Sita Gurung transformed a steep, neglected hillside in Gorkha into one of the region’s most productive organic herb farms. Green Terrace Farm is a testament to what women-led agriculture can achieve — terraced permaculture beds cascading down the slope, each one brimming with turmeric, holy basil, timur pepper, and dozens of medicinal species.
Building from the Ground Up
When Sita returned to her family’s land after years working in Kathmandu, she found eroded topsoil and abandoned terraces. With guidance from a local permaculture collective and sheer determination, she rebuilt the stone retaining walls, planted nitrogen-fixing cover crops, and introduced contour swales that capture monsoon rain and channel it slowly downhill. Within three seasons the soil had darkened, the worms had returned, and the first commercial harvest of fresh turmeric was ready.
Today the farm employs twelve women from neighbouring villages, all trained in organic cultivation methods. Sita runs weekly workshops on composting, seed saving, and natural pest deterrents made from locally gathered neem and citronella.
The mountain taught me patience. You cannot rush a terrace into being — you shape it one stone, one season at a time. The herbs understand that rhythm.
Sita Gurung
The Harvest
Green Terrace Farm supplies BioFresh with a rotating selection of fresh and dried herbs that carry the distinct aromatics of high-altitude cultivation. The cooler nights and intense sunlight at 1,400 metres concentrate essential oils in ways lowland farms cannot replicate.
- Fresh turmeric, ginger, and galangal — harvested weekly during season
- Holy basil (tulsi), lemongrass, and mint bundles year-round
- Timur (Sichuan pepper) and jimbu — rare Himalayan spices
- Sun-dried chamomile, rosemary, and ashwagandha for wellness teas
A Model for Others
Sita’s farm has become a demonstration site for the district agriculture office. Visiting farmers see firsthand how terraced permaculture can restore degraded hillsides while generating a livelihood. Her PGS certification — a peer-reviewed organic guarantee system recognised across South Asia — means every bunch of basil and bag of turmeric that reaches your door carries the collective trust of her farming community.
