Flora Visionaries 
 
Mr. Bal (Krishna) Tendulkar

Shivalaya Farm is owned by Mr. Bal (Krishna) Tendulkar and Mrs. Jayashree Krishna Tendulkar.

A Professional Chartered Accountant,Mr. Bal works as COO of a large Infrastructure company.  Born to farmer parents, he spent his childhood in Konkan where farming was the only activity for living. Though, he left his village very early in his life to pursue studies and later his profession, farming remained his primary love. Years of gathering knowledge in the modern world changed his vision of looking at farming as just paddy cultivation and he became aware of modern methods of horticulture and floriculture farming.

At the start, experimenting in cultivation by straying away from conventional methods led to high yields in specific cash crops. This led Mr. and Mrs. Tendulkar to commercialize these crops while still experimenting with these exotic plant species. Collection of such plant species grew tremendously and gradually Shivalaya Farm emerged as a large boutique of tropical plants.

Even though Mr. Bal was very busy in his demanding profession, his deep love for plants kept him involved in collecting knowledge and seeds and plants for their farm. He actively encouraged and provided support and guidance to his wife Jayashree to enhance growth at the farm. Today, he leads the Farm with his exemplary vision and foresight, continuing in his endeavour to expand the collection of tropical plant species.

Mrs. Jayashree Krishna Tendulkar

Mrs. Jayashree Krishna Tendulkar is the force behind Shivalaya Farm. She has steered the Farm to exceptional success in a short span of just 15 years.

Her association with agriculture and Konkan started way back in 1990 when she left her job in Mumbai and took up a small plot in Konkan to practice agriculture as a hobby. Soon, with the support of her husband- Mr. Bal Tendulkar, she took up agriculture as a full time occupation. They studied modern agriculture to be able to implement best practices at their farm. They met experts in India and abroad and studied the systems to understand the intricacies involved. Their associations with the experts made them realize that agriculture can become a commercially viable venture and hence started their long journey to realize their dream of having a commercial farm. 

With knowledge and confidence backing her, Jayashree Tendulkar bought 37 acres in 1995 in Lanja in Ratnagiri district in Maharashtra and began to grow different types of crops/plantation using modern techniques. Her hard work, determination, a keen learning attitude and her perseverance quickly turned the farm into a goldmine, flourishing with many species of plants and fruits, so much so that in just 3 years, she became a renowned name in agriculture.

She was awarded the Jijamata Krishi Bhushan Award for the year 1999-2000, the highest state award, by the government of Maharashtra, for her commendable contribution in the field of agriculture.