Established in 2014 by brothers Satyajit and Ajinkya Hange, Two Brothers Organic Farms is located in the Bhodani village in Indapur, a three-hour drive from Pune. They started out as a family farm, breeding native cows, and growing fruits and vegetables without using any chemical inputs. Today, apart from farming on their own land, they work with farmers across India to source naturally grown produce and make value-added products. These include a range of cultured ghee (cow and buffalo), various types of flours, natural sweeteners such as jaggery and honey, snacks and condiments like laddoos, chaklis, peanut butter, and ketchup, as well as grains and pulses.
Ajinkya and Satyajit, both fourth-generation farmers, left their corporate jobs and returned to their family farm in 2014. They had realised that the use of chemical fertilisers has significantly increased. Inputs like urea and potash reduced soil fertility, water holding capacity, and biodiversity on their farm.
To address these concerns, they closely worked with their family farmers to learn more about natural agricultural practices. They enriched the soil with microbiomes such as bacteria, fungi, and earthworms along with cow dung to improve soil health. To balance the soil’s fertility, they shifted from monocropping to mixed cropping. For instance, they intercrop moringa with turmeric. They plant native fruit trees like amla, and grow crops such as turmeric and shatavari under the trees’ shade. They also started mulching the soil with farm waste, which, in turn, helped prevent water loss due to evaporation.
Before establishing Two Brothers Organic Farms, Ajinkya and Satyajit sold their produce at local mandis in Pune. In 2016, after they realised local traders do not offer a fair value for their produce, they started retailing fresh fruits and vegetables like papayas, pomegranates, and drumsticks in supermarket chains across Maharashtra. To increase the shelf life of the produce, they began creating value-added products such as ghee, jaggery, and amla pickle. In 2019, they launched their direct-to-consumer website to reach a wider audience.
Today, Two Brothers Organic Farms works with around 4,500 farmers across nine Farmer Producer Companies (FPCs) to source organic produce from them, and turn it into value-added products. They’ve also trained more than 20,000 farmers across India in regenerative and organic agriculture practices.
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 Two Brothers Organic Farms stands on these parameters. We have put this together based on several rounds of conversations with Satyajit Hange. Click on a piece of the pie below to find out more.
Why We Love Two Brothers Organic Farms
Close relationships with farmers: They support farmers across India who struggle with farm fertility and in earning a sustainable income. They have a team of Farmer Relationship Managers (FRMs) who make monthly visits to partner farmer groups, helping them at every stage, from planting the seeds to harvesting. Two Brothers Organic Farms has also collaborated with Paani Foundation to encourage farmers across Marathwada, Dharashiv (formerly Osmanabad), Latur, and Solapur to grow legumes, lentils, and pulses instead of cash crops by offering a premium pricing for their produce.
Hands-on production practices: A majority of the processing takes place at their plants in Indapur, where they ensure that no chemicals or preservatives are added. Apart from their coconut oil, which is processed and packaged in Goa, and their date palm jaggery, which comes from a neighbouring farm in Akluj, all their products are manufactured in-house. They have a laboratory in Indapur with a 12-person team comprising food technologists and scientists who ensure quality across products. Around 20 percent of the production is outsourced in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar (formerly Aurangabad) to Durga Tai—Satyajit and Ajinkya’s sister—who has been helping them since they first started selling their produce at farmers’ markets.
Focus on traceability: For Two Brothers, traceability is of utmost importance. For instance, their Chandgadi cashew nuts come from Chandgadh in the Konkan region; Mongra saffron from Pampore in Kashmir where it is traditionally cultivated; Dagadi, an indigenous variety of jowar, is cultivated in the dry regions of Beed and Solapur; and the GI-tagged Waghya rajma comes from Satara in Maharashtra.
In late 2024, they introduced the Dynamic Farm-to-Fork Traceability feature on their website, which documents the entire journey of a product: right from when the seed is sown, through fertilisation and irrigation, to the day it is harvested, tested, and packed. The FRM team documents every farm visit through photos, videos, and field notes, creating a living archive of each crop cycle. This helps consumers make informed choices about where their food comes from, who grows it, when it is planted, and how it is grown.
What is the difference between organic, biodynamic, and regenerative farming? Could you tell us more about these practices in the context of farmers you source from, and how they shape your work?
Organic farming focuses on growing crops without the use of synthetic chemicals, pesticides, or genetically modified seeds. Soil fertility is maintained through natural compost, crop rotation, and green manures. The farmers we work with follow these principles to ensure that the produce is chemical-free and grown in harmony with nature. Biodynamic farming takes organic principles a step further by viewing the farm as a self-sustaining ecosystem. It incorporates crop cycles, lunar calendars, and natural preparations to enhance soil health and crop vitality. Regenerative farming, beyond being organic, focuses on actively improving the land. It restores soil health, enhances biodiversity, and captures carbon, all while producing food. The farmers we source from use practices like inter-cropping, composting, and mulching.
By partnering with farmers who follow these practices, we ensure that every product is not only healthy for consumers but also good for the planet. From the soil to the kitchen, our approach emphasises sustainability, transparency, and respect for the farmers and their land.
—Satyajit Hange, Co-founder of Two Brothers Organic Farms
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If you would like to learn more about Two Brothers Organic 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 Two Brothers Organic Farms. We strive to keep the practices of a producer transparent and honest across all forms of partnerships. At The Locavore, we strive to keep the practices of a producer transparent and honest across all forms of partnerships.
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