Punjab Couple Turns 2.5 Acres Into $250K Food Empire

When markets closed during the COVID-19 lockdown, Gurpreet Kaur and her husband Lakhwinder Singh watched their vegetables rot on their tiny farm in Punjab, India. That devastating loss sparked an idea that would transform their lives completely.

The couple had been living hand to mouth on just 2.5 acres in Kalyan village, Patiala district. "There were times when we survived only on whatever we earned that day from selling vegetables," Gurpreet recalls. "Even going to the city felt impossible because of money worries."

But Gurpreet, 36, realized something crucial during those dark pandemic days. If she had processed those vegetables instead of just selling them fresh, they wouldn't have lost everything.

She enrolled in food processing training at the local agricultural center after lockdown restrictions eased. Armed with new skills and her passion for making traditional Indian pickles, she started small, processing just 10 to 15 kilograms of homegrown vegetables in her kitchen.

The first sales attempt was discouraging. For four to five days, nobody at the market would even taste their homemade pickles and preserves. Then they tried something different.

They started offering tiny sample packs of 25 to 30 grams to shoppers. "That simple move changed everything," Gurpreet says. "People tasted it and started demanding more. On the first day we sold pickles worth just $2 and we were so happy."

Word spread fast. Within months, customers were coming back asking for their products by name.

The Ripple Effect

Today, KS Agro processes nearly 200 tonnes of produce annually. The couple has expanded from basic pickles to over 100 products, including chutneys, preserves, juices, vinegars, candies, and traditional sweets. Their offerings range from mango and turmeric pickles to apple cider vinegar and milk-based treats made from their two Sahiwal cows.

They grow most raw materials themselves, including carrots, chillies, turmeric, and mustard for oil. They've completely stopped selling fresh vegetables at market and now grow only crops for their processing unit.

Their business now generates over $250,000 in annual revenue. They recently sold a bulk order of 4,000 pounds of pickles and preserves at an exhibition in Kolkata. Their products stock shelves in Chandigarh, Sangrur, and Patiala, plus restaurants across the region.

The enterprise employs several people from their village. Despite studying only through 10th grade, both Gurpreet and Lakhwinder have become successful entrepreneurs with plans to build a proper factory and open their own retail stores.

They customize products to individual customer tastes, adjusting spice levels and flavor profiles. "Everyone has their own preference, and we make products accordingly," Gurpreet explains.

What started as a survival strategy during a global crisis has created jobs, preserved traditional food making techniques, and proven that small farms can thrive with creativity and determination.