From Engineering to Agripreneurship: How a Mechanical Engineer Is Building a Resilient Free-Range Poultry Model

For Gursaurabh, agriculture was not merely a return to his ancestral roots. Coming from a family engaged in traditional farming for generations, he grew up observing the realities of rural agriculture closely. His decision to take up farming was also deeply influenced by his father, who entered agriculture after retirement and approached it with a distinctly research-oriented mindset.

“I simply tried to follow in my father’s footsteps,” says Gursaurabh.

His father spent considerable time researching and learning before beginning commercial farming - not only studying cultivation practices, but also understanding sales, markets, and supply chains. He believed that knowing where to sell, how markets behave and how to establish a reliable route to market is just as important as knowing how to grow a crop.

“He always maintained that understanding where we sell our produce, studying market patterns and knowing how to penetrate those markets is imperative for any farmer who wants to become truly sovereign and sustainable,” Gursaurabh recalls.

Gursaurabh carried that principle into his own farming journey. While his training as a mechanical engineer gave him an analytical approach to efficiency, investment, risk and long-term returns, his father’s experience taught him to look beyond production. For him, understanding sales and supply chains became as important as understanding farming techniques - a link he believes is often missing from conversations around sustainable agriculture.

This combination of engineering thinking, market awareness and traditional farming wisdom shaped his approach. Instead of viewing farming simply as a production activity, he began designing an integrated agricultural system that could optimize land use, diversify income and reduce operational inefficiencies.

His model gradually evolved into a diversified farm ecosystem combining high-density orchards, free-range poultry, dairy and vegetable cultivation.

Turning an Orchard into a Living Farm System

One of Gursaurabh’s priorities was to reduce dependence on labour-intensive farming methods while improving productivity. He established a high-density guava orchard and introduced free-range poultry beneath the canopy of trees.

This integration allowed birds to forage naturally while contributing to soil health, creating a mutually beneficial system rather than treating crops and livestock as separate units.

However, the free-range environment also introduced challenges. The birds had to face natural predators such as rats, mongooses and other small wildlife. This made it clear that breed selection would be critical for survival and productivity.

Expanding Beyond a Single Crop System

Over time, Gursaurabh expanded his horticultural experiments beyond guava. He began cultivating multiple orchard crops, including lemons, Malta and mousambi, to diversify output and reduce dependency on a single fruit cycle.

Alongside orchards, he also maintains cows and grows seasonal vegetables, which are sold directly in the local Hisar market. This multi-layered system allows him to generate income from multiple sources while maintaining household-level consumption from the same farm.

Looking Beyond Conventional Breeds

Rather than relying on standard poultry breeds, Gursaurabh experimented with genetic lines from Australia, America, France and indigenous Indian breeds to identify birds suited for open farming conditions.

His goal was to develop a flock with three key traits: a strong and vigilant rooster capable of protecting the flock, hens with an annual egg production of around 200–250 eggs, and birds with high resistance to disease and climatic stress.

After multiple trials, he achieved promising results by crossbreeding the American Rhode Island Red (RIR) with the Indian Pure Aseel.

This combination balanced productivity and resilience. The Aseel contributed strength, adaptability and protective instincts, while the Rhode Island Red improved egg production and moderated aggression levels. The resulting birds were better suited for free-range conditions in Hisar’s environment.

Knowledge Before Expansion

Gursaurabh’s experimentation has always been guided by expert input rather than isolated trial and error.

He regularly consults Chaudhary Charan Singh Haryana Agricultural University (CCSHAU), Hisar, for technical guidance and agricultural advice. The university also supported his early journey by providing the initial batch of chicks, which helped him establish the foundation of his poultry system.

This institutional support played a key role in refining his integrated farming model.

A Local Market with Integrated Consumption

All produce from the farm-whether fruits, vegetables, eggs or dairy-is sold in the local Hisar market, where Gursaurabh has found consistent demand and minimal marketing challenges.

This market orientation reflects one of the most important lessons he inherited from his father: production has little value unless a farmer understands the market that will ultimately absorb it.

However, his approach goes beyond commercial farming. By consuming what he produces, he ensures quality control, reduces dependency on external food systems and reinforces his belief in clean and sustainable agriculture.

For him, the farm is not just a business-it is a living system designed for both livelihood and lifestyle.

From Farmer to Knowledge-Sharer

Today, Gursaurabh welcomes farmers, students, and agricultural enthusiasts to visit his farm and learn from his integrated model. He also offers guidance in free-range poultry, backyard chicken management, orchard development, and mixed farming systems.

His journey from mechanical engineering to agriculture highlights a broader shift: farming can be reimagined through experimentation, interdisciplinary thinking and local adaptation, rather than repetition of traditional methods alone.

More importantly, his experience demonstrates that sustainable farming is not only about how efficiently a farmer produces. It is equally about understanding markets, building reliable supply chains, and creating a viable path from farm to consumer.

Guidance for Budding Agripreneurs

For emerging farmers and agripreneurs, Gursaurabh emphasizes a practical approach shaped by both his own experience and the foundation laid by his father: first understand the market, build a strong B2B chain, establish consistent demand and margins, and only then move toward direct-to-consumer (D2C) models.

He believes farmers often focus heavily on production while overlooking what happens after the produce leaves the farm. Building market knowledge, understanding supply chains, and identifying dependable buyers, he argues, should be treated as fundamental components of farming—not as activities to be considered after production.

For Gursaurabh, this is the missing link towards truly sustainable agriculture: a farmer must know not only how to grow, but also where, how, and at what value the produce will be sold.