What began as a hand-to-mouth existence on just 2.5 acres of land has today grown into an agro-processing enterprise handling nearly 200 tonnes of produce annually, employing several people and supplying products across multiple states. Gurpreet Kaur (36), a marginal farmer from Kalyan village in Patiala district, along with her husband Lakhwinder Singh (42), has scripted an inspiring story of grit, innovation and entrepreneurship — rewriting their destiny within just six years.With only 2.5 acres of land, the couple once depended entirely on seasonal vegetable farming to sustain their family. “There were times when we took vegetables to the mandis and survived only on whatever we earned that day. Life was completely hand-to-mouth. Even going to Patiala city without an urgent reason felt impossible because of the money crunch,” Gurpreet recalls.The situation worsened during the Covid-19 lockdown, when vegetables could not be sold on time due to the closure of markets, resulting in heavy losses. “We faced severe losses during the corona period. That was the lowest phase of our lives,” she says.However, adversity became the turning point. It was during this difficult time that Gurpreet Kaur began thinking beyond conventional farming. She realised that had she processed her vegetables in time, they would not have faced such losses.With a deep passion for making traditional pickles and preserves, she decided to explore food processing as a way to add value to their farm produce. After lockdown restrictions eased, she enrolled in training programmes at the Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK), Patiala. She credits KVK officials including Rachna Singla for motivating and guiding her to formally take up processing. “She inspired me to take training and turn my passion into a profession,” Gurpreet says.Armed with training and determination, Gurpreet started small — processing just 10–15 kg of produce at home using vegetables grown in her own fields. She began with whatever available in her field and made gobhi, gajar and shalgam mixed pickle.“Initially, selling the products was a challenge. We packed our homemade pickles and murabbas and took them to the mandi along with vegetables, but for four to five days there were no buyers. No one was ready to even taste it,” she recalls.Story continues below this adDisappointed but unwilling to give up, the couple changed their strategy. “We began offering small sample packs of 25–30 grams, sometimes two pouches together, to customers. That simple move changed everything. People tasted it and started demanding more. On the first day we sold pickles just worth Rs 150 and we were so happy. I started making more, and the entire lot would get sold in the mandi. Word spread quickly, demand picked up, and repeat customers started coming back asking for more,” she says.“How kg-level processing turned into quintals and then into tonne-level processing today feels like a dream to me,” Gurpreet adds.The couple now runs KS Agro, a fast-growing food processing unit operating from their home, with plans to set up a full-fledged factory and their own retail stores. Their product range has expanded to around 100 types of items, including 35-40 varieties of pickles, 6–7 types of chutneys, several types of murabbas, juices, jams, vinegars, candies, and traditional sweets like pinni and burfi.Their offerings include mango, mixed and amla pickles; gajar-gobhi-shalgam pickle; turmeric, chilli, karonda, nimbu and galgal pickles etc. Amla murabba; chutneys from almost every fruit; vinegars made from apple, jamun, guava and sugarcane; amla candy, bel (stone apple) candy; and products prepared using milk from their two Sahiwal cows, such as pinni and burfi.Story continues below this ad“We also customise products according to customers’ tastes. Everyone has their own flavour preference, and we make products accordingly,” Gurpreet says.What makes their enterprise unique is that most of the raw material comes from their own fields. They grow carrots, chillies, turmeric, gobhi, shalgam, mustard (for oil) and several other pickling items themselves. “The oil, turmeric and chillies used in our pickles are grown on our own land,” Gurpreet says proudly. With this model, they have completely stopped taking vegetables to the mandi and now grow only those crops required for their food processing unit.On a large scale, the couple processes 25–30 tonnes of mangoes around 50 tonnes of Amla (Indian gooseberry) and over 100 tonnes of other vegetables, and fruits annually for year-round supply and a similar quantity of amla for murabba, pickle, juice, chutney and jam. Overall, their processing volume has reached nearly 200 tonnes annually, with demand rising every year. Recently, they sold a bulk order of 20 quintals pickles, murabba in Kolkata during an exhibition. Their products are supplied to stores in Chandigarh, Sangrur and Patiala, besides dhabas and restaurants. “We attend all such exhibitions across India,” Gurpreet says.From pricing pickles at Rs 150 per kg to Rs 400 per kg, murabba at Rs 200–300 per kg and chutney at around Rs 400 per kg, KS Agro now clocks an annual turnover of over a couple of crores, with a profit margin of around 15–20 per cent after meeting input costs such as spices, oil, labour, packing material and salaries of 10 permanent employees including nine women — thus contributing significantly to rural livelihoods and women’s empowerment.Story continues below this adDespite having studied only up to Class 10, both Gurpreet and her husband have emerged as successful entrepreneurs. Gurpreet has now become a master trainer herself, giving training in food processing and continuing to undergo new trainings. Her efforts were recognised with a state-level food processing award from Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) in 2025.“We never thought we would reach here,” she says emotionally. “Six years ago, life was about losses and survival. Today, orders are waiting, there is no space left to store material, and we are travelling across India.”“Now we are searching for land to set up a factory and plans to open their own retail stores,” said Gurpreet, adding that she would not have achieved this without the unconditional support of her husband, who has not only worked hard in fields and marketing our vegetables in the beginning, but also take care of our children when I used to go to take trainings.For Gurpreet, the biggest achievement is not just financial stability but securing the future of her children — a daughter studying in Class 9 and a son in Class 2. “Earlier, even education was a worry. Today, we can dream,” she says.