Frequently Asked Questions

THE BASICS:

How do I get started?

Simple! Just install the app and follow the process

• Install the app
• Choose a community farm near you - the list is sorted based on your current location and shows driving distance to the farms.
• Choose a plan as per your family size and select the subscription model
• Choose with the vegetables you want to grow.
• Add the delivery address and complete the payment process.

I do not know anything about growing vegetables. Will you help me plan what to grow?

• Do not worry - we got you covered.
• When you start off, we let you choose a plan that is pre-configured with different varieties of vegetables that are shown in grid these are likely to grow well in the current season. You can modify your choice of what you want to grow anytime by going to Home>Your farms>.

What happens after I pay and book a minikroft?

• Once you pay and book your minikroft, the farmer starts preparing your plot with the vegetables you have chosen. In case you have not made any modifications to the recommended plan, you may be allocated with a minikroft which already has those vegetables growing in various stages of their lifecycle. Woo! this is surely an advantage.
• When your harvest is ready, you can visit the farm to pick it up yourself - or let us deliver your produce right to your doorstep.

What is included in a subscription for a minikroft?

• Everything that you need! It includes all seeds, saplings, natural fertilizers, pest control mechanisms, labour, water, utilities, use of tools and implements needed for farming, unlimited farm visits every month, and weekly deliveries of your harvest at your doorstep. In addition, you would also be invited to participate in regular workshops and events hosted by “minikroft”.

What is the size of my minikroft?

• The size of the minikroft may vary based on the number of people that you choose and is mentioned in the app - but the most common starts from 500 square feet. Where 65% of the area is Customer Operated and 35% is under Farmer Operated Area.

How many vegetables can I grow at a time in my minikroft?

• Each minikroft is divided into 8 beds under customer operated area, and you can grow a different vegetable in each one of them.
• and in the Farmer Operated area the crops are grown all in one place because they are better when grown together.

How much does this cost?

• The cost for a subscription may vary based on the number of people that you choose and is mentioned in the app

When can I expect my first harvest?

• It depends on the plants that you choose to grow. If you do not make any modifications to recommended plan - you should be able to see your first harvest within few weeks.

Is this organic?

• Well! All your crops will be grown Naturally with no chemical inputs. We follow natural farming techniques like using naturally made fertilizers, pest repellents, planting pest repellent plants etc. - in order to make sure that the food that you grow is natural and wholesome.

Is this good for the soil?

• Yes indeed. Industrial agriculture has been degrading soil quality. Our approach of multi-cropping along with natural farming techniques, are extremely beneficial on preserving and rejuvenating the soil.

What and how will I learn about farming?

• You will learn everything about farming for vegetables by using the app regularly or by visiting the farm and interacting with our farmers. You will get to know how each crop is grown, what can be done when an adverse event like a pest attack happens, how to rotate your crops, and so much more! Everything that happens during the growing cycle of each of your crops is available in the app, and it can be fun reliving how the vegetables you ate today, have actually made their journey from a seed to something edible.

GROWING:

How do I choose a different vegetable to grow in one of the beds in my minikroft?

• Go to your farms section in the app, and click on any of the beds. Then click on the Replace button - you will see a recommended list of vegetables that you can choose. You can choose one of the recommended vegetables for best results, or choose any other vegetables that show up in the list.

There is an empty bed showing up in the My Plots section. What should I do?

• You should click on the empty bed and choose a vegetable from the list that appears. Choose from the recommended ones for best results. If a bed becomes empty owing to a harvest, and you do not take any action for 48 hours, the farmer will be automatically instructed by our system to plant a default vegetable into that bed.

What happens after I choose a new vegetable to be planted in one of the beds in my minikroft?

• Once you choose a new vegetable to be planted in a bed in your minikroft, the bed enters into a work-in-progress stage and the farmer will implement your changes in the next 48 hours. You will be notified through the app when your changes have been implemented.

How frequently can I change my growing plan?

• We allow up to a maximum of 8 changes(i.e. 1 change to each bed) to your growing plan every month - much more than what you would need. Please be careful when you make these changes. Overdoing it may cause unnecessary wastage and prolong the time needed to get you your next harvest.

What sort of updates will I be able to see in the app?

• You will see photos, videos, activity updates for everything that happens with your vegetables - watering, weeding, natural fertilizer application, pest control etc.. You will also get indications for the crops that are ready for harvest.

How many varieties of vegetables do you support?

• The number of vegetables that are supported vary based on the specific region of India you are in and the season. The app updates this list dynamically for you to choose from, so you do not need to worry about whether you are making the right growing choices.

What happens if a crop fails?

• Unfortunately, the reality of farming is that crops sometimes fail because of factors that are not under our control - for example, there could be a flood situation, or a terrible pest attack. While the risk of crop failure is reduced in our model because we grow a variety of different crops together and have a team of horticulturists and agronomists to ensure the right plant care procedure to be followed, there is a possibility that some crops fail some time. We cannot remove this risk, but we will try our best to manage this risk for you.

VISITING THE FARM

Should I plan to visit the farm?

• Absolutely! We highly encourage you to visit the farm - it’s an essential part of the Minikroft experience. Just make sure you schedule a farm visit through the app - you can do it from the Home or subscribe section where you’ll see the option “Plan a visit”. This will allow us to make sure someone can assist you during your visit.

How often can I visit my minikroft?

• You can schedule your visits any day. We are always here to assist you, but make sure you schedule you visit on the app.

Can I bring friends along for my farm visit?

• Ofcourse! everyone has the right to join hands in saving the planet. We welcome everyone to experience the art of farming.

DELIVERY

How can I change my delivery address?

• You can change your delivery address by going to the Account tab in the app. Please note that we will only be able to change your delivery address to pin codes service-able by our delivery service.

When will you deliver?

• We will deliver your harvest weekly to you, provided there is harvest available in your minikroft and you have not chosen the “I will pick up my produce myself” option. We will notify you of your upcoming delivery through the app. Our delivery executives will also call you before arriving at your place.

BILLING

How does the subscription to a minikroft work?

• Minikroft operates on a prepaid monthly subscription model. If your first payment was on the 5th of March, your next payment due date will be 5th of April. In order to continue to receive Minikroft services, you need to ensure your total subscription dues are paid up on or before the payment due date for each subscription period. You will find your payment due date in the Home section of the app. We are working on enabling an automatic recurring payment, but until we have that in place, we will be sending the alerts.

How do I pay?

• You can pay via our online payment gateway partner “Razorpay” which has options for debit cards, credit cards, net banking, wallets and UPI. Do not worry - it is all safe and secure.

What happens if I miss my payment due date?

• Please avoid this. When you miss the due date for payment, we will send you alerts(SMS, Email) and your subscription is kept on hold for a maximum of 3days. If you fail to pay before that your minikroft is released into a pool for allocating to new customers. If the minikroft gets allocated to someone else, and you pay up your late dues at that point of time, you may have to be allocated a new plot - where you may have to start from scratch again.

I want to cancel my subscription. How do I proceed?

• You can cancel your subscription anytime by going to Account>My Account>Order History in the app, or by sending us an email at [email protected]. Your services will continue until the end of your current paid-up billing cycle.

Can I pause my subscription?

• There is no way currently to pause your subscription. If you cancel your subscription, your minikroft may be allocated to another customer, and you will have to start a growing plan afresh if you subscribe again.

What happens to my crops after my subscription ends?

• When your subscription is about to expire, we will send you alerts through the app and through SMS/Mail. If there is no response even after this your minikroft is released for other consumers to book. Once the minikroft is released, and is booked by another customer, it is their prerogative on what they want to do with any existing plants, which are growing in their minikroft.

OTHERS

When are you launching in my city?

• We are moving fast and will get to all the major cities in India soon. Please sign up for our Waitlist to get notified when we launch in your city.

There is a farm near my city. Can Minikroft collaborate with the farmer who runs this farm?

• Yes! Minikroft is a win-win solution for you and our farmers. We are always looking to collaborate with peri-urban farmers who own land near the city. Please provide more details about this farmer to [email protected], and we will reach out to him.

Can I book more than one minikroft?

• Yes, you can! Many customers end up taking a subscription to more than one minikroft because they have larger families and want more produce. Note that the billing periods for each minikroft will be based on the date on which that specific minikroft was booked.

I am unhappy with the farmer - what can I do?

• Please send us an email to [email protected] with your feedback about the farmer, and we will take it from there. We are working on a review and rating options within the app as well.

Will the prices fluctuate with the market price?

• Absolutely No! We at minikroft are dedicated to give customers the

Can I choose to pay by cash?

• No! as per our model now we are requesting all our customers to do the online payments through our payment gateway partner “Razorpay” which offers wide payment options (Credit Card, Debit Card, Wallets & UPI)
• We will be working on payments by cash in the near future.

How do I check my previous transactions?

• Account>My Account>Order History.

Other issues or queries

• No problem! we are here to help. For any other issues or queries mail us at [email protected]