OUR
STORY
“Inspired thought, words and action bear good wholesome and auspicious fruit.” That is how all of us at “Sufalaam” interpret the word!
why
sufalaam?
Most of our products are from the Himalayan foothills and irrigated with the pristine headwaters of Himalayan rivers and streams. Our partner farms across India are far from industrial areas, large settlements and townships. Here the air is clean and fresh, the soil unpolluted and traditional farming methods and practices are still in vogue.
Our products come to you from known sources – direct from farmers, orchards and estates whose owners are known to us. These folks are sensitive to their environment and care for the ecology and biodiversity of their region. The reliance here is on traditional farming methods and harsh chemicals, pesticides and herbicides are not used at all. Additional inputs if required are certified organic, that are safe and permitted.
Most of our farmers use original, traditional heirloom seeds and rootstock. Where possible and feasible, we locate such seeds from known sources, such as Navdanya and private SEED SAVERS, who are aware of crop sustainability, and distribute these to farmers who work with us.
the
founders
Alok Chandola and his younger brother Ashish Chandola, the founders of Sufalaam, were born and brought up in Dehradun, Uttarakhand, where they grew up in close proximity of forests, hills, wildlife and rural India. Their father, the late BP Chandola acquired a small guava orchard at Dhakrani village in the Western part of the Doon Valley and later converted it into a very productive mango orchard. The two brothers sold the orchard after their parents passed away, but the relationship with their friends and relatives in Dhakrani continues to this day.
Alok joined the Indian Army, and besides seeing action on the Western front in the 1971 war, during which he received commendation for his gallantry, went on to serve as Aide-de-Camp to the fourth and fifth Presidents of India. A dedicated mountaineer, after leaving the army, he got into adventure tourism, an endeavour in which he continues to this day.
Ashish’s interest in nature and natural history also led him to tourism for a short while, after which he got a break into shooting wildlife documentaries for international television. Over the span of 4 decades, he has shot and produced over 35 wildlife documentaries for international television and various government and non-government organizations across India.
Being small hold farmers themselves, they are able to understand the difficulties of farmers who continue to practice traditional farming methods and the immediate need to safeguard the health of the land by reducing the use of harsh chemicals and pesticides. This understanding is further reinforced by their lifelong commitment to wildlife, biodiversity and nature conservation,
partner
farms
Chakrasan Farm and Orchards
Chakrasan Farm at Dhakrani was awarded the “Gaura Devi Biodiversity Conservation Award” by the Uttarakhand Government Biodiversity Board for its ecologically sound approach towards farming and orchard management. Situated at the Western end of the Doon Valley, the farm is fed by the headwaters of the Yamuna river. Our fresh Lychee and mango come from here. The fragrant Basmati rice here is grown here from original seedstock preserved by the NGO Navdhanya, and like every produce from this farm, is free from harsh chemicals.
KANJIRAPALLY ESTATE
Nested atop the cardamom hills in the Western Ghats of southern India, at an altitude of 3500 feet bordering the Periyar Tiger Reserve is KANJIRAPALLY ESTATE. Cardamom ideally thrives under the dense canopy of the moisture laden slopes while coffee interspersed with pepper covers the less shaded terrain.
The family run business was established in 1960 and every aspect of the cultivation, harvest and processing is personally supervised by the owners to ensure the finest produce with special focus on safe and sustainable farming as well as fair trade practices.
