Raman tending to tall, red flowers.
Raman tending to flowers outside of his Georgia home.
Photo: Courtesy of Raman

Farming and cultivating abundance have always been part of Raman Dahal’s way of life. Originally from Bhutan, Raman grew up on a farm growing vegetables, rice, spices and corn. His community would consume what they needed, share with family and friends, and sell the remainder. However, in the early 1990s, Raman and other members of his community were forcibly displaced and moved into refugee camps in Nepal—there, he earned his degree and became a high school environmental science teacher. Determined to pass down his knowledge of sustainable and community-based living in the classroom, he and his students established a community garden and greenhouse on the school grounds. 

A garden of young trees.
After resettling in Atlanta in May 2008, Raman noticed how many of his neighbors were not growing any of their own food.
Photo: Courtesy of Raman

After resettling in Atlanta in May 2008, Raman noticed how many of his neighbors, despite living in houses surrounded by yards full of empty land, were not growing any of their own food. It was at this point Raman started conversations with other members of his community—he proposed using their yards to start growing vegetables, specifically South Asian vegetables which are harder to find in American grocery stores. Another local organization, Global Grower’s Network, also helped Raman gain access to more plots of land to grow and learn how to adapt his farming skills to the environmental conditions in Georgia.

Raman sitting at his table during a business pop up event at Refuge Coffee.
Raman promoting his business during a pop up event at Refuge Coffee Co.
Photo: IRC Atlanta

By the beginning of 2022, Raman was ready to formalize his growing operation and take it to the next level. He got in touch with the IRC in Atlanta’s  Microenterprise Development (MED) Program and with the support of our Business Counselors, Raman created a business plan for Shared Yards Permaculture, focused on working with landowners to use their yards to produce vegetables and flowers. He also worked with IRC Business Counselors to explore additional revenue streams—these included harvesting and selling marigold flowers to the local Mexican and Hindu communities for the Day of the Dead and Diwali holidays respectively, selling seeds and potted seedlings at local markets, and building a greenhouse to provide a wider array of services. Raman also successfully secured a low-interest small business loan from the IRC’s Center for Economic Opportunity and after a year of running Shared Yards Permaculture and collaborating closely with homeowners, has expanded his work to three yards.

Two cardboard boxes filled with marigolds.
Marigold flowers sold to the local Mexican and Hindu communities for the Day of the Dead and Diwali holidays respectively.
Photo: Courtesy of Raman

Raman shared that the IRC in Atlanta’s MED program has been pivotal in the development of Shared Yards Permaculture LLC: “The Business Counselors provided step by step guidance with regards to business planning, accessing a loan, bookkeeping, and marketing resources. These along with workshops and grant application sessions have prepared me to make reasonable investments and scale the business gradually. The continued support and updates on different events for small businesses from Kendall and Sultan have been absolutely encouraging and they are always available for help and guidance.”

A garden of purple, pink, and tall green plants.
Raman hopes to bring the joy of producing your own vegetables and abundance to more homes.
Photo: Courtesy of Raman

Raman hopes that as his business continues to grow, he will be able to transition to working on Shared Yards Permaculture full time. In doing so, he hopes to bring the joy of producing your own vegetables and abundance to more homes. You can reach out to Raman for a consultation, landscaping needs, or to buy seeds and seedlings by contacting him at 404-437-1971 or at his Facebook page. 

 

Are you a business owner or aspiring entrepreneur in Georgia? To learn more about the IRC in Atlanta's MED program, or to access our MED services, please contact [email protected]. 

 

To learn more about the work of the IRC in Atlanta and for information on how you can get involved with the IRC as a donor or volunteer, please contact Development Director, Heloise Ahoure, at [email protected] or 678-636-8941.  

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