Nestled in the picturesque valley of Mukteshwar in the Kumaon hills, Kilmora—also known as Kumaun Grameen Udyog—is a social enterprise championing sustainable livelihoods in Nainital, Uttarakhand. They celebrate local craft and produce through their vast range of handmade and natural products, including dried herbs, fruit jams and preserves, grains and spices, and cold-pressed oils as well as knitted toys and woven stoles. They also have retail stores in the villages of Sitla, Sargakhet, and Kasiyalekh.
Named after the local Indian barberry, Kilmora was established over 28 years ago as the livelihood development wing of the NGO Central Himalayan Rural Action Group (CHIRAG) which advocates for rural development in Uttarakhand. While Kilmora now operates as a separate entity, their goal to support communities in the Kumaon region steadfastly remains the same. The profits earned are used to run the organisation, and distributed among the weavers, knitters, and farmers they work with.
Kilmora’s story may have begun with weaving tweed, but over time, they have consciously included a number of high-quality, local food and agriculture products on their roster, all while creating livelihoods in the region and ensuring that the farmers are compensated fairly. It started with their cold-pressed apricot oil which is made using apricot kernels—from a local variety called chuaru—sourced from the villages of Bana, Dhari, Dhanachuli, Sunkiya, and Supi, to name a few, in Uttarakhand.
Currently, Kilmora works with over 300 farmers in the Nainital district. They also use the profits earned to give a fair price to these farmers. Kilmora is vigilant about buying produce that is grown sustainably and using indigenous knowledge, which, in turn, incentivises the farmers to sow season-specific crops that do not require any chemical inputs. For instance, Kilmora exclusively buys rain-fed rajma and black soy, or bhatt, advocating for traditional methods as a substitute for off-season irrigation. Moreover, given the fluctuating, unpredictable weather patterns, they buy produce that is in season and aren’t rigid about the variety of amaranth, madua, or rajma available.
Kilmora has also created alternative sources of income for local women and the elderly in these villages through its dried herbs offerings such as lemongrass, mint, sage, and thyme. This is especially helpful since foraging (in forests in Ramgarh, Dhanachuli, and Hartola, among others) and growing herbs on a smaller scale is less labour-intensive than farming grain.
The Locavore Bite
TL Bite offers a glimpse into how a partner producer runs their operations, and reflects their core principles and values. The idea is to provide insights into their practices and highlight their positive efforts descriptively. We have identified seven key areas of assessment – origin and source of ingredients, composition and integrity of the products, workforce policies, production practices, community-related initiatives, approach towards preserving or celebrating traditional knowledge and the materials used in packaging. While this assessment may not be entirely comprehensive, we hope it helps you make an informed decision about why you might want to support them, and the ways in which to do so.
The information below offers you a snapshot of where Kilmora stands on these parameters. We have put this together based on several rounds of conversations with Anamika Das, Managing Director, and Anurag Chatrath, a member of the Board of Directors at Kilmora. Click on a piece of the pie below to find out more.
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Why We Love Kilmora
- Sensitising growers about provenance: The local produce within the Kumaon region differs from village to village. Kilmora highlights this uniqueness to farmers, ensuring that they get a fair price for it. For instance, the Malta oranges used in Kilmora’s preserves are sourced from villages where they grow sweeter and redder than usual. They also buy and process items like hill lemons (galgal or pahadi nimbu) from villages like Reetha, Girgaon, and Jhutia, which typically do not fetch a fair price in the local market.
- Creating lasting relationships: Over the years, Kilmora has developed close relationships with farmers in the region by sourcing from them, visiting their fields regularly, seeking local advice, and even working with second-generation family members. They work with families through challenges and wins—assisting and supporting them, and giving a fair price for their hard work.
- Giving back to the community: Kilmora actively buys produce from small and marginal farmers, often at prices higher than the market rates. They buy dried herbs from women who have been trained over the years to grow, clean, harvest, dry, and store the herbs. They have also introduced herbs like celery and parsley by distributing seedlings among women, prompting them to grow a new herb and supplement their income. Kilmora—together with CHIRAG— contributes to a primary school in Simayal and a small hospital in Sargakhet.
- Environmentally positive incentives: By exclusively buying sustainably grown rain-fed grains, Kilmora incentivises farmers to adopt these practices. By maintaining close relationships with the foragers, Kilmora ensures that they respond to the seasons and that there is no over-foraging.
What does sustainable farming mean to you and how have local farmers adapted to this technique over the years? How has it benefited them?
“Sustainable farming is where one gives back much more than [what] we take from Mother Earth. Increased intensity of rainfall in the Himalayan region is damaging crops. Going back to traditional crops which weather such conditions better than cash crops could partially help offset losses for farmers. Local millets, beans, and spices are hardier than peas which have taken over this region. However, these peas fetch a very high price in the market. Until we can match those prices with local produce, how do we build a case for sustainability?
People here make manure by layering oak leaves in cowsheds, providing a warm floor for the cows to rest. These leaves—soaked in urine and dung—are swept out periodically and left to decompose, creating a sweet-smelling compost. Such practices are taught in permaculture courses, but here, they have been followed for generations.”
— Anamika Das, Managing Director, Kilmora
Products We Recommend
Apricot Jam
Sprouted Amaranth Flour
How to Buy
If you would like to learn more about Kilmora, or try their products, check out their website. If you’re interested in supporting them in other ways, please contact us at connect@thelocavore.in.
This is a paid partnership with Kilmora. We strive to keep the practices of a producer transparent and honest across all forms of partnerships.
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