In a district better known for its sprawling apple orchards, 55-year-old farmer Haroon Rashid has turned the terrace of his home into a small but unusually diverse farm, growing around 100 varieties of herbs, vegetables and fruit.
A resident of Vehil village in south Kashmir’s Shopian district, Rashid cultivates both traditional and exotic varieties on the terrace of the second floor of his house. He relies on organic manure rather than chemical fertilisers for his crops.
“I cultivate both horticulture and agriculture crops,” Rashid said.
Spread over an area measuring about 40 feet by 42 feet, the terrace garden includes a variety of vegetables and herbs.
Rashid also grows oranges, adding another crop to the diverse mix cultivated on his rooftop.
He said he earns between Rs 70,000 and Rs 80,000 annually from the terrace garden, despite the limited space.
“The input cost is less because I use organic manure and grow the crops myself,” Rashid said.
Rashid said his decision to avoid chemical fertilisers was partly driven by concerns over their increasing use in conventional farming.
“Shopian is known for apples, but there has been a lot of use of chemical fertilisers. I believe this affects soil and health,” he said.
His rooftop garden is a small-scale experiment, but it also demonstrates how unused spaces can be converted into productive areas for food cultivation. Instead of relying on a single commercial crop, Rashid has diversified his terrace with vegetables, herbs and fruit.
He said he grows around 100 varieties of herbs, along with vegetables and fruit, experimenting with crops that are both familiar to local consumers and less commonly cultivated in the area.
Rashid’s approach reflects the diversity of farming traditionally practised in Kashmir, while adapting it to a space where conventional farming would otherwise be difficult.
His terrace allows him to cultivate several crops simultaneously without requiring a large tract of agricultural land.
For Rashid, the garden is not merely a source of additional income but also a way of demonstrating that food can be produced with fewer chemical inputs.
The earnings, Rashid said, are an added incentive.
With relatively low input costs, the terrace garden provides him with an additional annual income.
For the 55-year-old farmer, the experiment is proof that farming need not always depend on large orchards or fields.
“Even a small space can be productive if it is properly utilised,” Rashid said.
