AuroOrchard is Auroville’s oldest farm, founded in 1968 and spread over 25 acres of red earth on the eastern coast of Tamil Nadu, it has been a cornerstone of Auroville’s food system for more than five decades. Despite the challenges of farming today, the farm resiliently holds to its purpose, ‘growing food for Auroville’ and tending to the fragile web that binds land, community, and spirit together.
AuroOrchard is Auroville’s oldest farm, founded in 1968 and spread over 25 acres of red earth on the eastern coast of Tamil Nadu, it has been a cornerstone of Auroville’s food system for more than five decades. Despite the challenges of farming today, the farm resiliently holds to its purpose, ‘growing food for Auroville’ and tending to the fragile web that binds land, community, and spirit together.
Polyorchards
We care for orchards planted decades ago while planting new ones for the future. Using syntropic and successional methods, we grow food while deepening biodiversity and soil life.
Vegetable Gardening
Our vegetables grow through every season. With compost, rotations, and minimal soil disturbance, we nurture the land while providing a steady flow of fresh produce to Auroville all year.
Seeds
Ninety percent of our seeds come from the farm, some saved for over 40 years. We raise our own saplings and share seeds and plants to keep diversity alive.
Free-range Poultry
Our hens roam freely outdoors, providing healthy eggs for the community. We continually explore better ways to care for them—balancing their well-being with the farm’s needs.
Abundance
We preserve nature’s surplus by drying, fermenting, and pickling. This reduces waste, extends the harvest’s availability, strengthens the farm’s economy, and creates opportunities to work with food beyond the field.
Education & Research
The farm is a place to learn, experiment, and share. We refine practices, host learners, and exchange knowledge to help grow a new generation of farmers.
Research & Education Alliances
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Est. 1968 AuroOrchard is the oldest farm of Auroville growing food for the community, empowering people & broaden research into agriculture of future
AuroOrchard | Auroville
Est. 1968 AuroOrchard is the oldest farm of Auroville growing food for the community, empowering people & broaden research into agriculture of future
It was a delight to host Rahul Tola for an insightful two-hour workshop, "Thinking Like an Ecosystem." : From Metacrisis to Regeneration
The session offered participants a fresh perspective on the interconnected ecological, social, and economic challenges of our time through the lens of whole systems thinking. Drawing inspiration from nature and the principles of permaculture, Rahul invited us to think like an ecosystem, seeing relationships, patterns, resilience, and interconnectedness as the foundation for regenerative design.
Through interactive discussions and reflection, the session encouraged participants to see the world through a systems lens, drawing inspiration from ecosystems to better understand complexity, resilience, and regeneration.
Thank you, Rahul, for facilitating such a thought-provoking and engaging learning experience, and to everyone who joined us for an afternoon of shared learning and meaningful conversations.
The human body is a remarkable living system. Every moment, it regulates temperature, repairs damaged tissues, replaces worn-out cells, fights infection, adapts to physical and emotional demands, and works continuously to maintain internal balance. These processes take place quietly and automatically, often without our awareness.
In this interactive workshop, we'll explore the body's remarkable capacity to maintain health, adapt, and heal. Together, we'll discover how the human body functions, the conditions that support its natural processes, and how a deeper understanding of the body can help us make more informed choices for our health and well-being.
*About the facilitator*
Charan is a researcher with a deep interest in understanding the human body, health, and natural ways of healing. Over the past several years, he has been exploring the principles of Natural Hygiene, nutrition, the practice of fasting, and the body's natural processes of health and healing. He has also been following a fruit-based diet for over four years as part of his ongoing journey of inquiry and observation.
_Limited spots available. Contribution based._
*Registration (Mandatory) Link in bio:*
https://forms.gle/XtysP8Eef3hQk2n37
*Location:*
https://maps.app.goo.gl/FpRuKH5bfBurmsQL7
*Contact:*
Charan: +91 8431764831
Join us for an interactive session exploring how nature can help us understand the interconnected ecological, social, and economic challenges of our time. Together, we'll learn how ecosystems function, what makes them resilient, and how whole systems thinking and permaculture can help us see patterns, relationships, and practical ways to design more regenerative landscapes, communities, organizations, and everyday life. Through discussion, observation, reflection, and simple design activities, this session offers a fresh way of understanding complexity and learning from nature. No prior experience is needed.
*4th July 2026 | 2:00 PM – 4:00 PM (Saturday)*
*About the facilitator*
*Rahul Tola* is a permaculture practitioner and regenerative design educator with a deep interest in ecology, whole systems thinking, and community learning. Over the years, he has studied and worked with regenerative farms and learning communities across India, including Auroville, Avani Bioenergy, and Varanashi Organic Farms. Drawing from his experience in permaculture, systems thinking, regenerative agriculture, and experiential education, Rahul facilitates engaging learning spaces that help people see connections, understand complexity, and explore practical ways of designing more resilient and regenerative lives.
_Limited spots available. Contribution based._
*Registration (Mandatory):*
https://forms.gle/XtysP8Eef3hQk2n37
*Location:*
https://maps.app.goo.gl/FpRuKH5bfBurmsQL7
*Contact:*
Charan: +91 8431764831
Join us for an engaging session exploring a conservator's journey into mango conservation, the mango as a living heritage, the remarkable diversity found across indigenous varieties, conservation approaches and stories from the field, lessons from food forests, why conserving mango diversity matters, and a vision for the future. Through experiences gathered over years of conservation work, this session offers insights into the cultural, ecological, and biological significance of mangoes and the importance of safeguarding this rich heritage for generations to come.
*27 June 2026 | 10:00 – 12:00 PM*(Saturday)
*Facilitated by Shyju Machathi*-
Shyju is a dedicated Indian mango conservationist, author, and biodiversity advocate from Kerala. Honoured with the prestigious National Plant Genome Saviour Award, he has successfully identified and documented over 200 rare, indigenous mango varieties. As the founder of the Nattumanchottil community initiative, he actively fights biodiversity loss through local tree mapping, grafting, and public education.
_Limited spots available. Contribution based._
*Registration (Mandatory):*
https://forms.gle/XtysP8Eef3hQk2n37
*Location:* PTDC( Portus Distribution Centre) , near Solar Kitchen
https://maps.app.goo.gl/EDzUVCknXWAJjajr8
*Contact:*
Charan +91 8431764831
*Join us for a two-day workshop on growing your own mushrooms! 🍄*
A hands-on workshop exploring simple, accessible methods for growing gourmet and native mushrooms at home or on a farm- no expensive lab equipment or specialized skills required.
Participants will learn practical techniques for cultivating mushrooms in backyards, gardens, and farm settings using low-cost, low-tech approaches - from log inoculation and straw bed methods to outdoor patch cultivation and identifying the best growing sites in your landscape.
*Day 1 -13th June*
Introduction and deep dive into the world of Fungi
Theory on different methods of cultivating mushrooms
Substrate selection and preparation with hands-on experience of pasteurization
*Day 2 -14th June*
Deep dive into bucket and log cultivation- pros and cons of both.
Hands-on experience of inoculating buckets and selecting the suitable growing area
*Suitable for:*
Home gardeners looking to diversify their harvest
Farmers interested in adding a new crop
Food enthusiasts wanting the freshest possible ingredients
Anyone curious about fungi!
*13 & 14 June 2026 | 3:00 – 5:00 PM*(Sat & Sun)
*Facilitated by Ishan - Mycophile & Mushroom Cultivator*
Limited spots available. Contribution based.
*Registration (Mandatory):*
https://forms.gle/XtysP8Eef3hQk2n37
*Location:*
https://maps.app.goo.gl/FpRuKH5bfBurmsQL7
*Contact:*
Charan +91 8431764831
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Certifications
AuroOrchard is certified organic by the Tamil Nadu Organic Certification (ORG/SC/1906/001683) Department accredited by APEDA (Agricultural and Processed Food Products Exports Development Authority), New Delhi, Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Government of India.
AuroOrchard Poultry is recognised under the Certified Humane Program, a globally recognised, independent, international auditing body dedicated to creating a more humane world for farm animals.
