Farm2Fam: Redefining Health Through Microgreens
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With increasing income and ease of accessibility to health-related information, Indians are now more health conscious than ever. From pursuing a gluten free diet to going vegan, there's no shortage of trends followed in the name of fitness. This has caused people to favor organic foods over the traditional alternatives. This in turn has given rise to the Concept of Microgreens. Learn and Read more about the Microgreens Business in India, Farm2Fam - A Microgreen Startup and its company profile.
Microgreens are the first leaves that grow from the seeds of herbs, vegetables, or flowers. They are harvested within 14 days of seed germination. Micro-greens are found to be 40 times more nutrition than mature vegetables. Â
Observing the benefits of micro-greens and their rising demand, Keya Salot left her career in law and started 'Farm2Fam', a startup that offers live microgreens straight to one's doorstep.
Company Highlights
| Startup Name | Farm2Fam |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | Mumbai |
| Founder | Keya Salot |
| Sector | Microgreens |
| Founded | 2019 |
| Parent Organization | Vijay Transtech Pvt. Ltd. |
Farm2Fam - About
Farm2Fam - Microgreens Industry
Farm2Fam - Founder
Farm2Fam - How It Began
Farm2Fam - Name, Tagline, And Logo
Farm2Fam - Products
Farm2Fam - Revenue Model
Farm2Fam - User Acquisition
Farm2Fam - Startup Challenges
Farm2Fam - Competitors
Farm2Fam - Growth
Farm2Fam - Future Plans
Farm2Fam /Microgreens - FAQs
Farm2Fam - About
Farm2Fam is a Mumbai based startup which grows microgreens; these are free from pesticides, herbicides, and chemicals and delivered straight to the customer’s doorstep. Farm2Fam was founded in January 2019.
Farm2Fam aims to create awareness about the capacity of the human body to heal itself with natural nutrition. We intend to use technology in combination with traditional Indian agricultural methods to grow niche nutritional products. Â
Farm2Fam - Microgreens Industry
The microgreens industry is at a nascent stage at present since the mass isn't that aware of microgreens, their usage and benefits yet. The exposure to microgreens is currently restricted to the USA and Europe with its fad slowly catching up across the globe.
Research by the University Of Maryland College Of Agriculture and Natural Resources (AGNR) and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), corroborates the fact that microgreens have more nutritional value than their mature counterparts.
There has been an increased focus on natural nutrition in recent times. Modern lifestyle has led to an influx of diseases like cancer, diabetes, blood pressure, thyroid, migraines, sinuses, etc. The size of the microgreens industry is bound to grow exponentially keeping this in mind. Microgreens often take center stage in a gourmet recipe and are added for flavor and presentation. However, microgreens are little gems loaded with nutrients such as beta-carotene, multi-vitamins, and lutein. The demand for microgreens will also lead to a drastic increase in urban farming. Â
Chayanika Goswami
Farm2Fam - Founder
Keya Salot is the founder of Farm2Fam.
Keya Salot is a law graduate from Government Law College, Mumbai. She worked with reputed farms prior to starting Farm2Fam. She always desired to be an entrepreneur and chose to study law for understanding entrepreneurship from a third perspective before taking it up permanently. As the founder, she likes to call herself as a sustainable urban farmer
Sustainable urban agriculture always interested Keya and was imperative for the ideation of Farm2Fam. Â
As they say, you cannot take entrepreneurship out of a Gujarati. I think being an entrepreneur comes very naturally to me. Once I was certain about working in sustainable urban agriculture, I quit my job in the legal profession and undertook this full-time.
Farm2Fam - How It Began
Keya is a vivid reader. She followed a few write-ups on sustainable urban agriculture, finding it exciting. With more studies on the topic over time, she realized that the ongoing climatic deterioration and never changing human habits will result in a world where people would have monetary resources but no food and water.
Sustainable urban agriculture can help the urban lot get access to fresher and healthier food. Therefore, she started working on sustainable urban agriculture as her preferred domain. Keya collaborated with several industry experts to set up a system, the synergy between Indian agricultural practices and the technology behind insulation and automation. Keya finally chose live microgreens as the product to launch for the following reasons:
- Live microgreens are the perfect blend of taste and nutrition as they have up to 40 times more nutrition than the vegetables that we eat.
- They enable people to eat food as fresh as possible.
- Microgreens take us close to nature as it requires plucking them from the medium (shrubs, herbs, etc.) before consumption. Â
Farm2Fam - Name, Tagline, And Logo
The name Farm2Fam exudes the company’s motto to deliver fresh food straight from the farm to households. Â
We need our products to be available in every household so that people do not suffer from lack of micro-nutrients. We would like to provide fresh produce locally, as it is very important to eat free from pesticides healthy food by using sustainable methods of agriculture.
Farm2Fam’s tagline is 'Eat Local, Think Global'. Â
As Farm2Fam's business is based on urban farming and agriculture, the logo comprises a green background.
Farm2Fam - Products
Farm2Fam introduced fresh and nutritious live microgreens to Mumbai and brought the vegetable confetti rationale from the west. The microgreens produced by Farm2Fam is an exceptional blend of traditional Indian agriculture methods and the latest technology in insulation and automation. Farm2Fam uses certified organic soil-less potting mixture that is specially formulated for early stages of plant growth.
Loaded with nutrition, Farm2Fam offers 40 exotic flavors that include: Swiss chard, Alfalfa, Nasturtium, Purple Kohlrabi, Sango Radish, and Sunflower to name a few.
We provide extremely fresh and niche products, grown in the city, to every doorstep and restaurant in Mumbai and we focus on improving the health of the end users.
Some major USPs of Farm2Fam products are: Â
- No GMOs
- No pesticides
- No herbicides
- No chemicals
- Grown in an insulated environment
- Microgreens are delivered at the customer’s doorstep live and fresh. Â
Chayanika Goswami
Farm2Fam - Revenue Model
Farm2Fam offers 3 pricing plans: Â
- 2 trays/week or 9 trays a month for Rs.3000.
- 1 tray/ week or 4 trays/ month – 1500.
- Wheatgrass and barley grass – 2 trays a week for Rs.2000.
For restaurants and hotels, Farm2Fam offers microgreens starting from INR 180-400.
Farm2Fam - User Acquisition
Farm2Fam successfully devised several samples and experiments for 12 months before launch. The nutritional values that the company provides through its live microgreens has attracted and retained customers. Today, the company has several customers who have subscribed to its services.
Farm2Fam tied up with 'Illuminati', a restaurant-cum-bar in Bandra Kurla Complex, for live micro-table tops. The experience with the end consumers was so good that the orders were doubled within two weeks.
Farm2Fam also showcased its products at Luke Coutinho’s Farmer Market. This helped Farm2Fam step up its awareness amongst people about its brand and products.
We showcased our distinct products like Kale Microgreens, Pink Radish Microgreens, Arugula Microgreens, Broccoli Microgreens, Cress Microgreens and spread the awareness of innovative, nutritious and healthy cooking. Our products have reached beyond medicine and the footfall was 2000+ people. Similar events will help us reach our end consumers directly.
Farm2Fam - Startup Challenges
With no expertise in agricultural/nutritional background, venturing into the field of agriculture combined with nutrition was a major hurdle for the Farm2Fam team as told by Keya. It took lots of effort and yearlong research to overcome this challenge.
Moreover, unstable weather conditions hampered the Farm2Fam team while developing an insulated environment for farming. Sourcing the right seeds and medium for growth was another problem. The Farm2Fam team had to undergo many trials and errors in selecting the right kind of seeds for the final products.
Farm2Fam - Competitors
Currently, Farm2Fam has no significant competition. Â
The idea of microgreens is new to Indians. There are negligible players in India who grow microgreens and provide them to end users and the hospitality industry; the case being that most of the restaurants in Mumbai get their microgreens from Bangalore. In addition, most of the players in Bangalore use hydroponics or plant pads as a medium of growth which requires the addition of organic chemicals/nutrition to the micros.
Farm2Fam is unique in its belief that plants should be given nutrition naturally. It grows the micros in a potting medium made using around 40+ ingredients such as coco peat, vermicompost, neem powder, etc.
Farm2Fam - Growth
Farm2Fam began in January 2019. In a short time span, the company has achieved and retained many customers and clients by providing high nutritional value microgreens. Farm2Fam’s products were tried and liked by famous health coach Luke Coutinho, anti-aging specialist Dr. Aalika Shah, leading cosmetologist Dr. Sonali Kohli, and many leading restaurants.
The company has also partnered with reputed restaurants like Taj Land’s End, ITC, Four Seasons, Out of the Blue, Sofitel, Foodhall Cookery Studio, and Punjab Grill.
Our achievements are in terms of the responses we receive. Several of our consumers have gotten rid of their migraines, sinuses, etc. by using our products regularly. Also, we count our orders being doubled with restaurants as quite an achievement.
Chayanika Goswami
Farm2Fam - Future Plans
In 2020, Farm2Fam sees itself in every household with a target of 300+ consumers every month and catering to around 100 restaurants. Over the next 5 years, it intends to launch new products like blueberries, raspberries, live saffron, etc. Farm2Fam will soon be partnering with marquee brands such as Pizza Express, Bay route, and White Charcoal.
"I have learned most things from the people around me. My husband and my parents are my role models. Renowned chefs always inspired me and their advice were a great help in flourishing our business. Consumers are the real mentors for us, as their responses play a major role and push us to produce variant products" - Keya Salot, Founder Farm2Fam
Farm2Fam /Microgreens - FAQs
What are the Health benefits of Microgreens?
Microgreens are Rich in nutrients, which can help in preventing a range of diseases, managing weight & boosting both mental and physical health and well-being. The Antioxidants Content help the body eliminate unstable waste molecules known as free radicals
Who is the Founder of Farm2Fam?
Keya Salot is the Founder of Farm2Fam, a startup that offers live microgreens straight to one's doorstep.
What are the Healthiest Microgreens?
Pea Shoots, Radish Sprouts, Sunflower Shoot, Wheatgrass, Basil shoots etc., are some of the healthiest microgreens. Researchers also found that microgreens like red cabbage, cilantro, and radish contain up to 40 times higher levels of vital nutrients than their mature counterparts.
What are Microgreens?
Microgreens are the first leaves that grow from the seeds of herbs, vegetables, or flowers. They are harvested within 14 days of seed germination. Micro-greens are found to be 40 times more nutrition than mature vegetables. Â
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