“I’ve been interested in fruits, vegetables, and the outdoors since I was a kid,” says Anil Godhwani, who grew up visiting the outdoor Subzi Mandi (vegetable market) in Delhi, India, with his dad. Since immigrating to the United States 30 years ago, he’s always found his way to farmers markets, but noticed a few things were missing. “A lot of the fruits and vegetables that I grew up eating we weren’t able to access here, mulberries being one of them.”

Taking matters into his own hands, he planted a few trees in his backyard about 15 years ago and shared the fruits with friends and family. After noticing how mulberries ignited a nostalgic fondness for so many people, he was motivated to grow them on a larger scale. He teamed up with his brother, Gautam, and friend, Smita Sadana, recalling that “the three of us decided that it would be awesome to introduce America to mulberries.” Together they started Habitera Farms in Brentwood and created the brand Very Mulberry to grow and share these sustainably harvested delicacies.