The story of Machhiwara farmer Davinder Singh, which began with a visa rejection, has blossomed into a movement reshaping the state’s agricultural landscape.Davinder Singh from Mushkabad village in Ludhiana’s Machhiwara tehsil, once aspired to settle in the US. Today, he leads Farmers Agri Mart, a farmer producer organisation (FPO) that has more than 230 progressive cultivators as its members.His vision is clear: to turn fields into classrooms and farmers into students of science.After the visa rejection, Davinder’s life took him to with a vegetable market in Chandigarh — albeit with hesitant steps. At the beginning, he struggled to even call out prices. His first crop earned him Rs 45,000, sparking a determination that carried him forward. In 2007, he got exposure to European models of group farming and polyhouse cultivation during a training camp in Spain. It inspired him to experiment back home. With no support, he built his own bamboo polyhouse on 500 square metres, defying others’ doubts and proving its success through sheer hard work and passion.“Italy taught me farming can be modern and profitable. I knew Punjab needed this change,” he recalls. Today, his crops, including bell peppers, garlic, peas, capsicum, cauliflower and brinjal, stand as a testimony to his success.But Davinder’s mission goes beyond his own fields. Through Farmers Agri Mart, he promotes residual-free production, protected cultivation, soil and water conservation, and marketing without middlemen.He is equally vocal about the dignity of agricultural labourers. “Behind every bumper harvest are the hands of workers who toil silently and relentlessly. Their welfare must never be ignored,” he says.Regular training programmes, with help of experts from Punjab Agricultural University (PAU), are organised at his farm. Farmers learn a range of things — from soil testing to harvesting and marketing.“I want to see a soil tester in every farmer’s pocket,” he says with conviction. He dreams to open an institute for practical training, where future farmers can learn the science of cultivation hands-on.The FPO’s brand is now recognised for its fresh produce with less chemical residue and high nutrition value. Davinder insists farming can’t rely solely on knowledge passed down from fathers and grandfathers. “We must adopt scientific techniques if we want to be successful,” he adds.The farmer highlights what he says is the missing link in state’s agriculture — cold storage. “The day farmers understand its significance and can afford it, farming will move into another era. The government must step in with subsidies,” he adds.From a rejected visa to leading 230 farmers, Davinder’s journey is proof setbacks can be seeds for success. By turning his fields into classrooms, he is cultivating knowledge along with crops, ensuring the farmers equipped with science, skill and self-reliance march into the future.