Ranjani’s hens feed on insect pests on her fruit trees while their droppings fertilize the soil.
Regenerative Farming in Action
Meet Ranjani Munasinghe, environmentalist, advocate for sustainable farming and a lifelong grower. She owns and operates Home Sweet Farm, a small but mighty farm in Erin.
A Blank Slate
When Ranjani purchased the farm in 2014, her goal was to use regenerative agriculture to produce a continuous harvest from early summer to late fall. At the time, the entire farm was pasture. This gave her and her partner, Kamal, a blank slate and creative freedom to achieve their goals. The only exception was for a few invasive Scots pine saplings at the back of the property.
Creating a Natural Sanctuary
In 2021, Ranjani received a grant from the provincial government’s Species at Risk Partnerships on Agricultural Lands to remove the Scots pines. Through the Green Legacy and CVC’s tree planting programs, and with funding from the Wellington Rural Water Quality Program, Ranjani replanted the area with native trees and shrubs like spruces, oaks and maples.
“The back of the property feels like a sanctuary now,” Ranjani says. “In the early mornings, it’s filled with birdsong.”
This project is just one of the many enhancements Ranjani has done for the land. Each project has prioritized sustainability, helping the farm thrive ecologically, socially and financially into the long term. Home Sweet Farm has been transformed into a thriving, sustainable operation that feeds Ranjani and her family, with excess produce sold to the community through the farm’s website.
A Labour of Love
Inspired by the principles of permaculture and food forests, Ranjani has created a low-maintenance, self-sufficient agricultural system that mimics natural ecosystems in producing food, with the bonus of creating habitat for local wildlife. The approach connects land, resources and people, and prioritizes soil health, biodiversity, water conservation and perennial crops. The journey has been a labour of love-for-growing and of trial and error.
Their first project was a two-acre wildflower meadow, planted to aid pollinators and promote the production of organic, pesticide-free tree-fruits, berries, nuts, vegetables and flowers.
“When we saw flowers but no fruit, we realized we needed more pollinators. So, we created the wildflower meadow to support native pollinators and added beehives,” Ranjani says. “When insect pests on the fruit trees became unmanageable, we added hens to eat the pests.”
The hens’ droppings act as a natural fertilizer, returning essential nutrients to the soil. Comfrey plants growing at the base of the trees play a different but complementary role: their deep taproots draw up minerals and nutrients from the subsoil, which are then released into the topsoil as their leaves decompose. This makes nutrients more accessible to other plants.
Together, chickens and plants like comfrey are examples of regenerative agriculture in action—building soil health while eliminating the need for commercial fertilizers.
Many of the foods Ranjani produces don’t require annual tilling, which minimizes disturbance to the soil and maximizes soil health. The soil is now adaptable and can grow just about anything with the right care and water. Now Ranjani and her family enjoy better fruit, honey and eggs.
“It’s a dream for anyone who loves growing,” she says.
Fulfilling a Life-long Dream
Farming gives Ranjani the space to live her passion: she grows food in ways that protect the land and water. “I want to be able to look back and say, I did my part.”
And her friends Tara and Somay own the farm next door. Their growing journey has been a shared one.
With an abundance of food available throughout the growing season, Ranjani hopes to add a commercial kitchen to the farm, creating a space where people can go to preserve farm-grown food for use throughout the winter.
“There’s something deeply fulfilling in watching this place come alive, knowing we’ve played a part in nurturing it,” Ranjani says. “That is a big win for me.”
And it’s a big win for the wildlife she shares the farm with.