Wheatgrass Farming and Vermicomposting

Dear Reader,

About a decade ago, I had a meeting with a woman entrepreneur in Mumbai. I was on time, but she was nowhere to be seen. Her phone was switched off. Even her staff did not know her whereabouts. 

She arrived after some time and was profusely apologetic. However, the reason she gave me for the delay shocked me. She was searching for ‘Dal Pakwan’, a famous Sindhi dish, for her 20-year-old daughter, who refused to eat anything else for breakfast!

Swiggy and Zomato were still taking root, and our old-world entrepreneur went to every nearby restaurant to ensure her daughter had breakfast.  This is the extent to which a mother can go for her children.

And it was motherly love that led Veena Peter to handcraft a long-haired doll for her daughter when she couldn’t find any in the market. What started as a means to provide Tara with her favourite doll (with long hair) is today a zero-waste, eco-friendly dollmaking business clocking Rs2 lakh a month, writes my colleague Riya.

More interestingly, Veena is looking to scale up to Rs1 crore annual revenues this year as she expands to online sales and the overseas market. Kudos to the mompreneur!

My colleague Anu spoke to Jyothi and her husband Venkat Reddy in Hyderabad. After a string of unsuccessful businesses, Venkat began vermicomposting in 2013 with support from Jyothi. They started from their farm and now have five vermicomposting units, earning Rs 6 lakh monthly from sales in four states.

Their journey from failure to success makes for an interesting read. Do look it up!

Last week, I spoke to M Janardhan Goud, also in Hyderabad. His playschool business shut down during COVID-19, and he had to find some way to meet the family expenses. Janardhan zeroed in on wheatgrass, which was high in demand due to its immunity-boosting properties. 

He started from 150 sq ft on his rooftop and now grows wheatgrass over 500 sq ft, clocking a monthly turnover of Rs2 lakh. The retail price is Rs1000 per kg. Janardhan is now ready to move from a greenhouse to an air-conditioned unit, where he can increase production further. If you are searching for farming ideas in a room or a small space, this one’s for you.

Our Sunday story is about Khuni Bhandara, the underground water harvesting system in Burhanpur, Madhya Pradesh. It was developed in 1615 to provide drinking water for Mughal soldiers and the local population in the semi-arid region.

Interestingly, a part of this 410-year-old system still provides water to some areas of the city. But why is it called Khuni Bhandara? The answer is here.

Happy Reading!

Warmly,
Rashmi