

[OffRoadFun]

Originally Posted by phamilyman

This is truly a transformation and a triumph of technology!

You've just scratched a lifelong itch among so many folks - I know a dozen plus folks who harbor such dreams. When feasible, do share high level numbers so we can understand the practicality of such an adventure besides the gory details of the paperwork (something which I worry a lot about, in Gurgaon)

Thanks very much. You can PM me for any specific queries. Indeed, technology is powerful today.
Wish you all the best and hope you achieve your dreams!

Originally Posted by Chillout

Kudos to you, lot many have similar interests, but do not have the will power to make it happen. I am amazed by your passion and the sight of those pomegranate fruits would have erased all the pains. Your thread has given me lot of confidence to start something along similar lines. Bravo and keep it going , hope you are able to convert lot more arid lands

Thanks and wish you all the best in your endeavors!

Originally Posted by drumbrakes

The farm looks beautiful. You are truly living the dream. Quattro car, Tomato farm, family, blessings bro.

Do share the timeline & costs if possible. You can also write a blog or a book. The journey of transforming a piece of land into a farm is no small thing. It will be a guide for some of us.

Question, Did you consider the hydroponic setup for growing tomatoes? I have heard they taste better and uses less water. What was your experience in dealing with bugs or pests?

Thanks for the kind words!
I believe hydroponic setup is expensive as it requires huge capital spending and may not make sense to grow tomatoes which sometimes have to be thrown by farmers due to overproduction. I think it is more suited in more prosperous countries with colder climate where consumer can pay a much higher price.

Originally Posted by Fateh Salim

So happy to find someone who enjoys farming. Even better, you're attempting to instill the same values in your little kid. Since the early 1930s, our family has been immersed in automobiles and farming. We find it tough to manage the farm and livestock even after becoming so accustomed to the routine. So, kudos to you for effectively transforming a desolate piece of ground into something so useful.

Thanks Fateh, nice to find someone with similar interests!

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[TrackDay]

Nice to see how you converted that land into something productive Many a times folks shy away from such efforts due to various factors involved. Especially if one is not staying on the site, the crop / produce can be affected by a variety of factors such as strays, animals grazing, insects / pests and also anti social elements who may destroy the unprotected land. Then there is also the case of support from local administrators. At then end of the day it takes good focus and not just money to achieve such dreams. Congrats on achieving your dream

[kedar_GT]

Wow and Wow!
Reminds me of what Jeremy Clarkson did on Clarkson's Farm! (albeit with a lot more resources and $ power)
Awesome work mate!

[dyer_made]

There is this guy Jeremy Clarkson who could sure use some lessons from you.

You make it sound so easy when I am in no doubt that it's a difficult job.

I actually hadn't finished reading your first post when I was compelled to reply upon seeing the first pomegranates. When you showed the first picture of the orchard being laid out and planted I thought to myself, this guy has no clue. But as soon as I saw the fruit pics I knew I had to congratulate you.

By the way this is my first post in nearly 10 years or may be more.

[Chillout]

I wish to contact you and get further inputs and information, especially on the pomegranate plantation, unfortunately I don't see a way to PM you, hopefully you can PM me and and provide your details.

[duker2997]

Kudos to your efforts and interest in farming. I share a similar interest and am looking to setup mine in a few months from now. Looking forward to your updates on the thread.
Also driving down on those empty winding village roads in my Tiguan is equally fun. I'm pretty sure you would be enjoying the Quattro powered Q5 the same way.

Regards