Enterprising farmer Shakhawat Hossain Liton, 40, from Shatbaria village in Jhenidah's Kaliganj upazila had a simple wish. He wanted to eat fresh, organic vegetables to be healthy. But he's done much more than that. Starting with eggplant and gourd last year, Liton's 18-decimal garden now produces 16 vegetable varieties to be sold locally and in Dhaka. All of his produce is chemical-free.

"I believe in vermiculture and 'balainashak'," he says, referring to earthworm-rich fertiliser and a homemade insecticide made from the sap of local mahogany and neem trees. "With these two compounds I can grow vegetables without the use of any poisons."

Liton wasn't always a farmer. After passing his Higher School Certificate in 1996 in first division, due to financial hardship he could not continue his study. Instead, he joined BRAC where he worked for five years.

"There was a Japanese NGO, Hunger Free World, active in Kaliganj," he recalls. "From them I became interested in organic farming." He also took training in vermiculture from Helal Uddin , from nearby Moheshwarchanda village, who has three years' experience in vermicompost production and is considered a local expert.

Last year his vegetable garden was sown for the first time. Pepper, types of spinach, beans, bitter and sweet gourds, pumpkins, cauliflowers, eggplants, tomatoes, potatoes, turmeric and arum: these are among the types of produce that can be sourced from Liton's patch. He also grows medicinal herbs and has added flowers to enhance the beauty of his garden.

"I wasn't solely motivated by my own health," Liton says. "I also wanted to educate the villagers about organic farming and make organic produce available for them too."

"I buy vegetables from Liton," says Amed Ali of Balakanda village in Kaliganj. "His vegetables are of high quality and taste much better than vegetables bought in the market."

Every week from Liton's garden two or three trays of vegetables travel to Dhaka for sale at the shop of Shahin Hossain on Mohammadpur's Nurjahan Road. His shop, 'Real Safe Food' specialises in organic vegetables.

More recently, Liton has taken training from Hunger Free World in organic farming, and he hopes to expand. "I have no ability to lease land," he says, "so I hope a loan facility at a reasonable interest rate could be arranged with the help of local authorities, to help me."

"I faced difficult years," Liton says, "and nobody assisted me. Only Helal Uddin inspired me to be self-reliant. But nowadays young people from neighbouring villages throng to my garden to see it. They collect plants from me and vermicompost. I hope I can inspire them."

Liton is currently able to earn around Tk 5,000 per month from vermicompost and a further Tk 10,000 per month from vegetables.

Kaliganj upazila's agriculture officer Jahidul Karim says organic farming is undoubtedly profitable and beneficial in protecting consumers from chemical poisoning and diseases.