Deva Kad- Episode 57. Narrated for Talk Pariyana by Dr Cheppudira Ganapathy Kushalappa.

Dr Cheppudira Ganapathy Kushalappa is the third generation coffee farmer living on certified organic Asha Kiran estate in Konankatte village of Ponnampet taluk. He started his teaching career after completing his doctoral programme in horticulture from University of Agricultural Sciences, Bangalore. After 37 years of teaching, research and outreach work, he retired as Dean (Forestry) from College of Forestry, Ponnampet which is one of the five best forestry colleges in the country. He mainly worked on restoration of sacred forests of Kodagu involving multi stakeholder approach and undertook research and outreach activities on ecosystem services offered by Coffee Based Agroforestry systems on Kodagu including hydrological services to river Cauvery. He is currently leading two Farmer Producer Companies (FPC) ie. Biota Coorg Farmer Producer Company for coffee and Busy Bee Honey cluster for promotion of apiculture in the region working under the principle of ecological economics to sustain communities and landscape. Hence it is gratifying that as a son of a farmer he not only continues to farm but is also contributing to academic, research, outreach and management activities in one of the most diverse and dynamic landscapes of the world. Photo credits: Alaranda Deepak Appaiah Puggera Kavitha Ganapathy Google photos. Contact : Chodumada Saroo Annaiah 9902327221