Most of the food items have preservatives in them nowadays. The chemical in food items affects the taste of the food items and the health of people who consume them. Niharika Bhargava founded The Little Farm Co, a company that makes preservatives and additives-free products.
Education and the idea behind starting The Little Farm Co
Niharika Bhargava is a commerce graduate from the University Of Delhi. She pursued her master’s from Cass Business School in Marketing Strategy and Innovation. Her father, Vishal Bhargava, is a farmer. He used to make handmade batches of pickles and distributed them among family and friends. The flavors, effort, and love that went into making the pickle made it stand out. The taste was highly appreciated and liked by everyone in Niharika’s family. This gave birth to the idea of opening a business selling homemade fresh pickles.
Market Survey Findings
A market survey done by Niharika and her team indicated that most of the pickles available in the market are made using mechanized processes. The pickles also contain preservatives and additives. The taste of the pickles available is also not as good as the traditional homemade pickles. The pickles aren’t healthy as well.
Specialty of the Pickles
Niharika decided to manufacture products, especially pickles, that would be healthy, homemade, free from preservatives and additives. She wanted the consumers to get fresh and health-friendly products. The idea was to make the consumers remember the good old days. To invest her time completely in her startup, she left her marketing job as well.
Growing the Ingredients
The major ingredients required to make pickles and other products are grown on land bought by Niharika’s father. The land is in Paharapurwa, Madhya Pradesh. The land available for farming is spread over an area of 400 acres. No industrial activity takes place anywhere near the farming area. Vegetables, fruits, and spices are grown through organic farming. The ingredients are harvested only a few hours before making the products.
Products offered by The Little Farm Co
Currently, the startup sells iconic pickles, dips, chutneys, salads, superfoods, and marmalade. The products are handmade, farm-fresh, organic, free from preservatives and additives. Some of the best-selling pickles are- Adrak Pickles, Hari Mirch Pickle, and Mango Pickle. Superfoods like berries, nuts, a mix of seeds, Blueberry almonds, and Pan almonds are also in demand. The products are made using traditional recipes.
Work opportunities
Little Farm has also partnered with various NGOs for the creation of traditional recipes. Currently, the team of Little Farm consists of 15 women and three men. The women work for the production unit and belong to socio-economically disadvantaged sections of the society. The startup receives a good amount of orders through their website.
Vision and Awards
The Little Farm is working on increasing its outreach and trying to serve more consumers with its products. They are also working on making natural vinegar from sugarcane and want it to replace synthetic vinegar. The products offered by Little Farm are a replacement against packed products available in the market that are full of preservatives and additives. Niharika Bhargava has received various awards for her work. The Little Farm was mentioned in the ‘Top 50 emerging brands by LBB’ in 2019, and she has also featured in Forbes India magazine.
To know more about The Little Farm Co, please check – LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram and Website.
To know more about Niharika Bhargava, please check – LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram.
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