Avocados, Kerehaklu, Karnataka: At a 40-minute drive from Chikkamagaluru is Kerehaklu, a lush 275 acre farm that has been a coffee plantation with the Thipaiah family since 1953. While the plantation has a variety of exotic fruit trees such as Java plum, Italian seedless lemon, breadfruit and Devanahalli pomelo, it is the avocado that stands out. All seven varieties of the pear-shaped fruit — Reed, Choquette, Gwen, Zutano, Fuerte, Pinkerton and Hall — from this farm’s harvest last year (June-October) featured in the trademark guacamole, salad and avocado shake at Bengaluru-based Mexican outlet, Chinita, and farmers’ markets in Delhi and Jaipur. The Guatemalan and Mexican varieties, originally planted for shade, have also been harvested for the last two years.
For Pranoy Thipaiah, selling the fruits was aimed at providing a locally-grown alternative to the imported options available in supermarkets. “In November, we got two Hass seeds from Australia, which are saplings now,” says Thipaiah, who shares details of harvests on Instagram (@kerehaklu) before driving to Bengaluru every fortnight to sell them to healthy-eating advocates like Mariam Begg (mariambegg.com) and Sarah Edwards (copperandcloves.com).
Kerehaklu also pickles green peppers and vegetables, and bottles ghee made from their own dairy. “We have bamboo trees and, inspired by my grandmother’s pickled bamboo shoot, we’ll be bottling some soon,” adds Thipaiah, who also runs a woodworking unit on the premises where he crafts functional objects from fallen trees and reclaimed wood. All four ‘eco-cabins’ for visitors to the on-farm resort are made from fallen wood. ₹250 for a kg, on kerehaklu.com. (By Krithika Sukumar)
Durian, Homegrown, Kanjirappally: A 50-year-old rambutan tree in his parents’ backyard set Jose Jacob on his current path. “I’m the son of a farmer, involved in agri-business, like procuring cocoa for Cadbury. Seeing the (much neglected) tree bear fruit every year made me wonder why we couldn’t do it commercially” says the Managing Director of Homegrown Biotech, a 70-acre nursery on the banks of the Manimalayar river in Kanjirappally. “Kerala is the western-most gate of the Indo-Malay ecological zone, so the soil and climate is ideal for tropical fruits.”
Travels to South East Asia over 15 years ago, especially the forests of Borneo, saw Jacob bringing back seeds and saplings of over 32 varieties, including mangosteen, longan, santol and cempadek. Then three years ago, he turned his attention to his favourite, the durian. “This is the only fruit that food lovers travel long distances to eat. In Malaysia, durian harvest festivals are a tourist attraction,” he shares. Today, he has over 50 hand-picked varieties — including Black Thorn, Golden Phoenix and boutique varieties from Penang and Pahang — and the fruit will go on sale later this year. “We already have enquiries from places as far away as Hawaii,” he says, adding that for the moment they are harvesting kampong (wild) durians. “These are being sent to metros across the country, exported to Bangladesh, and have even been ordered by the ruling families in Dubai and Abu Dhabi.” Details: homegrown.in (By Surya Praphulla Kumar)
Winterdown strawberry, Beniwal Strawberry Farm, New Delhi: Arvind Beniwal might be in the A-list of strawberry farmers in India today, but he first tasted the fruit only after the maiden harvest on his farm over 20 years ago. Hailing from a family that raised wheat, cotton and mustard, Beniwal was studying politics and military science when he decided to do something different. He heard that a farmer called Anil in Hissar had taken to strawberry cultivation profitably, and decided to give it a shot.
In 1998, one acre was prepared and strawberries cultivated in his ancestral land in Palla village, near Delhi. That winter, he realised why everyone loves strawberry. It tasted “bahut badiya (very tasty)”, he says. Today, he cultivates five varieties — including Winterdown, Sweet Sensation and Sweet Charlie — in about 15-20 acres of land, and harvests about 10-12 tonnes of strawberries an acre during the season that lasts five months, from November to April. During this time, Beniwal, 47, allows people to visit the farm, too. The strawberry patches are interspersed with capsicum and watermelon, his intercrops.
Individuals pick up strawberries directly from his farm; some buy them in bulk to make jams, jellies and squashes. Beniwal also sells to Reliance and Big Basket. The rest of the produce goes to markets in Azadpur, Jaipur, Kolkata, Ludhiana, Chandigarh and Amritsar. 9313165390 (By Subha J Rao)
Passion fruit, Planter’s Treasure, Nellimattam: Just 24 bottles of Fruit de la Passion (passion fruit concentrate) are made a day. Hand-pressed and hand-brewed, each comes with the bottler’s fingerprint on the label. “We took the concept from Rolls Royce — where one person does the engine and puts his signature on it,” says Joppu Sebastian, Managing Director, Planter’s Treasure, adding, “This brings a sense of value to my staff.” Sebastian, 30, is the sixth generation of a plantation family traditionally growing rubber and pepper. He gave up a job with McKinsey & Company in Chennai, to “return to my roots, but bring in innovation”.
What started off on a 40-cent family farm in Nellimattom, in Ernakulam district, has now expanded to three contract farms. “We harvest over 10 tonnes of fruit, grown without pesticides, to make our 100% natural ready-to-drink juice, and our concentrate,” he says. Chef Divesh Aswani of Magazine Street Kitchen in Mumbai has a standing order with Sebastian for his passion fruit pulp. “I use it in our sorbet and Kerala vanilla panna cotta with passion fruit and elderflower,” says Aswani, who shares that the flavour of the fruit (delivered to him within 48 hours of production) “is unique because it is grown at a higher altitude”.
The latest from Planter’s Treasure is a nutmeg drink and concentrate, launched last month. “A few generations ago, the fruit of the nutmeg was soaked in honey and eaten to help digestion, bloating, etc. Today, that knowledge is lost, and the fruit rots. So I decided to bring it back,” he concludes. ₹500 for 500 ml, on amazon.in. It will soon be available across Foodhall outlets. Details: planterstreasure@gmail.com. (By Surya Praphulla Kumar)
White Jamun, Avakali, Mahabaleshwar: Starting an agricultural outfit focussed on sustainable produce seemed like a natural next step for businessman Shishir Nevatia, 65. “I am at the Vanaprastha stage of life where the desire to do good is stronger,” he offers, by way of explanation. His eight-month-old venture, Avakali, works with farmers across Mahabaleshwar district to encourage organic growing, and helps them secure better profits in the competitive mandi (market) atmosphere. Thanks to a vibrant marketing push, Avakali has convinced its customer base that paying more for organic produce is worth it. Younger consumers who are conscientious about their food lead the sales numbers, admits Nevatia.
Avakali also has its own farm and processing facilities, where preserves are made using leftover crops. All deliveries are made to customers within 36 hours of picking, and extend all the way to Mumbai, Chennai, Hyderabad and Delhi. Whether it is farmers from Ratnagiri for mangoes or from Danahu for chikoos, every farmer who wants his produce sold by Avakali has to have it tested for chemical residue.
Other crops, including the white jamun (which grows abundantly in the wild) is brought in by adivasi tribes from the area to a collection centre where they are sorted and distributed. “We decided to include this fruit in our portfolio because it provides employment, and also because it is rarely available in other shops.” Plans to enter the export market are under way, with the organisation working towards meeting certification standards. Details: avakali.com (By Sindhuri Nandhakumar)
Peruvian wood apple, Shoten, Sikkim: Syrups are a big part of our larders. Take kokum, which finds a place both in homemade curries and in marinades of five-star kitchens, like the ITC. Or the nannari, a summer favourite, and a key ingredient at Chennai’s recently-renovated Lady Connemara Lounge & Bar’s (Taj Connemara) nannari and cardamom cake. Now there’s a new contender on the scene, yacon.
In a plot of land in Khamdong, farm hands pull up giant bulbous roots. Often mistaken for sweet potatoes, the tubers are yacon or the Peruvian wood apple. Native to the Andes, it is surprising to see them in East Sikkim, but brothers Abhinandan and Abhimanyu Dhakal say the high altitude (3,000 feet) and temperatures under 25 degree Celsius are ideal to farm it and extract the syrup (under the brand name Earthier), which is known for its natural sweetness, low calorie count and ability to keep blood sugar levels low.
But when they started off in 2014, zeroing in on the produce wasn’t easy. It took the duo months of research and studying 30 types of mountain greens, before finalising the exotic yacon. Today, they work with five clusters and 645 growers in Sikkim alone, and a few farms in Kalimpong in West Bengal. “High altitude farming also means that the green revolution never reached these areas, and hence, people follow natural, organic practices,” says Abhimanyu, 33. The Earthier syrup can be used instead of honey or sugar to glaze cakes and can be added to sweet dips. “It tastes a bit like honey with caramel notes and an earthy undertone,” he says. Available at Qtrove.com and The Better India Shop. ₹1,599 for 330 gms. (By Amrita Bose)
