Interview with Mary

“The only thing I do not like are snakes”

Mary, Annapurna has many long-time workers however you joined the farm just a couple of months ago. How old are you and where are you from?

“I come from a little village near Trichi. I am 20 years old and I have two elder sisters, both married. My full name is Soosai Mary.”

Mary is not a Tamil name?

“I come from a Christian family. My father’s name is Joseph and my mother’s name is Arockiya Mary.”

Annapurna Farm is some hundred kilometers away from your home village. How come you work here in the Puducherry area?

“I did a two-year training in the School of Biodynamics in Vinobajipuram. As part of our training we visited Annapurna and I liked it very much. I then asked Tomas and he accepted me.”

The bulk of Indian youth likes to work in more modern professions like IT companies. How come you work on a farm?

“Agriculture was always a dream for me. I applied at Dindigul Agricultural College but it did not work. Then a friend of my father visited us and spoke of the Biodynamic School in Vinobajipuram.”

Are you satisfied with your training there?

“Yes, very much. I had a very good education and I am very grateful. I learned such a lot.”

Amongst all agricultural subjects, do you have a favourite one?

“Yes, I am particularly interested in agroforestry and dairy.”

What is exactly your job in Annapurna?

“At present my focus is on data. The data tells you a lot about what is going on.”

Annapurna is your first workplace. Was it difficult to adjust far away from your family?

“In no way. I found wonderful people here and I am totally satisfied. There’s so much to learn. It is really good.”

Are there things you do not like?

“Yes, I am really afraid of snakes and we of course have them here in the farm. Just yesterday I saw a big one. Pooh.

(Mary Left the farm in 2018 to marry and start a family in her native village)”