Gurmukh Rice & General Mills

Out here in V.P.O. Ghot Pokar, things move at their own pace. Our mill is situated on Pandori Road, and it's been the center of our lives for a long time. Every morning starts with the sound of the gates opening and the first few tractors pulling up with their loads. It’s a lot of physical work, stacking heavy bags and keeping an eye on the hullers to make sure they're running right. Sometimes the machines act up, and we have to spend half the morning fixing a belt or cleaning out a jam that's stuck. That’s just how it goes with general milling. The air is always thick with that sweet, earthy smell of raw rice and husks. We have a small office where we keep the books, but mostly we’re out on the floor getting our hands dirty. The village is quiet, but the mill is usually buzzing with activity until late into the night. We see the same faces every season, farmers coming in with their harvest and sharing a bit of news. It's a simple rhythm. We don't have a big corporate team or anything like that, just a handful of us making sure everything runs okay. The weather plays a big part in our day. If it rains, we’re all scrambling to make sure every single grain stays dry under the tarps. On clear days, the sun beats down on Pandori Road, and we just keep moving through the heat until the work is finally done.