From Barren Land to a Living Landscape: The Beginning of Meri Mati Farm
Every piece of land has a story.
Some landscapes begin green, fertile and full of established vegetation. Others begin very differently.
When we first started acquiring the land that would eventually become Meri Mati Farm, it was largely barren. There was little vegetation, no established water source and visible evidence of soil erosion. The property was not one uniform landscape either. Some areas were rocky, some were sloping, and different portions had red and black soil.
We did not acquire all 20 acres at once. We purchased the land gradually, beginning with around five acres. Over the following one and a half to two years, we acquired the remaining portions until the entire property of approximately 20 acres came together.
But from the beginning, we were not looking at the property simply as 20 acres of land.
We were looking at it as something that could gradually become a living landscape.
That became the beginning of Meri Mati Farm.
The Beginning: A Barren Landscape With a Natural Water Path
There is a hill above our property that local people call Burra Pahadi.
The relationship between this hill and our land soon became very important to us.
When we first acquired the property, there was no existing water source on the land. During rainfall, water naturally moved across the slopes and eventually flowed away toward agricultural fields farther down.
At the same time, the land was vulnerable to soil erosion.
Rainwater falling on barren and sloping ground can move quickly, carrying soil with it. Before deciding what to build or where to dig, we wanted to understand how water naturally moved across our property.
Instead of treating rainwater as something that simply needed to be removed, we began thinking about how we could slow it down, retain it and make it part of the landscape.
This became our first major step toward restoring the land.
Why We Started With Water
When we bought the land, we made an important decision.
Before focusing on everything else, we wanted to work on what we considered the foundation of the developing ecosystem.
For us, that foundation was water.
Our vision was to create an environment that could support plants, animals and people. The land needed water, vegetation and healthier soil if it was eventually going to become the kind of living landscape we imagined.
The experience of the COVID period also reinforced something for us: the importance of clean air, nature and a healthy environment.
We wanted Meri Mati to become an example of a different way of living—one in which people could be surrounded by nature rather than separated from it.
But that vision had to begin with the basics.
And the first basic was water.
Beginning the Water-Conservation Work
From January 2021 through 2023, we carried out extensive earthwork across the property.
The work was done gradually because the land itself had been acquired gradually.
Some of the work was carried out manually, while larger excavations required a JCB.
We created pits, trenches, swales and water-holding areas of different sizes according to the terrain.
As the work progressed, we eventually created more than 200 small and large water bodies and water-holding structures across the property.
The location and size of these structures were not identical.
Some areas were more sloping.
Some were rocky.
Some naturally received more runoff.
Instead of trying to impose one design across the entire 20 acres, we worked according to the character of different parts of the land.
This became one of the most important principles of our work:
Work with the land rather than against it.
From the Hill to the Main Pond
One of the most important parts of the water system was created along the side of Burra Pahadi.
We constructed a continuous swale along the hill, following the natural landscape.
The purpose was to intercept and slow down water coming from the hill so that it would not simply rush away from the property.
The swale was connected toward a large pond that we constructed at the far end of the property.
In this way, the water system was not simply a collection of separate pits.
It became a connected landscape.
Water coming from one area could be slowed and guided toward another water-holding area, eventually moving toward larger storage.
We also created smaller channels and swales through different parts of Meri Mati, connecting various corners and middle sections of the property with smaller and larger water bodies.
The idea was simple:
Instead of allowing rainwater to quickly leave the land, give it places to slow down, spread and stay.
More Than 200 Water-Holding Structures Across the Farm
During the water-conservation work, we created more than 200 small and large water bodies and water-holding structures.
They were not all the same.
Some were small pits dug manually.
Some were larger excavations carried out with a JCB.
Some were located in sloping areas.
Some were positioned where rainwater naturally accumulated.
Some areas had more stones, while others had different types of soil.
The location of each structure was therefore influenced by the actual character of that part of the land.
We did not want to create hundreds of identical structures simply because a particular design looked good on paper.
We wanted the structures to respond to the landscape.
In some places, excavated soil and stones were arranged around the water-holding areas, and trees were planted along and around many of them.
The intention was not simply to dig holes in the ground.
Each excavation became part of a larger landscape system.
Over time, these water bodies began interacting with the growing vegetation around them.
And that is when the story of Meri Mati started moving beyond water conservation.
Expanding the Main Pond
The main pond at the far end of the property eventually became an important part of the water system.
After approximately two years, we returned to the pond and expanded its area.
Its size and capacity became roughly twice what they had been before.
This was not an isolated decision.
By then, we had already learned more about how water moved across the property. The experience of rainfall and runoff had helped us understand the land better.
The main pond was therefore expanded as part of the developing water system, with swales and other water-holding areas helping direct and retain water across the property.
The landscape was gradually becoming a network rather than a collection of individual projects.
What Happened When the Rains Came?
The first years gave us something that no plan on paper could provide: the opportunity to observe the land responding to the work.
In the beginning, the property was largely barren.
There was little grass or vegetation to slow the movement of water.
After heavy rainfall, the water bodies could fill very quickly—sometimes after just one or two heavy rains.
Initially, we observed that water could remain in some of the water bodies for around a month after the rains.
But the landscape did not remain the same.
Year after year, grass began to grow.
Plants became established.
Trees grew.
The bare landscape slowly became covered with more vegetation.
And the movement of water began to change.
As the Land Became Greener, the Water Began Moving Differently
By 2025, we were observing that water could remain in some of the water bodies for approximately three to four months after the rainy period.
The landscape had changed considerably compared with the early years.
Grass, plants and trees had become part of the system.
Water that once moved quickly across the more barren parts of the land now encountered a landscape with much more vegetation.
We also observed a significant improvement in the condition of the soil.
Most importantly, the soil erosion that had been a concern when we began was no longer occurring in the same way we had experienced it before.
These are our observations from the development of Meri Mati over the years. We continue to watch the land and learn from what happens each season.
For us, the most meaningful part is not a single pond or a single swale.
It is the changing relationship between water, soil and vegetation.
From Water Conservation to Ecosystem Restoration
When we began the water-conservation work, our objective was not simply to create ponds.
We wanted to create the foundation for a developing ecosystem.
Water could support plants.
Plants could help create a greener landscape.
Trees could provide habitat.
Increasing vegetation could help protect the soil and influence how rainwater moves across the land.
Over time, we hoped the land would support a wider variety of life.
This is why our vision for Meri Mati Farm has always extended beyond farming alone.
We want Meri Mati to become a place where people, plants, animals, soil and water are all part of the same living landscape.
The water works were therefore only the beginning.
The Importance of Observing the Land
One of the biggest lessons we learned was that restoring land is not simply about following a fixed formula.
Every piece of land has its own slope, soil, rocks, water movement and history.
At Meri Mati, we had to observe these differences before deciding where and how to work.
The more we worked on the property, the more we understood its natural patterns.
A rocky section behaved differently from a soil-rich section.
A steep slope behaved differently from a relatively level area.
A place receiving concentrated runoff required a different approach from an area receiving very little water.
This is why our water-conservation system developed as a combination of different structures rather than one uniform design.
The land itself helped determine what we did.
The Journey Is Still Continuing
Meri Mati Farm is not a finished project.
It is an ongoing experiment in living with the land.
We started with a largely barren landscape in 2020.
From January 2021 onward, we began working with water, soil and terrain.
We dug pits and trenches.
We created swales.
We developed and expanded ponds.
We connected water-holding areas across the property.
We planted trees and nurtured vegetation.
And slowly, the landscape began changing.
Today, when we look back at those early photographs, the difference is not simply the number of ponds or trees.
It is the fact that the land feels increasingly alive.
Our journey began with a simple realization:
If we want to create a living landscape, we first have to give the land the ability to hold water.
That was the beginning of Meri Mati Farm.
And it was only the first chapter.
What Comes Next?
The story of water conservation at Meri Mati is much larger than what can fit into one article.
In the next article, we will go deeper into the actual water-conservation work across the 20 acres—how we created the pits, trenches and swales, why their locations and sizes varied, and how these individual structures became part of a connected system.
The continuous swale along Burra Pahadi and its connection toward the main pond is another important part of that story.
We will also share photographs from the different stages of the work, including the early excavation and the landscape after rainfall.
The land taught us where the water wanted to go.
Our job was to help it stay.
—
SEO INFORMATION — DO NOT PASTE THIS SECTION INTO THE ARTICLE
SEO Title:
From Barren Land to a Living Landscape | The Story of Meri Mati Farm
Meta Description:
Discover how Meri Mati Farm began with 20 acres of barren land and a vision to restore water, soil, vegetation and life through a nature-connected approach.
Suggested URL Slug:
“meri-mati-farm-barren-land-to-living-landscape”
Primary Keyword:
Meri Mati Farm
Secondary Keywords:
barren land restoration, land restoration, water conservation, soil erosion control, rainwater conservation, rainwater harvesting, sustainable farming, ecosystem restoration, natural farming, rural land restoration
Suggested Tags:
Meri Mati Farm, Water Conservation, Land Restoration, Soil Conservation, Sustainable Farming, Rainwater Harvesting, Ecosystem Restoration, Plantation, Nature-Based Living
Suggested Category:
Meri Mati Farm / Land Restoration
—
IMAGE SEO
Featured image filename:
“meri-mati-farm-barren-land-before-restoration.jpg”
Alt text:
“Meri Mati Farm before land restoration”
Suggested caption:
The early landscape of Meri Mati Farm before the water-conservation and restoration work began.
Water-work photograph
Filename:
“meri-mati-farm-water-conservation-work.jpg”
Alt text:
“Water conservation work at Meri Mati Farm”
Caption:
Earthwork carried out at Meri Mati Farm to slow and retain rainwater.
Swale photograph
Filename:
“meri-mati-farm-swale-burra-pahadi.jpg”
Alt text:
“Swale along Burra Pahadi at Meri Mati Farm”
Caption:
A continuous swale constructed along the side of Burra Pahadi to slow and guide rainwater.
Pond photograph
Filename:
“meri-mati-farm-main-pond.jpg”
Alt text:
“Main pond at Meri Mati Farm”
Caption:
The main pond at Meri Mati Farm, connected with the wider rainwater-conservation system.
After-rain photograph
Filename:
“meri-mati-farm-water-bodies-after-rain.jpg”
Alt text:
“Water bodies filled after rainfall at Meri Mati Farm”
Caption:
Water bodies across Meri Mati Farm after the monsoon rains.
—
INTERNAL LINKING
Once published, this should become a pillar article.
Link from this article to:
– your existing Water Bodies article
– Native Trees articles
– Grass article
– Mulching article
– Living Fence article
– future detailed Water Conservation article
And your future water-conservation article should link back to this article using natural anchor text such as:
“the beginning of Meri Mati Farm”
or
“our 20-acre land restoration journey.”
This creates a connected Meri Mati content structure rather than isolated articles.
One final publishing recommendation
Use your own photographs throughout this article, especially the early 2021–22 excavation photographs and later photographs after rainfall. Put the photos close to the section they illustrate.
That is one of the strongest parts of this article: you aren’t merely explaining land restoration—you are documenting what actually happened on your own 20 acres.
