Bantwal: A school here grew its own rice at the once-barren land spread over 4.5 acres, which has now converted into a farmland and yielded produce over 3-4 lakh a year.

Over 200 students from NCC had turned the piece of waste land into a fertile stretch to reap the fruit.

The first grade college management had taken a piece of land on 3-year-lease period. According to the agreement, the management had to give back 1/4th of the total yield, back to the land owner.

Students made around 14 trips to Kanaje, a village on the outskirts of Mangaluru city during the last five months to “learn as well as earn.” Smiles on their faces, while relishing the food of their own labour, narrated the entire story of their hard work.