Devesh dedication and innovative ideas for promoting sustainable agriculture help him establish his brand, Satva Organic.
Early Life
Devesh Patel was grown up in a farming family. His family has been involved in bio-organic farming since 1992. Initially, due to societal pressure, he decided to pursue IT as many people see it as a way to achieve success.
He studied hard. But was unhappy with his decision. He always wanted to do something meaningful that could be helpful to society and the environment. During this time, he discovered organic farming and decided to pursue a career in agriculture.
Devesh believes that the Satva Organic initiative has been in his blood since childhood because he was a very naughty kid. His family used to take him to their family farm when he was young.
He recalls being passionate about his land during his teenage years and ultimately organic farming turned out to be a continuation of his dream to protect his land.
Establishing Satva Organic
In 2005, Devesh established his brand, Satva Organic, while still pursuing his degree. He began expanding his farm practice by growing ginger and turmeric and introduced value-added products made from fresh and organic harvests. This included manufacturing turmeric and ginger products like turmeric pickles, turmeric lattes, chai masala, dehydrated ginger power, and more.
His commitment to producing organic products using fresh ingredients has made Satva Organic a popular choice for those seeking flavorful and organic products.
Today, he sells around 27 products under Satva Organic and receives around 15,000 orders a month. Moreover, he also sends about six tonnes of ginger and turmeric to the US and Europe and earns approximately Rs 1.52 crore annually.
He has a processing unit on his 1200 sq ft farm. They boil, peel, dry, and process potatoes, turmeric, ginger, wheat, and maize. These are made into popcorn, spice mixes, flour, and potato chips. Devesh wife, Darpan Patel, oversees the operation in the unit.
Devesh mentions that Amisha Patel, a homemaker in Ahmedabad, founded Satva Organic at an organic fair six years ago. Since then, she has used their chai mixes, spice blends, and vegetables.
Nothing is Wasted: Following Circular Production
Devesh reveals that Satva Organic operates like a family business where everyone multitasks and does different jobs like farming, marketing, processing, and value-added. They use bio-dynamic farming to ensure the soil is enriched with nutrients and organic manure.
Satva Organic also have a small dairy farm and uses farmyard manure in crops. The manure is prepared by fermenting cow dung and adding buttermilk, anti-fungal powder, and organic liquid bio-bacteria produced by the local agricultural University.
Also, the kitchen waste and dry leaves are put into the large compost pits on the farm.
Benefits of Value-Added Processing
On his farm, crop rotation is utilized to produce millet, grains, vegetables, and dehydrated products. The farm yields between 5 to 15 tonnes of produce.
Satva Organic offers a range of products like dehydrated potato chips, ginger, turmeric, turmeric powder, ginger powder, chili, tea masala, and chili powder. These products are made using fresh spices and dried under sunlight to maintain freshness and flavor.
Certifications
Satva Organic products are certified by India Organic, USDA, and FSSAI.
In 2010, Devesh Satva Organic received an Eco Cert certificate for 5 years.
Devesh was the first one to take the APEDA’s India Organic Certification when the Gujarat Government took this initiative. He also had a certification from the Rajasthan State Seeds & Organic Certification Agency (RSSOCA) as RSSOCA has both USDA and processing certifications.
Spreading the Knowledge: Training the Farmers
Despite numerous challenges and failures, Devesh succeeded in making Satva Organic a popular choice. Further, Devesh has trained 200 farmers; one such farmer is Ritesh Patel, an engineer turned farmer. He was directed to Devesh by Anand Agriculture Institute.
Now, Ritesh is a successful organic farmer who grows turmeric, moong, and wheat. He also runs a processing unit under the brand Harshprem Organics, where he dried and powdered turmeric for sale.
Awards and Achievements
His dedication to Organic farming has earned him several awards:
- The Agricultural National Award between 2010 and 2012
- The Jagjivanram Abhivandas Asian Award
- The Sardar Patel Award from the State government
- The level Atma Award
- The Organic India Dhartimitra Awardee 2018
Devesh Satva Organic has retail shops in Baroda, Anand. Additionally, Suratand also exports its products, but since they are limited, they are high in demand.
Pic Credits: Devesh Instagram, Devesh Twitter, Satva Organic
