At around 4 pm, Punjabi singer Gurmukh Singh, popularly known as Garry Benipal, leaves his village in the Sangrur district with containers of freshly cooked saag. By evening, he is at Mata Modi Chowk in Sunam, selling packets of the traditional winter dish directly to customers. The 33-year-old, who once felt hesitant about selling vegetables by the roadside because people knew him as a singer, now prepares and sells around 125 packets of saag every day. Each 500-gram packet is priced at Rs 100. According to him, the venture brings in a daily profit of around Rs 5,000 to Rs 6,000.His journey from making music to selling freshly prepared saag is rooted in a connection he has had since childhood: farming. Gurmukh describes himself as a “Kisan Kalakaar”, or farmer-artist, balancing his passion for singing with the work of growing and selling food, as per the reports by The New Indian Express.
From the fields to a roadside stall
Gurmukh comes from Ghasiwala village in Punjab’s Sangrur district. His family cultivates around three acres of land, where they grow wheat, paddy and seasonal vegetables such as ghiya, kaddu, kheera and tori. During winter, the fields also produce mustard greens, spinach and fenugreek. The idea of selling farm produce directly to customers came from his father, who felt that doing so could help the family receive a fairer price for its crops. Gurmukh initially began selling raw vegetables by the roadside, but the response was not particularly encouraging.He was also conscious of how people might perceive him. As someone recognised for his music, standing at a roadside stall to sell vegetables did not come easily to him. However, he gradually changed his perspective, realising that there was no reason to feel embarrassed about earning through honest work. Instead of giving up, he looked for another way to sell what the farm produced. He decided to cook the leafy vegetables and offer ready-to-eat saag. The first attempt involved just 15 packets. They sold out within 10 minutes. Encouraged by the response, he prepared more the following day and gradually increased the quantity. What began as a small experiment has now become a daily activity for the family.
How the family prepares 125 packets a day
The saag is made using greens grown on the family’s land, along with vegetables sourced from fellow farmers when required. Gurmukh says the family grows leafy greens on around half an acre. A typical preparation uses approximately 35 kg of mustard leaves, 15 kg of spinach and 5 kg of other greens, including fenugreek. The ingredients are cooked in traditional utensils with onions, ginger, garlic, tomatoes and mustard oil.The work begins well before the stall opens. Gurmukh, his parents, his wife and a helper share responsibilities, from picking and cleaning the leaves to cooking, packing and selling the finished product. He says the process takes around 12 to 15 hours of work each day. For Gurmukh, maintaining cleanliness is an important part of the business. He says the family takes care of hygiene during preparation and that customers are welcome to visit and see how the saag is made.At the stall, the 500-gram packets are sold for Rs 100 each. With around 125 packets sold on a regular day, the sales amount to approximately Rs 12,500. Gurmukh estimates that the venture leaves him with a daily profit of Rs 5,000 to Rs 6,000. The response has also brought enquiries from beyond Sunam, including people in Ludhiana who have contacted him about getting supplies. He has since started selling in Sangrur as well.
A singer who continues to follow his passion
Gurmukh’s work in farming has not meant giving up music. He began pursuing singing in 2015 while studying for a Master of Computer Applications degree at SUS College in Sunam. He left the course after the first year to focus on music and continued working towards a career as a singer from 2018. More recently, he has recorded a song for *Gareebi*, a film or web series, and has another release in the pipeline. He also uses social media to document his farming venture. His videos show different stages of the process, from harvesting the greens and preparing the saag to setting up the stall and selling the packets. He says these videos have encouraged young people to contact him for advice on starting similar work.One of the points he shares is that a venture like this does not necessarily require a large investment. It can begin with produce that a family already grows and a direct connection with customers. Gurmukh plans to continue selling saag until February, after which he intends to turn to other seasonal products. He has already introduced mixed dal, made with urad, chana dal and rajma, selling it in 500-gram containers for Rs 150. He hopes to add more products as the seasons change.For him, singing remains a passion, while farming is something he has inherited and grown up with. His new venture has brought the two sides of his life together, showing how produce from a family farm can become a direct-to-customer business when someone is willing to experiment, work consistently and put aside hesitation.
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