Greeshma Ecovillage

These will be in a gated premises and assisted by insitu labour. Individual plot owners can carry out their own farming interventions. This setup is best suited for individuals who would like to run their farm unto their own terms. 

During the course of individual homesteading, if one would like to be a part of the collective effort, they may do so anytime by contributing to the working capital of the collective. Such partnership will not deprive the individual ownership of land, but there are terms and conditions; for more details please reach out to the collective.

Step 1: Please join the focus group on WhatsApp

1. • Lands will be continuously identified in close proximity to the ecovillage that are up for sale. 

   • Indviduals will be pooled up in a focus group. The focus groups can negotiate with land owners and agree upon prices.

   • Once a cumulative requirement for 5~6acres gets collected, land purchase processes can start

Step 2: Lands nearby ecovillage are bought-out by individuals

1. • Land price: starts @₹10~11 lakh/acre + Registration fee at actuals for undeveloped plots. Developed ones may command 2~5 lakhs more per acre.

   • Clear earmarking of surveyed farm plots by means of exclusive sale deeds registered with the taluk sub-registrar. Buyers will have a separate khata/pahani in their name pertaining to the farm plot they own.

   • Less than 10% of the farm plot will go to common facilities like roads, irrigation lines etc., to be shared with the fellow ecovillagers.

Step 3: The collective entity is hired to look after their farms:

Onetime development charges: This onetime charge of ~₹2 lakh/acre (may vary on actuals) is intended towards common facilities development, to be shared amongst the fellow ecovillagers, namely

1. • Drought proofing the ecovillage by Farmponds for rainwater harvesting. The land for digging the farmpond will be taken from the collective patches. So, individual owners may have to compensate the same; please refer Variable costs section.

   • Centralized irrigation system with Transformer & water distribution network will be created etc.,

   • Basic Fencing with rock posts & barbed wire

   • Internal access roads (elevated mud roads) etc., 

Basic fee (compulsory): ₹12k /acre/year – This entitles the individual owners with the following services

1. • Basic Farm security

   • Supervision of farm operations and labour arrangement (labour charges extra)

   • The available 1R labour house can shared with other ecovillagers as a temporary accomodation while working on your farm.

   • Support for marketing of the farm produce (natural farming)

Variable costs:  One may choose to manage these themselves

1. • Farmpond water rationing: @₹100/5000lit

One may require irrigation water of 5~15lakh liters/acre/year based on individual farm design.

1. • Labour charges: Wages @actuals + Food & beverages to the labour

   • Construction assistance for houses or any such facilities would be provided by the collective on a cost basis

   • Agronomical consultancy

Step 4: Reap all that comes out of your land, No more share to be given to the collective.

Returns for individual farming:

(Read disclaimer)

Using permaculture methods, one can establish a self-sufficient revenue model that can yield 25⁺% annual returns on the Working capital. Please get agronomical consultancy if you want to increase your success rate.

Works very similar to option 1 except for the following:

• Lease price: varies between ₹3,000~10,000/acre/year for undeveloped plots. The collective entity will take the lease on behalf of individuals to save them unnecessary paper work. Individuals would sublease plots from the collective

• If the lessor sells the land in future, you may buy it for yourself

This mode is suited for those who recognise the benefit of collective efforts. Moreover, this setup doesn't require all the participating individuals to have expertise in farming and allied activities, yet offers a risk-free collective farming opportunity to individuals. 

Members who put in Working Capital (WC) for the development of the collective holdings will be partners in the LLP and are eligible for a share in the collective entity's profit after tax and other expenses. Following are the two ways, one can become a Partner -

1. By investing money in the Collective Entity (LLP) for the sole purpose of revenue generation from following streams

   • Farming on  the collective land holdings & agricultural commodity selling

   • Providing farm management services to individual land owners (managed farm plots)

   • Farm development & reselling as managed farm plots

2. Individual landowners lease out their land to the Collective Entity (LLP) for long-term, with assets (other than land) therein that are intended towards revenue generation being capitalized to calculate their share in the total Working Capital of the LLP. In the case of greenfield developments, the Working Capital needs to be put in as liquid money by the lessor, aligning to point 1.

The LLP so formed would unify landholdings through long-term leases, in a collective farming mode with a profit-sharing arrangement on all the value streams of the collective entity. The control of shared facilities like farm ponds, access roads, labour quarters etc., will be held by the collective. The collective will be responsible for managing farm activities, drought proofing, agri marketing, value addition endeavours, agronomical consulting and securing the entire Ecovillage, including earmarked zones. In other words, we seat the collectives as custodians of managed farmlands. 

Step 1: One needs to put in Working Capital (WC) by contributing money or assets (other than land) or both to be a partner. In either case, partners are treated as equals for the purposes of business

Step 2: Each partner will get an exclusive DIN(director identification number), DSC(digital signature certificate) using which, he/she becomes a director in "Nysagric Consortium of Ecovillages LLP", by means of a sub-deed amendment with the Registrar of Companies.

• One has to be careful to choose this (Option3), if your current employer forbids participation in any profit making endeavours acting as directors, such cases, please choose from other options available or choose someone from your family to represent you on the board.

• In case partners (land owners) want to pull out of the partnership in between, they cannot walk out with land, but will have to compensate the LLP for the development expenses that are incurred. The new partners are subject to acceptance by the remaining members. This method can also be used for migrating from collective ownership to earmarking, given the opportunities at a point in time

• All the land owning partners, except for the managing director, will have their participation limited to the project, in other words, a specific ecovillage. For instance, although one is a partner in the "Nysagric Consortium of Ecovillages LLP", their partnership would be limited to "Greeshma Ecovillage". Such ones cannot claim any profit or control in other ecovillage endeavours in other places and/or endeavours with another set of partners and Investors in any place

• As we are making it an ever-expanding project, there will be frequent annexation of lands at varying states of development plus multiple individuals joining and/or leaving. So, we rationalize the shareholdings in terms of working capital rather than land area. Please note, the later one joins, more will be the price one has to shell out to get a unit share

Other terms: 

• Construction of houses and other personal amenities, if need be, shall be done by the individuals at their own expenses, on their plots aligning to government rules

• Shared facilities creation shall be done by the collective, taking a consensus of all the members of the collective. The monetary contribution for such facilities can be drawn as additional investment from the ecovillagers and/or external investors. Such investments are not considered to be Working Capital contributions and will not alter the share holdings in the LLP. The construction site, as well as the buildings, will remain an asset of the collective forever.

• Emphasis will be given to decision-making processes that are more inclusive and democratic. Nevertheless, if the partners fail to come up with a unanimous decision on any matter, the Designated Partners can intervene and take decisions unilaterally

• Here, individual participation is not limited by the extent of one's shareholdings. Despite having a dedicated workforce to operate the farm, one can create his/her own farming intervention and other allied value streams within the ambit of the ecovillage's core principles 

• With several value streams running on the ground, there will be opportunities for individual family members to be remunerated for their contribution in their relevant area of work 

• Partial Capital withdrawals or full withdrawals during exits/resignations of members will be as per the terms and conditions as stated in the firm's Article of Incorporation.

The effort aims to create a communion among people of various walks of life, who share a common interest in natural farming, sustainable homesteading, community building activities, rural recreation, ecotourism/trekking trails, environmental remediation & restoration etc.,

The conditions for this are very similar to option 3, except for the following differences. 

• An individual with lesser than a predetermined threshold Working Capital (WC) contribution

• There's is no decision-making authority given to investors.

• There will be no DIN, DSC for investors; so, any individual having constraints for participating in profit-making endeavours by virtue of their current employment may choose this option