Jai Kisan Seed Bhandar

Down in the Sanganer area, not too far from the GPO, you’ll find our little seed shop. It smells like dry earth and various plants in here most of the time, which is something we’ve gotten used to. We have big bags of seeds stacked up against the walls and some basic farming tools sitting in the corner. It’s a place where farmers and local gardeners come to talk about the weather and how the soil is looking this month. We aren't big on using much technology; we still use a manual metal scale for some things and write out all our receipts by hand in a paper book. The front of the shop stays open to the street all day, so we get a lot of dust blowing in from the passing trucks and buses. We spend most of the day weighing out portions of seeds and chatting with the regulars who have been coming here for many years. Everyone always wants to know when the rain is finally coming or which specific crop is doing well this season. It’s a much slower-paced kind of life compared to what you find in the city center. We have an old wooden counter that’s been worn smooth by people leaning on it over the decades. In the winter, the morning air is very crisp and we wear heavy wool sweaters while we wait for the first customers to arrive. It’s just basic, honest work.