ROOT & RENEW
My Story
Hello, my name is Ritika! I am a 16-year-old student in Bangkok with a passion for sustainability, innovation, and making a difference. In 2021, I embarked on an exciting journey to create Root & Renew. What started as an idea inspired by my family’s love for great food and a desire to make agriculture more sustainable has grown into something much bigger. This is the story of how it all began.
Why I started Root & Renew
The first time I really thought about where food comes from was while watching an episode of Chef’s Table in 2021. The chefs discussed how the secret to great food wasn’t in complicated recipes, it was in the quality of the ingredients. That stuck with me. My family has a foothold in the food businesses, and I’d eaten enough pizza and pasta to know the difference between average and amazing ingredients. But I had never asked why some vegetables taste better than others.
Then I found out that my family had a piece of unused land in Kampheng Phet. It wasn’t some perfect green farm though; it was dry, patchy, and overgrown. But I saw it as a chance to learn. I thought, "What if I try to grow vegetables myself and see if I can figure out what makes food actually good?"
I went down rabbit holes on YouTube. I read articles about soil biology and regenerative farming. I learned that conventional farming, the kind that uses chemical fertilizers, pesticides, and monoculture, actually damages the soil over time. That means every season, you need more chemicals just to grow the same crop.
That’s when the idea for Root & Renew started forming. It wasn’t just about growing better basil for pizzas. It became a project about rethinking how we treat soil, how we feed people, and how much damage we’ve normalized in farming. I wanted to build something real, even if it meant messing up a lot along the way
November, 2022
How I Built Root & Renew
Starting Root & Renew was anything but smooth sailing. What I thought would be a straightforward process turned into a series of trials, errors, and valuable lessons that have shaped the foundation of our farm today. Let me take you through what I did, the mistakes I made, and how those lessons became the foundation for Root & Renew!
March, 2025
Lesson 01: Starting From Scratch
When I first began, nothing grew. Despite following traditional methods, my plants struggled in poor soil, and pests became a persistent problem. I realized that organic farming required a different approach, one that prioritized balance and the natural health of the soil and ecosystem.
I experimented with creating our first greenhouse, aiming for a controlled environment where we could protect the crops. But I made mistakes. The floor was cemented, and the ventilation system was poorly designed. The result? Excessive humidity created the perfect breeding ground for pests. Exhaust fans and an evaporative cooling system didn’t have proper netting, allowing mosquitoes and bugs to invade. Within a few months, most of the crops were destroyed.
Lesson 02: Learning From Experts
At a pivotal moment in this journey, I was introduced to Benoît, a French farmer renowned for his expertise in producing exceptional, high-quality crops. My dad had visited Benoît’s farm in France, where he witnessed firsthand the dedication to cultivating produce in healthy, living soil. The farm was unlike anything I had ever seen: lush, vibrant, and buzzing with life. When my dad returned, he introduced me to Benoît, and that meeting would become a defining moment in my path.
His guidance transformed this project. Benoît introduced me to a range of innovative and cost-effective techniques, starting with Israeli greenhouse systems. These systems utilized specific netting and open-soil structures to create the perfect balance of airflow and pest control. He also taught me about the power of microorganisms in farming. Instead of relying on pesticides, we used nematodes, microscopic organisms that target harmful pests like destructive earthworms, while leaving the beneficial ones unharmed. The approaches he suggested completely changed the game, showing me that nature often holds the answers, if you take the time to understand it.
Lesson 03: The Soil is Everything
One of the most transformative lessons I learned was the concept of living soil. Unlike conventional farming, which relies heavily on chemical fertilizers to provide short-term nutrients, living soil is a thriving ecosystem.
With Benoît's guidance, I started collecting organic waste from hotels, including coffee grounds, eggshells, vegetable scraps, and a variety of other materials—including animal manure, and turning it into compost. This compost was then mixed into our soil, improving its structure and providing natural nourishment to the plants. By fostering a thriving ecosystem beneath the surface, we noticed a significant improvement in the resilience and quality of our crops.
Lesson 04: Building the Nursery
I also realized the importance of nurturing plants in their early stages. A nursery is like a neonatal unit for plants, where seeds are given the best possible conditions to grow into healthy seedlings.
With Benoît's help, I created a specialized nursery with light soil, controlled temperatures, and a precise watering system to avoid overwatering or damaging the delicate roots. This was where I learned to treat plants like babies, giving them the right care at each stage of growth. Once the seedlings reached a certain size, they were replanted into regular soil to continue their development.
Lesson 05: Water and Adaptability
Water is life, especially on a farm. With the help of locals, we constructed a 600-meter waterway to bring fresh water from a nearby river to the farm. It was a massive effort that required months and months, requiring heavy equipment to dig channels and create a manmade lake. But it was worth it, this sustainable water source now supports all our farming needs.
During this, I also learnt me the importance of adaptability. Weather conditions in Kampheng Phet change drastically throughout the year. I learned to adjust our practices.
Root & Renew has grown into more than just a farm, it is now a living experiment in regenerative farming. With the guidance of mentors like Benoît, we've rethought greenhouse designs, perfected irrigation systems, and embraced innovative techniques that have transformed our approach.
Root & Renew shows that with persistence, innovation, and the courage to try new ideas, even a teenager can make a meaningful impact in farming and beyond. The journey is ongoing, with each lesson bringing new opportunities to evolve!