Kai Thota

‘Kai Thota’, which translates to ‘kitchen garden’ in Kannada, is a collective farming model built around the premise that growing food well is not predicated on land ownership or prior farming experience, but shared values, trust, and the willingness to learn. Its model is designed for those the agricultural economy has historically excluded, such as women’s self-help groups, landless farmers and agricultural labourers, first-generation farmers, and young people interested in farming without an entry point. Access to common, leased, or donated land is enough to begin. There are currently two active Kai Thotas, located in Kariyappana Doddi, Ramanayakana Dodd. These villages are part of the Ragihalli Panchayat which is surrounded by an eco-sensitive zone bordering Bannerghatta National Park—a designation that restricts land use and has historically meant lower agricultural incomes for farming communities in the area. Each farm grows a diverse range of vegetables, fruits, and local edible weeds using natural inputs, farm-made organic preparations, and ecological pest management. The produce reaches subscribers through a community-supported agriculture model that cuts out wholesale markets and middlemen, thereby stabilising income for farmers and building a direct relationship between growers and consumers. The organisation publishes a Kai Thota playbook, which is a practical guide to replicating the model. It is updated periodically and is free to access.

Note: Due to an inability to access the official website, the information in this curatorial note for Kai Thota has been sourced from an archived version of their webpage on the Wayback Machine and the article ‘How Kai Thota delivers fresh greens to Bengaluru’ (2024) by Tasmia Ansari for the Good Food Movement.