At around 4 pm, Punjabi singer-cum-marginal farmer Gurmukh Singh, popularly known as Garry Benipal, leaves his Ghasiwala village in Sangrur district for Sunam in his car, with containers of freshly cooked “saag” (leafy vegetables) grown on his family farm, and sells it directly to customers at Mata Modi Chowk by evening.Gurmukh sells around 125 packets daily, each weighing 500 grams and priced at Rs 100, generating daily income of Rs 10,000 to Rs 12,500. Several customers are regulars, while others are passers-by who come after coming across his videos on social media. Gurmukh says people from as far as Ludhiana have also contacted him, asking if he can supply them.A singer, a blogger and a farmer — 33-year-old Gurmukh describes the combination as a “Kisan Kalakaar” or a farmer-artist. Despite releasing hit Punjabi songs, he has ventured into selling farm produce and cooked food directly to consumers. Through his videos, he also shares the process and encourages young people to explore small businesses of their own.The idea took shape when he began selling vegetables grown on his family’s around three acres.Along with wheat and paddy, the family cultivates seasonal vegetables such as ghiya, kaddu, kheera and tori on their around three acres. In winter, leafy vegetables, including sarson, palak and methi, are also grown. Garry Benipal takes containers of freshly cooked “saag” (leafy vegetables) grown on his family farm, and sells it directly to customers at Mata Modi Chowk. (Express Photo)Initially, Gurmukh used to sell vegetables by the roadside. When the saag season began recently, he first tried selling leafy vegetables in their raw form, but the response was not encouraging. He then decided to sell them cooked. And thus, he began preparing, packing, and selling saag.“At first, I prepared only around 15 packs, and they were sold in just 10 minutes. That encouraged me, and I increased the quantity the very next day,” he said.Story continues below this adBenipal’s father had advised him to sell directly to consumers to fetch the right value for their produce. “Initially, I was hesitant about how I would sell vegetables on the roadside. People know me as an artist. But an artist should not feel shy about honest work. I started selling vegetables from our fields, and once I started earning daily, the hesitation dissipated,” he said.Benipal also began blogging the entire process — harvesting, cooking and selling. “It does not require a big investment. Now youngsters call me and ask how they can start small ventures like this. That gives me immense satisfaction,” he said. Gurmukh sells around 125 packets daily, each weighing 500 grams and priced at Rs 100, generating daily income of Rs 10,000 to Rs 12,500. (Express Photo)The saag is prepared fresh using mustard greens, spinach and other ingredients. Benipal grows leafy vegetables on around half an acre and also buys from friends and fellow farmers if required. Around 35 kg of mustard leaves, 15 kg of spinach and 5 kg of other greens, including methi, are used in the preparation. These are cooked in traditional utensils, as saag was prepared in earlier times, and then tempered with ingredients, including onions, ginger, garlic, tomatoes and mustard oil.Benipal, his father, mother, wife and a helper put in 12-15 hours a day from picking leaves to preparing saag. “We maintain hygiene, and anyone can come and see the process we follow,” he said.Story continues below this adBenipal says he generates around Rs 10,000 to Rs 12,000 daily, with a net profit of Rs 5,000 to Rs 6,000. His stall at Mata Modi Chowk operates between 4 pm and 8 pm. The location brings him regular customers as well as passers-by. With demand increasing, he also started selling saag in Sangrur.He plans to sell saag until February and then shift to other seasonal products. He has already started preparing a mixed dal, using mash (urad), chana dal and kidney beans (rajma), packed in 500-gram containers and priced at Rs 150 each. He plans to introduce more products gradually. “I have a considerable list of products in mind, which I will launch according to the season,” he said.Benipal’s journey in music began in 2015, when he was pursuing his MCA at SUS College, Sunam, but dropped out after the first year to take singing seriously. He started pursuing music consistently in 2018.His recent work includes a song for “Gareebi”, a film/web series, while another release is in the pipeline. “Singing is my passion, but farming is in my blood, and I have been connected to it since childhood,” he said.