Our Story: Reconnecting with the Mitti
We believe real freedom comes from connecting with your food. No shortcuts, no bookish knowledge—just the joy of getting your hands in the soil and watching life sprout from a tiny seed.
Here I am, Kapil Mandawewala, founder of Edible Routes. I recently had the opportunity to speak with students about my vision for a more sustainable food system and the importance of reconnecting with how our food is grown.
A throwback to our early days in 2016. This was our stall when we were still called 'Sajeev Fresh'. It was here that our mission to educate people about food really began to take shape.
This is me at our very first farm in Ayanagar. We started with a small group of dreamers and a simple mission to educate people about organic food. This is where the name Edible Routes took root.
My philosophy is simple: grow what you eat, and eat what you grow. I am here to help you start your journey, whether it's with a small kitchen garden or by enjoying the produce from my farm.
Why choose organic? This graphic explains the core benefits, from healthier, chemical-free produce and improved soil health to protecting the environment by reducing our carbon footprint. This is the philosophy that drives everything I do.
I believe it's important to know what you eat. When you grow your own food or buy from a trusted organic farmer, you have control over what goes into your body, free from harmful chemicals and pesticides.
Food picked fresh from the garden is always more nutritious and tastes better. It retains more of its natural vitamins and flavours compared to produce that has travelled long distances to a store.
Microgreens are a great way to introduce children to growing food. This graphic shows some of their benefits; they are rich in nutrients, good for health, and very easy to grow even in small spaces.
A close-up of radish microgreens from one of our workshops. These tiny greens are packed with flavour and nutrition, and they are a great first step into the world of growing your own food.
For those who want fresh organic produce without the daily effort, I offer Farmlet Subscriptions. My experts manage a small plot for you on our Delhi farm, and you get a weekly delivery of freshly grown products.
About Our Story & Mission
You might be surprised to learn we didn't start as 'Edible Routes.' Back in 2016 at our first patch in Ayanagar, we were 'Sajeev Fresh.' But, we kept getting confused with Fazal—one of our founding members. It was a funny moment, but it also made us realize our identity needed to be about the process, the path from soil to plate, rather than just a name. That shift helped us find our true voice as a community-driven movement.
When we started Farm 8 in Ayanagar, we were just a small group of dreamers who felt disconnected from what we were eating. City life had made us forget the taste of a fresh bhindi plucked straight from the plant. We wanted to move beyond 'kitabi gyan'—the textbook approach—and get our hands dirty.
Our philosophy is simple: grow what you eat, and eat what you grow. We realized early on that you do not need a massive estate to practice organic farming. Whether it is a kitchen garden in a Saket apartment or a small farmlet in Gurgaon, the goal remains the same: chemical-free, nutrient-rich food grown by you.
Over the years, we have evolved from that small Ayanagar farm into a community that hosts pizza workshops for kids, manages organic farmlets, and delivers baskets of seasonal produce across Delhi-NCR. We believe that by understanding the soil, you take control of your health. Our mission is to show that sustainable living is not just a trend—it is a daily habit. If you are ready to stop buying anonymous produce and start understanding your food source, you are in the right place.
Explore our other farming initiatives
Find workshops, farm subscriptions, or urban gardening setups.
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