Idukki (Kerala): Age is just a number for this Kerala woman, who is breaking all the barriers and stereotypes. At 68, Mariammakutti Varghese climbs onto the coconut tree where she first cleans the treetop and then plucks the ripe coconuts. Age does not stop her from doing anything, be it climbing the trees or preparing the land for cultivation. This farmer woman has a steely will and a never-ending passion when it comes to agriculture.
Varghese, a resident of Irumbupalam, Adimali in Idukki became a farmer at the age of 22. She started her fight with all adverse conditions and turned her three-and-a-half acre farmland into an agricultural wonderland. She starts her farm work every day at 6 am, starting with tapping her rubber trees. She then takes care of her cattle and goats, moving on to the farming needs of pepper, nutmegs, cardamom and coconut.