PUNE: His life inside a cubicle, as a computer engineer, had left Hemal Patel craving for some time amidst nature. In 2013, Patel finally decided to quit his job; deciding to take up a completely different line of work."I learnt organic farming . My love for the outdoors was taking me to villages and during those weekend trips, certain techniques started catching my attention."The start certainly wasn't smooth - Patel had to juggle the keyboard and the spade. But eventually, he managed to gather enough insight and courage to quit a well-paying job for a promising unknown. It had taken him three years and numerous visits to farms to learn the tricks of the trade."I kept wondering why people in cities were not growing their own food. While I was in the process of quitting my job, I came across many citizens who were interested in organic farming but could not pursue it due to a lack of knowledge," he says.To overcome this information gap, Patel started 'Urban Soil' - an initiative hoping to increase the number of tiny farms within cities.For a fee, the former techie conducts a two-day workshop that aims to transfer three years' worth of knowledge to participants. Those attending are handed out starter kits and certain ready materials."I tell participants why it's important to grow their own food. They are also given information on different types of soil and the various types of saplings. The training then, makes up the basic rules of organic farming. At the end of the workshop, each participant is handed compost full of essential microbes which are responsible for preparing manure from kitchen waste. The kit encourages them to take the first step," he says.Patel admits a lack of space in today's cities is often a hurdle that stops many from growing their own food on terraces. He believes the problem can be solved with a bit of 'sharing and caring'."I still don't have a terrace garden of my own in my apartment," says the Kothrud resident. "But I have developed gardens for neighbours and other people who have the space. People just need to approach others for such causes and they will definitely overcome the problem of space," he says.Patel is also now part of faculty at a school in the city where he teaches kids about the importance of organic farming and sustainable living.He believes a way of life, that's nature-focused, is what we now need. "There are people who are teaching beehive conservation and rehabilitation. Many are also selling toxin-free products that don't pollute or poison nearby environments or people.The aim is to reduce the amount of harm we are causing the environment - for personal gains," he says.