Varanashi Organic Farms, Karnataka | October 10–12, 2025
Over three immersive days at Varanashi Organic Farms, the Cacao Residency brought together a select group of participants to explore the craft and culture of cacao, regenerative farming, storytelling, and food traditions in an experiential farm setting.
The residency opened with a farm-fresh community lunch, followed by a guided forager’s walk by Partha Varanashi, who introduced guests to seasonal crops, wild edibles, the farm’s oldest cacao trees, and the guiding principles of regenerative farming. Participants took part in a hands-on fermentation masterclass led by Eleni Michael and Thomas Girard, and learned visual storytelling techniques tailored to food and landscapes with Bhavya Pansari, culminating in an evening dinner under the stars by Chef Goku.
Day 2 deepened agricultural and culinary understanding with lessons on regenerative farming, nutrition and microbiomes with Partha, a bean-to-bar chocolate lab workshop with Ketaki Churi, and a delicious craft chocolate tasting by Patricia Cosma. The communal dinner by chef Goku featured ingredients harvested from the farm, reimagined to echo stories and communities from around the world, sparking conversations around food, terroir, and craft.
On the final day, residents came together for a communal cooking session led by Chef Goku, culminating in a harvest feast that celebrated the flavours, insights, and connections formed over the course of the residency. The meal was complemented by ferments prepared by Eleni and Thomas on the first day, including a cacao-nib tepache infused with herbs and flavours drawn directly from the farm.
Through the residency, between workshops, lessons, experiments and talks, participants were invited to engage with the peaceful rhythms of farm life, to deeply experience the links between sustainable farming, food culture, and creative practice.
