India is an agro-based economy ever since the Indian civilization began flourishing. The Indian farmers have been constantly working to fulfill the demands of the ever-increasing population.
Our farmers and their efforts need more support. Lucknow Farmers Market team, led by Jyotsna Kaur Habibullah, with organic farmers Shalini Singh, Alok Kapoor, Alpana Joshi, and Eshanvir Singh, & Entrepreneurs Apoorva Bhargava, Harsh Singh, and Mayank Maheshwari are working to support local farmers and startup entrepreneurs.
They are working to put farmers first, create better market linkages and increase the awareness of living a healthy life. The LFM initiative started in 2015 and has strengthened its roots by now. Let us see how.
Lucknow Farmers Market is an initiative to connect Producers to Buyers
Lucknow Farmers Market initiative has been active for the past 4 years in the city of Nawabs for Lucknow. The concept behind LFM is to connect farmers and other organic product manufacturers to the direct market.
Surprisingly, the city which is well known for its mouth-watering food and handicrafts has dedicated entrepreneurs working in the direction of Farmer’s upliftment and promoting organic products. The latest edition of LFM was on 9th December 2018.
8th Edition of Lucknow Farmers Market
Lucknow Farmers Market was organized on 20th October 2018 and then on 9th December 2018 at the Habibullah Estate, which happens to be the venue for Lucknow Farmers Market. Held on 9th December, this was the last edition of LFM for 2018 and 8th since it started in 2015.
Some of the prominent stalls at Lucknow Farmers included Kashmir Organics, Rustiq, Virmansha by Shaivya, PHIA Foundation, Pahadi, Taarasitara, Nutriwell, Omega Alive, The Bake Studio, Aalok farms, Sweet Nothings, Teramics, GG's creation, MITTI SI, Urban Earth, and various others.
On both the days, there were a lot of products on display and a number of activities to participate in. The market showcased and promoted organic and healthy products.
These products were manufactured by farmers and budding entrepreneurs, who came from Indian States of Uttarakhand, Himachal, Kashmir, Uttar Pradesh and more. The products on display included huge variety:
→ Pure ghee produced directly by farmers
→ Red rice and rajma from the mountains
→ Khadu ghee from Himachal
→ Organic sanitary napkins
→ Cow dung based wall hangings
→ Chocolates, cookies, and cakes prepared with natural ingredients
→ Alcohol-free natural perfumes
→ Crafts and handmade diaries, purses etc.
→ Organically produced poultry products such as chicken, eggs, etc.
→ Nutritional products like superfoods
→ Natural beauty products and herbal oils
→ Spiritual books to read and relax
→ Eco-friendly indoor air purifying plants
→ Kahwa made with saffron by Kashmiri farmers
→ Natural spices such as haldi
→ Homemade pickles, papads, and laddoos
→ Handmade jewelry items
And much more. There was a stall set up where people were enjoying the delicious kakori kababs. These were being prepared and served by an authentic chef from Kakori.
The activities included healthy cooking, drawing, storytelling, ongoing GK quiz, a workshop on vermicomposting by a renowned scientist, etc. The Vermicomposting Talk was conducted by Dr. M Tabish Qidwai, Assistant Professor, Faculty of Biotechnology, SRM University Lucknow.
Both kids and adults participated in the cooking contest at LFM. The aim of the cooking contest was to popularise cooking with healthy seasonal and locally grown ingredients. Participants under 16 years of age were supposed to bring healthy tiffin ideas and participants over 18 years of age prepared dishes using the seasonal ingredients.
It was judged by Chef Balvinder, the head chef of Renaissance Hotel, Lucknow. The tantalizing recipes can be found on the Lucknow Farmers page! Go check them out.
The storytelling session was called ‘Farm Fresh Tales’ and was conducted by Jabberwocky studio. The workshops engaged children and adults alike.
The main aim was to work out to create awareness of an organic and eco-conscious way of life. So, it was all fun-filled and healthy.
Lucknow Farmers Market drives people towards an organic lifestyle
The 8th edition has received an overwhelming response from the visitors, and so, the market is now held every alternate month.
As said earlier, Lucknow Farmers Market has made its unique identity for guiding people towards an organic lifestyle and supporting indigenous producers.
Altogether, this is going to boost our economy and pave way for faster development. The Lucknow Farmers Market team is really doing a commendable job.
There are student volunteers for LFM too, who form its backbone and contribute equally to its success. Cheers to the great event!
Last but not least, the event was successful because of the sponsors, who supported the event. Birla Open Minds School Lucknow, Renaissance Hotel, Feeding Trends - Social Media Partner, Kaamakazi Events - Event Partner, Uber - Mobility Partner, Fever 104 FM - Radio Partner, Creative Partner Wizards, JD Institute of Design - Installation Partner.