The Earthen Routes Community Farm, established in 2012, is a pioneering initiative that promotes forest farming and permaculture as part of an alternative urban food system. Nestled within the Tata Memorial Centre’s Advanced Centre for Treatment, Research and Education in Cancer (ACTREC) campus in Kharghar, Navi Mumbai, this 30,000 sq. ft., volunteer-run urban farm stands as a testament to community-driven ecological stewardship and regenerative agriculture.
The Earthen Routes Community Farm, established in 2012, is a pioneering initiative that promotes forest farming and permaculture as part of an alternative urban food system. Nestled within the Tata Memorial Centre’s Advanced Centre for Treatment, Research and Education in Cancer (ACTREC) campus in Kharghar, Navi Mumbai, this 30,000 sq. ft., volunteer-run urban farm stands as a testament to community-driven ecological stewardship and regenerative agriculture.Emerging from a once-barren and unused patch of land within the campus, the farm was brought to life through the use of over 250 tonnes of organic and biodegradable waste. Today, it thrives as a productive food garden, with its fresh, seasonal, and organic produce distributed to children undergoing cancer treatment at the research centre.
Beyond seasonal cultivation, the farm also serves as a vibrant hub for training, workshops, and community engagement. In this CASP workshop, Manasvini Tyagi will speak on the genesis of Earthen Routes, followed by a guided walk through the farm and an open discussion on sustainability and permaculture. Through this, we hope to spark meaningful conversations about how intentional land stewardship, mindful design, participatory decision-making, and shared responsibility can contribute to more cohesive ways of living.
Manasvini Tyagi is a certified permaculture practitioner and the founder of Earthen Routes, an initiative dedicated to cultivating ecological awareness and sustainable living through hands-on projects and education. Over the past decade, she has helped establish a wide range of regenerative spaces, including community farms, food forests, kitchen gardens, and terrace gardens, while also teaching in schools, colleges, and corporate environments.
Currently, Manasvini is involved in several projects including in a school setting, where she’s co-creating a food forest integrated into the students’ curriculum, offering them an opportunity to learn directly from nature. She also collaborates with a Gandhian NGO on a community farm that supports their kitchen and is evolving into a learning space for farmers interested in natural farming methods. Additionally, she consults on two private farms, and rooted in permaculture principles and earth care, Manasvini’s work aspires to reconnect with the land and reimagine our relationship with food and sustainability.
Respondent: Amrita Gupta (Art Historian and Co-director, CASP).
November 8th, 2025 | 4.00 pm – 6.00 pm | Earthen Routes Community Farm | Open to all.
