Cowboys is the retail arm of Trunks and Roots, a company dedicated to dairy activities and allied agriculture. They provide pure untouched cow milk, fruits and vegetables at your door step and have also introduced organic honey, flour, ghee, cooking oil and spices too. It is founded by Aalekh Agarwal, a young 28 year old entrepreneur and a Master in Business Information Systems from Royal Holloway University, London. Here are the excerpts from his interview:
1. What is organic farming and how is it different from other farming methods?
Organic farming is a very simple term made complex by marketing and pricing factors. Any farming done organically is organic farming, i.e. farming done naturally without using man-made synthetic boosters. Elementarily, growing anything needs just the seed, sunlight, soil and water, the way all forests and grasslands grew on earth since eons. An example of organic farming is simply growing bean-sprouts in home. Though we grow it without using any hormones, chemicals, sprays, synthetic manures etc, the initial beans/seeds we use are from market i.e. non-organic. However, if we allow the sprouts to grow and they start bearing beans in few weeks, we will get organically grown fresh beans. In next cycle, these home-grown bean seeds can be sprouted to produce a pure organic product. Next, If we add some natural boost to it by way of stored rainwater, natural minerals or natural manure made from dead leaves, cowdung etc., it is organic growth. However, if the boost is unnatural, say a hormone, or a lab-made chemical, then it is commercial farming classified separately with varying parameters of ethics, health and governmental control.
2. What is the importance of organic milk products in one’s life?
Organic milk is the way of life as it has no adverse effect on the most important parts of our ecosystem i.e. Human Health, Animal Health, Environmental Health and Soil Health. Organic practices help in maintaining these factors by restricting rampant but adverse practices in animal husbandry like administration of growth hormones, application of toxic fertilizers and insecticides and pesticides, adulteration etc.
3. How organic milk is healthier than normal packed milk?
Organic milk is devoid of pesticides, fertilizers, hormones and a lot more unwanted elements that should not be a part of the food-chain but have unfortunately been inducted due to widespread practices. Organic milk is completely natural and much richer in nutritional values.The comparison is as simple as plucking a lemon from tree, squeezing it in a glass and having that lemonade or, having a chilled bottle of readymade lemonade from a tony stack in a khan market store.
4. Is it ok to use the packaged processed milk we get in markets?
Yes, it is ok to use the packaged processed milk we get in markets. The milk we get in markets is MILK, to start with, and hence a necessary dietary recommendation and source of nutrition for the human body. The packaged milk available in markets from reputed brands can be relied on for it being milk, well-processed and packed safely to not harm and pass a sizeable percentage of the original nutrition to consumer nevertheless. Several pediatricians actually ask the parents to avoid natural Cow milk and instead give them the beverage milk from packets for safety. The actual question is whether packaged processed milk is a choice or a compulsion.
5. What is the difference between normal milk & organic milk?
Normal or Packet milk is a mix of Cow, Buffalo, Goat and even Camel Milk at times – all collected from village farmers by an agency in unhygienic drums, supplied to the chilling centre, pasteurized and processed to meet the FSSAI standards and packed in plastic pouches. Though there is zero-pilferage at the processing stage in those big factories, but checks for past generation issues in the milk from farmers’ end are a question.
6. How is Cowboys milk or products different from other similar products?
All our offerings are grown using the best quality of seeds and organic care. Cowboys 100% Honey for instance contains no added sugar and is pure honey that has been filtered and bottled. Cowboys Spices are also harvested from our farm and ground without any adulteration or manipulation to give the consumers the most natural flavour and taste.
Our Cows graze in pasture year-round rather than being fed a processed diet. They have a natural lifestyle (roaming freely in the farm, graze on natural grass and no medicine injected) in our farm. As we know a healthy cow will always produce healthy and good quality milk. The milk coming from these cows are rich in Omega3, Calcium, Anti-oxidants. This milk is more nutritious, tastier and does not pollute the food chain.
7. What was the ‘incite’ that led to the foundation of cowboys milk?
COWBOYS is a by-product of a small seed sown for personal consumption. It started in 2013 when we as a family discovered that though we wanted the best of homes, cars, watches, holidays and anything else; our food and milk came from the same run-of-mill and commercial sources. If it’s between a Rolex and HMT or London and Simla, it also applies in what we eat. Hence a small patch of land was set, few cows were tied, some vegetables were sown, some wheat was harvested and a few trees planted. Soon we discovered the joys of having as well as sharing this bounty with near-dear ones. Next step was imminent…One year later, COWBOYS was incorporated in 2015 with the vision of creating a unique interdependent cyclical habitat in the shape of a modern farm. The idea was to sustain its dependents (plants and animals) in a natural setting and in turn they would provide food like milk, vegetables and fruits free from harmful chemicals. The idea was to produce at farm and sell fresh and healthy farm produce to Delhi & N.C.R. directly
