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Want to Bake Some Sourdough? This Couple Will Have Your Ovens Running in No Time!

Break the chain of wasteful purchases! Laura and Kunal Khanna will teach you how self-reliance can make you zero waste, save money, and get you some tasty snacks!

Want to Bake Some Sourdough? This Couple Will Have Your Ovens Running in No Time!

Right from following permaculture in their one-acre farm to making their own cosmetics, Laura Christie Khanna and Kunal Khanna, the founders of the eco-organisation ‘Odd Gumnut’, are all about taking dedicated efforts to lead a green life.

And what’s best? On weekends, the couple will teach how to do the same!

About The Odd Gumnuts in Panchgani:The Odd Gumnut

Though they come from very different parts of the planet, Kunal and Laura found common ambition in working for a healthier Earth.

It began in 2005, when Mumbai-born Kunal flew to Australia for further studies. Speaking to The Better India, he says, “I completed my Masters in Environment and Sustainability and then remained there to work. While the goal to come back to India was always on my mind, I started a food stall called Overdosa with my best friend in Melbourne, which attracted a loyal crowd of patrons and was thriving.”

It was while running the stall that Kunal met Laura, whose entire life revolved around food!

Born and raised in Seattle, USA, Laura comes from a family that makes everything from compost to wine at home.

She had grown up in an environment of food culture and it meant the world to her.

“At one point I was studying food politics and working in a restaurant. That’s how closely involved I am with food. But at the same time, I am also an avid traveller who finds peace in forests, mountains and the outdoors,” she explains.

When Destinies Meet

The Odd Gumnut

Laura had come to Australia simply to travel, but her time there had been productive. For example, she was very keen on learning permaculture – a perfect blend of growing food, living outdoors and nurturing an ecosystem invent in Australia in the 1970s. So she took a course and became a certified permaculture teacher. And, in 2013, she also met Kunal.

In 2018, the now-married couple decided to come to India. Panchgani, the place that Kunal received his initial education, became their new home. They developed a farm, where the couple practices permaculture. And thus began ‘The Odd Gumnut’.

Laura and Kunal practice circular economy in their permaculture farm in Panchgani. They grow produce using organic methods and try to be as self-sufficient as possible by making their own personal care products, food such as sourdough bread, peanut butter and Kombucha tea.

In a bid to share this knowledge with like-minded people and to take ‘The Odd Gumnut’ forward as a business, the couple started taking workshops in their farm.

Today, along with being a thriving farm, every day people like you and me can join them and learn a sustainable, planet-friendly lifestyle – where they share everything they have learnt over the years, and we too can change our lives, just like they did.

Workshops conducted by The Odd Gumnut:

The Odd Gumnut

 

  • Circular Economy and Sustainable Economics– A circular economy is one that aims at creating minimal waste and utilize everything to the maximum. In the current scenario, a circular economy is a rare thing. But once you get the hang of it, its sustainable factor and its ease on your pockets will inspire you. Join Laura and Kunal in knowing more about it in their online workshop. Click here to book your place.

Also Read: Shop Unique, Shop Traditional: Karnival Brings 700+ MSMEs in a Click


(Edited by Saiqua Sultan)

Like this story? Or have something to share? Write to us: contact@thebetterindia.com, or connect with us on Facebook and Twitter.

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