23/07/2020
"I'm in this FARM BOX business to make a difference, and not a fortune" - meet Falguni Patil, founder OTOP Farm-Fresh.
"In these challenging times of COVID-19 pandemic, most of us might be missing out on important nutrients that can easily reduce stress and also boost immunity - if only you could eat recommended 5 servings of fruits and vegetables daily", quips the energetic young FARM BOX founder Falguni Patil.
"If you'll dig into a vast array of supplements info presently on offer everywhere, claiming to reduce stress and boost immunity, you'll find that they're made of nothing but brightly coloured fruits and green leafy vegetables". So to make these nutrients readily available at your doorstep, Falguni Patil conceived the FARM BOX - a door-delivered seasonal fresh fruits and vegetables subscription box, weighing 5 kilograms (enough for a family) and modestly priced at Rs 475.00
On the question of her jumping on to the entrepreneurial bandwagon barely before 18, Falguni says, "in today's world of readily available technology and knowledge over the internet, you don't really have to be a Stanford dropout or an IIT alumnus to figure out solutions to the problems society faces on a daily basis. The problems are there to see, and so are the solutions floating out there - you only need to get up and begin your act"
"For instance, a country that boasts of growing world's second largest horticultural produce, has literally next to nothing post-harvest infrastructure. As a result, a part of the produce rots on the fields, and what is served in the most unhygienic conditions causes most food-borne illnesses leading to so many deaths" quipped the budding entrepreneur, Falguni Patil.
"I often visited fruit and vegetables markets all over the country with my father who spent a lifetime building a food processing conglomerate. The very sight of filthy operating conditions in the traditional mandis put me off from eating vegetables - though I always thought there has to be a solution to this. I began to feel this thought acutely again when the COVID-19 pandemic struck and fresh produce disappeared from the table for a while, and from what little became available; there was no way to find if it was contaminated with the deadly virus".
"So, while I was awaiting results for my higher secondary school exams and contemplating on an e-commerce career to pursue, I took upon myself this challenge to source, clean, fresh and organic produce for my family. First, I sourced the plant growing trays, then I bought vertically growing pots, and then home-built an aquaponics apparatus - "growing-your-own-food" at once freed my family from eating filthy, stale, and pesticides infested produce; but when friends, neighbours, and visitors began to demand a share of the produce; I was cought in a dilemma and soon realised a niche - the requirement for a fresh, clean and healthy produce".
"Fortunately, my parents had already done an extensive homework on a ready-kit meal business to be launched in Singapore in 2017 (I'll post more on that story later. However, the project was shelved after funds and investors evapourated due to a recession following demonetisations and slow-down due to faulty implementation of GST). https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=10211212591566196&id=1100651967
"I dug further into their research and found a treasure trove of useful information and plans to aid in my quest to source-clean-pack-and-distribute fresh produce. It has saved me a lot of research and efforts on the ground", says Falguni Patil now a proud founder of OTOP Farm-Fresh.
As its premise, OTOP Farm-Fresh pledges to eliminate food-waste by offering high-quality produce from small-to medium-sized farmers, organic and cage-free eggs, and sustainably farmed fish. Produce is sourced from GMO-free and low-spray farms, dairy and eggs come from free-range farms, and proteins (fish and meat) are sustainably sourced from regional fisheries and hormone-free farms.
Eventually, 100 percent of the produce will be certified organic by a third-party. In addition to offering pesticide-free produce, OTOP Farm-Fresh also abides by insisting eco-friendly practices on its suppliers, such as drip irrigation and efficient water management, healthy crop rotation, and use of local composted fertilizers. Most of the packaging is recycled (and the OTOP Farm Fresh team will do it for you)
Starting from August 15, OTOP Farm-Fresh will be delivering overnight to minimize excessive emissions, with OTOP’s farm-fresh fruits and veggies arriving at your doorstep in 100% recyclable packaging. "To do my bit to help fight hunger, all of the rescued produce goes to organizations fighting food poverty and scarcity", says Falguni Patil.
- excerpts from interview for FARM BOX News
