Lady Makes use of Fruits & Flowers From Backyard To Run Meals Biz

As the primary gentle of day touches the picturesque city of Marangattupally in Kerala, Beena Tom embarks on her morning ritual: accumulating a contemporary harvest of sun-kissed fruits from her yard. For the proud 56-year-old entrepreneur, turning her ardour right into a worthwhile enterprise had at all times been a suggestion in passing; eight years in the past, she determined to make it a actuality.

“Right this moment, I collected about 20 kg of nutmeg and made juice. Whereas most individuals discard the outer protecting of the nutmeg flower, I exploit it to make pickles and juices,” she says after the top of her morning ritual.

Beena makes use of her culinary prowess to make quite a lot of dishes from flowers and fruits she grows in her cherished yard — residence to a thriving inhabitants of coconuts, areca nuts, mangoes, guavas and butterfly peas, to call a number of. She combines conventional recipes with a contemporary twist to showcase the flavours of Kerala’s wealthy produce. Her ingenuity has reworked her easy harvest right into a affluent enterprise, bringing in Rs 50,000 every month.

Below her enterprise ‘Bees of Beena’, she makes over 140 styles of merchandise — reminiscent of do-it-yourself pickles, jams, squash, juices, chips, pulps, and honey. Her creations have captured the hearts and style buds of many, resulting in a gradual stream of orders, each on-line and offline.

By means of the efficient use of social media and word-of-mouth advertising and marketing, Beena has expanded her attain past Kerala. Right this moment, she caters to prospects throughout a number of cities, together with Bengaluru, Lucknow and Mumbai.

Harvesting goals: The delivery of an enterprise

Beena’s journey into the world of culinary entrepreneurship started in 2017, following her husband Tom Antony’s retirement. Whereas her ardour laid the muse for her enterprise, Tom’s unwavering help helped Beena begin her journey.

“I used to be at all times keen on cooking meals with what I harvested in my yard. At any time when my husband’s associates or our kinfolk would go to us, I loved treating them to my do-it-yourself dishes. They’d take some with them as properly and infrequently advised that I commercialise them. Their compliments motivated me,” she says.

“However she was by no means capable of commercialise the merchandise. All her time went into taking care of our two youngsters and my dad and mom. She was capable of concentrate on beginning the enterprise solely after my retirement. Now that my dad and mom aren’t any extra and our youngsters are settled, she has on a regular basis to fulfil her goals,” her husband Tom explains.

He smiles as he fondly recollects how his spouse was at all times his rock when he was nonetheless working. “After my retirement, I simply supplied her some help and she or he began doing this work. Whereas I used to be in service, she was my spine, and now, I attempt to be hers,” he says.

In 2017, Beena started her journey by present process coaching in beekeeping and the worth addition of fruit and veggies by means of numerous companies, together with the Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK) in Kumarakom. Following her coaching, she began processing honey and creating merchandise like honey soaps.

Over time, she refined her abilities and realized to create quite a lot of modern merchandise from bananas, nutmeg, mangoes, and different fruits. Aside from her backyard, Beena and her husband additionally handle 60 bee bins.

Natural magic: Beena Tom’s speciality

Within the three acres that make up Beena’s yard, every part is organically grown. “We don’t put any chemical fertiliser. We solely use vermicompost, cow dung, bone meal, and kitchen waste compost to develop our fruits and flowers,” she says.

One in all Beena’s star substances is the butterfly pea — a fragile blue flower that provides a pop of color and flavour to her creations. She transforms this humble harvest into delectable tea and juice.

Her dedication to utilizing pure and natural substances units her merchandise aside, attracting a loyal buyer base nationwide. Flower juices are priced between Rs 350 and Rs 400 per litre, whereas pulps and different merchandise vary from Rs 1,500 to Rs 2,000. Beena caters to eight to 10 orders every day. “With this, I’m able to make round Rs 50,000 monthly as revenue,” she says.

Past the monetary success of her enterprise, Beena finds fulfilment in pursuing her ardour and staying engaged in significant work. Together with her youngsters settled overseas, farming and her home based business have develop into not simply sources of earnings however avenues for private development and connection.

“Greater than earnings, I do that for ardour and to remain engaged. I don’t need to waste a minute of my life. It’s a win-win scenario, as I’m capable of earn a very good earnings whereas pursuing what I like,” she shares.

Speaking about operating a house enterprise at 56, Beena says, “If pursuing your pursuits makes you content, the work doesn’t really feel hectic. I get pleasure from my time doing this. With youngsters being away, it’s farming and this home based business that has develop into a medium for us to get engaged and get away from loneliness.”

In a world the place time is a valuable commodity, Beena emphasises that pursuing one’s passions not solely enriches one’s life but in addition positively impacts a number of others. “At any time when I met somebody new, they might first ask my identify; the second factor could be what I did for a dwelling. Each particular person has a objective. I didn’t know mine. These questions stored bothering me. However at this time as a working girl incomes an earnings, my shallowness has undoubtedly grown. I really feel assured now,” she says as we conclude our dialog.

Edited by Arunava Banerjee. All pictures: Beena Tom.