A variety of vegetables are grown on 25 acres of land close to the Ashram at Pothencode. Horticulture is actively carried out at all the branch ashrams as well.
The vegetables cultivated at Pothencode include traditional items such as kappa(tapioca), 'cheera' (a variety of spinach), 'padavalam' (gourd variety), paaval(bitter gourd), payar (long beans), vellari (a type of cucumber), mattan (pumpkin), kutti payar (small beans), kattiri (brinjal variety), vazhuthana (brinjal), kumbalam (winter melon) green chili, tomato, curry leaf, plantains and chenna(yam), chemba and kaachil (tuber varieties).
The Ashram requires a large quantity of vegetables every year. In view of the ever rising prices and seasonal scarcity ,it aims to become self sufficient in vegetable supply.
At present, only 15 per cent of the requirement is met through in-house production. The goal is to raise it to 50 per cent shortly.
