Fancy playing farmer for a day?

This pin-drop silence was punctured by the chirping of birds and the mooing of the odd passing cow.

It's impossible to miss the farm gates, thanks to colourful prayer flags, fluttering aggressively in the breeze.

Tractor ride on the farm.

We were told later that these were prized possessions of Pravin Kotkar, whose family owns Dirghayu Farms Agri Resort.

The red, blue, green and yellow flags etched with ancient mantras denoting prosperity, success and happiness caught his attention while on a trip to Bhutan.

Stay at a Farm to live longer
Dirghayu Farms, which translates to the farm that makes you live longer, is an agri resort that fetches revenue via tourism for the local population.
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The 27-acre farm won the 2009 Agri Tourism Appreciation Award and is host to hundreds of varieties of plants,u00a0 flowers, fruits, spices and herbs.
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It's also home to an animal farm inhabited by ducks, horses, cows and hens.

At the entrance, inside a small garden are a variety of flowering plants including lilies, roses and hibiscus. Here, you can also spot weather instruments like the wind velocity

metre and the rain gauge. Beside the garden is a geese farm where eight temperamental geese (pecking at bystanders is a pastime) live in chaotic harmony.

For the Adventurer

After a breakfast of poha and chai, a jungle trek beckoned. There was a waterfall waiting to be explored.
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Located barely two kms from the farm, a verdant mountain-top jungle abruptly ended as the land began to dip. We couldn't help imagine ourselves to be shooting on location for the hit TV series Lost.

As we navigated our way down its slippery slopes, the sound of the gushing seasonal waterfall tempted us to head towards it.

For the thunderous noise it echoed, it wasn't all that intimidating. It was safe, even for kids to take a dip here. Being a secluded spot, it's perfect to sit by and soak in the setting.

As the sun played hide-and-seek behind the monsoon clouds, we waited for the heavy downpour, which never showed up.

Another action-packed chapter was the thrilling but bumpy tractor ride around the farm, in the afternoon. Unlike anything we've experienced before, it reminded us of scenes from our desi potboilers set in rural India.
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The horseback ride, later in the day, was another highpoint. Plenty of childhood memories resurfaced, but this 20-minute ride against a lush green scenic backdrop felt special.

The eight resident geese take turns to cool off inside their enclosure

For the Eco-Warrior

If you're serious about the green stuff, don't miss out on the hour-long walking tour with Kotkar. Educative as it was refreshing, it came peppered with anecdotes about each plant.

Sample a few the Arjunsada gets its name from the legend that Lord Krishna applied its leaves to heal Arjuna's wounds after the Mahabharata war.

The Saptaparni is a natural miracle of symmetry as each of its branches has seven leaves. The Hanuman Phal leaves are a natural aphrodisiac.
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The Fishtail Palm trees has leaves shaped like a fish tail. Plants are segregated depending if they bear fruit, flowers, spices or if they have Ayurvedic properties.

The farm boasts of 32 varieties of mango trees. It also has a vermiculture centre where organic compost is created from worm waste, to grow crops.
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Eco-friendly souls can take heart as the farm uses solar energy and biogas plants to power its cottages and drip irrigation to avoid water wastage.

For soul time

After all the exploring and trail blazing, you must take time off to catch nature in its purest form. There's plenty of landscape to marvel at.
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We caught one such picture-postcard view while returning to the farm. A solitary wild horse was grazing in the pasture, unmindful of humans in close vicinity.

We headed to the farm for a simple lunch followed by a siesta in the thatched recreation hut. There's an option of trying your hand at a board game or simply rest.

We chose the latter. Anybody would; the rooms are made from dried leaves, with clay-plastered walls and open windows. With refreshing natural ventilation it will beat any AC room.
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It was one of the best afternoon naps, ever.

Green Haven
We checked out the huge plant nursery, where you get to take back your own green memento. Priced between Rs 20 to Rs 120, it includes rare breeds as well as common varieties.

This safe-for-all waterfall is barely two kms from the farm

We couldn't resist picking up a Krishna Tulsi plant that gets its name thanks to its purple-coloured leaves that resemble Lord Krishna's bluish tinge. The perfect end to a memorable day at the farm.

At: Dirghayu Farms Agri Resort, Post Birwadi, Bhatsa Dam Project Road, Shahapur Taluka, Thane District. call: 9969983318. log on to: www.dirghayufarms.com;
Email: enquiry@dirghayufarms.com

Cost: One-day veg package: Rs 300 (adults), Rs 250 (children below 12 years); One-day non-veg package: Rs 400 (adults), Rs 350 (children below 12 years). Cottage: Rs 1,500 (3 adults / 2 adults + 2 children). Group: Rs 1,800 (7 persons).

When rabbits go Tipsy
Kotkar had an amusing story to tell, "We have mahua plants in our forest and its flowers have a mild alcoholic content. At night, it is common for rabbits to nibble on these flowers. By morning, you often spot wild rabbits lying deep in intoxicated sleep."

Must carry
Toiletries
Windcheater/raincoat
Change of clothes
Towel
Camera and batteries
Floaters/flip flops, waterproof footwear

How to reach
By Rail: Board any Kasara bound train (fast) from CST or Dadar and alight at Atgaon. Check the railway timetable before you plan to visit. These trains arrive after every 45 minutes to an hour.
By Road: Dirghayu Farms is located on Bhatsa Dam Project Road, three kms from Mumbai-Nashik Highway, at Birwadi in Shahapur Taluka, Thane District.

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