Millet Mom and Terrace Vegetables

Dear Reader,

I believe tough times are opportunities to press the reset button in life. If we continue on the old path, the result will probably be a dead end. But if we change direction, a new horizon could be ahead.

That’s what Pooja Sharma did when she could not arrange two meals for her children after the division of her joint family property. She and her husband were farmers, facing declining productivity due to a reduction in groundwater level at their Chandu village in Gurugram, Haryana.

Instead of doing more of the same, she started dairy farming with just one cow and then attended a training programme to roast and package soya nuts as snacks. Pooja expanded the range to include her grandmother’s millet laddus and snacks. Today, her brand Millet Mom clocks Rs70 lakh annual turnover, she told my colleague Anu.

She has also trained over 1,000 women in making millet snacks and is a speaker at universities across northern India. Pooja studied only up to class 10. Stories like hers make me believe that hard work can move mountains.

From Odisha, my colleague Niroj wrote about Shisir Kumar Jena, who quit his job with IndusInd Bank to handcraft home décor items based on traditional art forms. He travelled across the state to learn about various crafts, including papier-mache, terracotta, lacquer work, 12th-century pattachitra paintings and much more.

His venture Art Godaam earns an annual turnover of Rs 50 lakh. But that’s not the most significant part of his story. Art Godaam is helping many artisans and craftspeople monetise their products by selling them online and offline. Shisir also trains youngsters to become art entrepreneurs instead of just artisans.

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My colleague Riya wrote a piece on the urban trend of growing veggies and herbs in small spaces like balconies and terraces. She detailed how urban residents are growing vegetables and herbs at home, and saving money while enjoying fresher, healthier meals.

She has detailed how you can start a small terrace garden in limited space by recycling old materials and growing some of your food at home. If gardening interests you, then don’t miss this one.

Riya also wrote about the rising popularity of moringa among farmers and consumers. Its short gestation cycle and rising global demand are helping growers earn steady profits with minimal risk, even in drought-prone or barren lands. The article is replete with examples of moringa farmers earning well from the crop.

Happy Reading!

Warmly,

Rashmi

How this Haryana woman built a Rs 70 lakh turnover millet food business 

Banker quits job to start craft business; clocks Rs50 lakh annual turnover

How to save money by growing veggies and herbs in small spaces

Moringa: The ‘green gold’ turning even drought-prone farms profitable