Founded in 2022 by Neha Patwari, Nutwarii Farms grows chemical-free produce in Budbud, West Bengal. Neha, who hails from Durgapur (about 30 kilometres away from Budbud), noticed that people from smaller cities and towns do not typically have access to organically grown, chemical-free food. She established Nutwarii Farms to bridge this gap. Today, they grow native varieties of rice—including Tulismukul, Kalamkathi, Gobindobhog, Bhadurisal, and Shamoli—along with mustard, urad dal, moong dal, and fresh produce like microgreens, lemons, pomellos, sweet limes, and mangoes. They also retail snacks and condiments—made on their farm—like muri (puffed rice), khoi (popped rice), mustard sauce, mustard oil, and dried ginger.
After a year of experimentation and research, Neha, her mother, and local farmer Ranjit Dhara, laid the foundation of the farm in Budbud using regenerative farming principles that focus on maintaining soil health and promoting biodiversity. They began by planting a Miyawaki forest—a natural reforestation method where native multilayered trees such as sal, neem, bahera, and jarul are planted together in high densities. This was followed by paddy farming and planting orchards of citrus trees. Nutwarii Farms started paddy farming with three handfuls of native rice seeds—namely, Gobindobhog, Tulsimukul, and Kalamkathi—obtained from a local farmer. They also source native varieties of vegetable seeds online and from local farmers in the Bardhman district.
To improve soil health, Nutwarii Farms phased out tilling of the soil, which helped increase its carbon content upto two percent within two years. After harvesting produce like mustard, moong dal, and chana dal, they leave the remnants in the soil to naturally decompose. They also practise mulching with rice straws, which not only acts as a protective layer for the soil but also maintains moisture levels and optimum soil temperature levels, prevents weeds, and harbours insects that eat smaller pests.
The Locavore Stamp
The Locavore Stamp offers a closer look at how Nutwarii Farms works—not just what they produce, but the practices, choices, and compromises they make, and their relationships with the people growing the food. We look at their work through seven interconnected lenses: Origin, Knowledge, Workforce, Production, Composition, Packaging, and Community. Together, these form a single food landscape, reflecting how none of these aspects exists in isolation.
Traditional certifications rely on defined standards and thresholds, but these can sometimes leave less room for the nuance of how a producer actually operates. The Locavore Stamp is intended to make more of that complexity visible rather than reduce a producer to a pass, fail, or score. It is a way to make a producer’s practices more transparent, recognise where meaningful work is being done, acknowledge where there may still be room to improve, and give you greater context to be able to decide whether and how you might support it.
What follows is a snapshot of Nutwarii Farms at the time of publication, based on our research and several rounds of conversations with Neha Patwarii.
Hover or tap on the illustration above to explore the seven lenses of The Locavore Stamp. Illustration by Antara Raman.
Origin
Nutwarii Farms grows all produce on their farm in Budbud, West Bengal.
Knowledge
They grow native rice varieties, pulses, and fresh produce through regenerative and chemical-free farming practices.
Workforce
Nutwarii Farms offers competitive wages and has a trust-based redressal system, with permanent members having access to medical insurance.
Production
Their snacks and condiments are prepared at the farm without any chemicals or preservatives.
Composition
Their products do not contain any preservatives.
Packaging
Rice, pulses, and snacks are vacuum-sealed in plastic pouches and shipped in cardboard boxes; fresh produce is wrapped in Sal leaves.
Community
Nutwarii Farms encourages local farmers to learn about regenerative farming by hosting gatherings of local farmers at their farm, and visiting neighbouring farmers.
Why We Love Nutwarii Farms
- Practising intercropping within fruit orchards: Nutwarii Farms has two orchards—one for citrus fruits and the other for mangoes. Within these orchards, they practise intercropping, making use of the space between the trees, together with their height and shade. For instance, lemon trees are planted alongside papaya trees which are much taller and support the growth of the former, which are comparatively shorter. In between these trees, mustard and legumes such as urad dal and moong dal are planted. The mango orchard has four varieties of mangoes—Gulab Khaas, Langda, Amrapali, and Dasheri. Here, they plant ginger, turmeric, and mango ginger under the shade of the trees. On the periphery of the fruit orchards, they also grow neem, milkweed, karipatta (curry leaves), and tejpatta (bay leaves) which act as a form of pest control and are also sold for an additional source of income.
- Integration of animal life on the farm: Nutwarii Farms currently rears Gir cows on the farm. They mix the cow urine and manure with besan, jaggery, and biochar to make manure. The cow urine is also mixed with neem, and left to ferment for 5–7 days, resulting in a natural pesticide. Similarly, ducks that roam freely on the farm help with pest control in the paddy fields. The farm has four ponds—constructed in low-lying areas—that are replenished during the monsoons, owing to the runoff from the nearby Damodar river, and consequently filled with fish from the river. With the advice of a village elder, Nutwarii Farms is constructing a two-acre pond so they can begin practising aquaculture and selling freshwater fish like rui, katla, and mirik (types of carp) on a regular basis.
- Hosting farm visits and tours for children: Nurwarii Farms hosts day-long tours where participants, mostly children, learn about chemical-free farming practices such as paddy plantation and growing microgreens. Children also learn how to make their own snacks like puffed rice or butterfly pea tea, ride the tractor, feed the ducks, and try their hand at pottery at the ceramics studio set up by Neha.
“Through farm visits and tours, and interactions with local farmers, Nutwarii Farms creates various opportunities for people to experience regenerative farming firsthand. What do you hope for visitors to take away from these experiences?”
A cousin in his late teens once visited the farm, and we asked him to get carrots from the garden. He returned empty-handed, saying, “I looked at all the plants and trees, but I couldn’t see any carrots.” He didn’t know carrots grow underground. Most children have no idea where food comes from—how it’s grown, where to find it, and what it looks like in its raw form. I hope when they visit, they are enlightened about food systems—the equipment, the people, the insects and birds. Who knows, one might even consider becoming a farmer or start growing a kitchen garden!
Visiting the farm is an experience of being outdoors—an environment rich in biodiversity and brimming with physical activities. I hope that visitors understand both; how easy, and how hard it is, to grow food and that the best food comes from a living, breathing, synergetic ecosystem.
— Neha Patwarii, Founder of Nutwarii Farms
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If you would like to learn more about Nutwarii Farms, 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 Nutwarii Farms. At The Locavore, we strive to keep the practices of a producer transparent and honest across all forms of partnerships.
Gia Alvares is the Partnerships Associate at The Locavore. She is a writer with a background in Economics and Sociology, drawn to work that centres people, stories, and lived experiences.
Editor: Yashvi Shah
Copy Editor: Khorshed Deboo
