Tek Bahadur Shahi, 48, of Tilagufa-11 Kamkhet, had a childhood dream of becoming a teacher. After passing grade 5 from Kalika Primary School in Kamkhet, he walked for two hours every day and completed his secondary education from Shivalaya Secondary School in Chilkhaya. After completing his secondary education from Chilkhaya, he joined Panchadev Secondary School in Manma, the district headquarters, carrying his bag from home to study grades 9 and 10.

After passing his SLC in 2053, he joined the Education Campus in Surkhet, walking for four days for higher education. After passing his I.Ed in 2056, his family wanted him to become a teacher, and he also had the same dream. However, instead of enrolling in the graduate level, he returned to Kamkhet in Chilkhaya to plant apple seedlings that were transported by helicopter and distributed in the village by the Karnali Zonal Special Agricultural Development Project announced by the government.

In 2056, he dug a hole in the side of Bhattedi in Tilagufa-11 and planted 300 apple seedlings provided by the Agricultural Development Office. Shahi, who was active in commercial farming by preparing land for apple seedlings distributed by the government by helicopter every year from 2056 to 2059, became a teacher in the village's Kalika Avi in ​​2062. Since the salary was low and he did not have time to take care of the apples planted in the lake, he left teaching within a year and started apple farming full-time in 2063.

After fulfilling his father's promise to become a teacher, he chose agriculture as a profession. 'Commercial apple farming made me known everywhere,' he said, 'both name and money are in this.' Expressing his satisfaction with the profession he had chosen, Shahi said that he has also taught agriculture and veterinary JTA to his son and daughter-in-law.

After the apples planted in 2056 began to bear fruit in 2063, Tek Bahadur, who has expanded his garden and started commercial apple farming, currently has 2,250 apple seedlings. Spread over 48 ropanis of land, his orchard has 1,800 apple trees, while other plants are young. 500 walnut trees are also in bloom.

He said that he earned Rs. 1.6 million by selling 15 metric tons of apples last year. 'This year, the apples have yielded a lot,' he said, 'This year, we will probably produce 20 metric tons.'

Tek Bahadur, who sold apples at Rs. 25 per kg in Bhadau 2063 when the Surkhet-Jumla section of the Karnali Highway was just opened, sold the apples he brought from the orchard to Galje on the Karnali Highway for Rs. 110 per kg last year.

Now, six members of his family, including his wife Bija and brother Shreebam Shahi, work full-time on the apple farm. In addition, Tek Bahadur, who employs 10 other people in the orchard, said that out of the Rs. 1.6 million he earned by selling apples last year, he spent Rs. 600,000 on the wages of workers and managed to save Rs. 1 million. 'We employ 50-60 people daily to pick and transport apples,' he said. 'We also need more workers for pruning and weeding.' His garden has Royal Delicious, Red Delicious, Golden and Jonathan varieties of apples. In addition to apples, beans and potatoes are also produced.

Tek Bahadur, who keeps 20 cows, 10 buffaloes and 15 goats for fertilizer in the apple garden, said that there is no problem with the market as all the apples in his garden are organic. 'The family does not have to go anywhere to find work,' he said. 'We also provide work to our neighbors because they are busy working.'

After cultivating apples commercially, he has made a name for himself in Karnali as an excellent farmer. Shahi, who was awarded the district's best farmer award by the District Agricultural Development Office, Kalikot in 2069, came third in the national level competition in 2070 and first in the Tilagufa municipality and district level in 2075. This year, he has won the Karnali Province Chief Minister's Best Farmer Award.