Fusing the concepts of micro-farming and kitchen garden, Agro Origin offers fragments of farmland to the urban residents to grow their own crops, free from hazardous chemicals. Customers can rent a piece of farmland on payment of a subscription fee. Once a micro-farm is subscribed, customers get to select their own crops. The startup offers a wide variety of seasonal crops such as leafy greens, tomato, French beans, carrot, cauliflower and broccoli, among others. Following the plantation phase, the farmers are entrusted to manage the crops and keep the customers in loop about the crop status.<\/p>\n
Abhinab launched a Proof Of Concept at Bortari in the outskirt of Guwahati on 22 September\u201919. The land has had been under cultivation \u2013 banana plantation to be precise \u2013 for the last 12 years, managed by Abhinab\u2019s father. This has been one of the main reasons for choosing the plot for POC. As Abhinab says, \u201cWe are accustomed to the area. Apart from the scenic surrounding, familiarity of the place is something, which, we thought, would score for us at the POC stage.\u201d<\/p>\n
30 families have been roped in as clients for the POC, utilizing 1.5 bigha out of the 15 bigha farmland. Each family is rented a 600 sq. ft. of land on payment of a monthly subscription fee of Rs. 1,999 that includes costs of seeds, manure, soil preparation, farm management, crop harvest and home delivery. Though managed by farmers, micro-farm owners are free to lay their hands in the farm proceedings, spend hours in the field and experience the farmer\u2019s life. After all, it\u2019s an inexplicable joy to grow one\u2019s own food!<\/p>\n
\u201cWhenever you visit your micro-farm, we will make sure that you forget all your problems and enjoy farming,\u201d Abhinab assures.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n The founder has plans to install a live kitchen and a mini library in the coming days. The idea is to offer a unique, unwinding experience to the customers amid a tranquil, agrarian setup with the assurance of growing healthy food of one\u2019s choice. The pivotal motto of Agro Origin is to ensure a transparent ecosystem where the customers can trace the source of their food. \u201cUsually, we do not know where our food comes from. So, despite the tags of being \u2018organic\u2019, there remains specks of doubts regarding the claims while making expensive purchases of organic fruits and vegetables. At Agro Orgin, we are trying to assure complete traceability of the farm produce that form the mainstays of one\u2019s food habits,\u201d Abhinab explains.<\/p>\n The startup currently targets dwellers in Guwahati, addressing the urban pain points of chemical-infested vegetables and fruits and the tumultuous lifestyle distanced from the serene essence of countryside.<\/p>\n Despite being at the POC stage, Agro Origin has inspired an impact as a good number of people who had moved to other cities in search of jobs are making a homecoming in order to get involved in the project. Considering that farming hasn\u2019t been a lucrative activity, with the predominance of middlemen and a volatile market adding to the woes, a good chunk of the population from the rural areas have been consistently outfluxing to the bigger cities in search of rewarding opportunities. Abhinab\u2019s initiative, with a 60:40 revenue sharing model, comes as a gleam of hope for these migrating people to come back to the homeland and pursue an activity they are akin to \u2013 farming. The startup is expected to make use of its network of 300 farmers for project engagement. As Abhinab says, \u2018Agro Orgin strives to build a transparent community of producers and consumers and help connect to the roots.\u2019<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/startup.assam.gov.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/DSC_0114-1024x665.jpg\")