The juicing trend has come to form. Aside from the many claims that this practice leads to a healthy lifestyle, it also is good business.
A simple act of squeezing the juice out of a fruit or vegetable is a practice that we do at home. However, due to the fast pace of living, we have succumbed to the ready concoctions at juice carts and restaurants. Entrepreneurs made juicing more convenient by setting up stalls that make access to freshly prepared juice drinks a treat and eventually a habit.
Food stands and restaurants have adapted the trend and slowly converted their dishes into more health-conscious preparations that use organic ingredients. Thirsty and Fruita are examples of how natural juices could bring in good business.
Because of the rising awareness of the many health hazards one could possibly be exposed to if one continually eats genetically modified fruits, vegetables and even meats, many businessmen have ventured to set up eating places that promote naturally grown and indigenously prepared food selections. The experience is enchanting and somewhat exotic as the restaurateur also attempts to provide the right ambiance to an organic feast.
To support this trend, the supply chain has also beefed up its preparation by setting up farms that grow only crops and livestock in a natural yet controlled environment. By this, what is meant is that more farms are now open to practicing integrated pest management, which is labor intensive and on the onset tedious. It takes much passion and dedication to keeping a healthy community among the objectives of an “organic farmer’s” pursuit and focus.
When before, integrated pest management was frowned upon due to the small yield it initially produced from farms totally surrounded by chemically sprayed lands today, the size of the fruit is no longer the issue but the care in which the product was brought to the market. The certified organic product now commands a better price. Due to the promise of better prices, landowners have slowly converted their land into “organic farms” which are actually farms producing organically grown agricultural products.
But what is organic agriculture? As discussed by the United States Department of Agriculture, “Organic agriculture produces products using methods that preserve the environment and avoid most synthetic materials, such as pesticides and antibiotics.” It involves a labor-intensive process as one has to literally drive ways the flies manually. There would be no sprays used that are not “green labelled” meaning they are safe to use on plants and have the slightest to none chemical residue which kills the long-term productivity of the soil.
From organic farms to the juicer, many consumers have created a whole business process. The farm employs more people to monitor the naturally set environment. The products get a good price and business is good. And if the raw material is processed, then business comes in well for the blenders, the juicers and the marketing people. It likewise affects the users, the doctors, and the nutritionists and Juan and Juanita dela Cruz and their children.
Yet what is the process of getting a farm certified? And what juicing is the best? Two unrelated yet related questions equally important for health and business.
In the Philippines, a mark of authenticity as an organic farm is given by certifying body from the Bureau of Agriculture and Fisheries Products Standards of which two bodies have been accredited in the Philippines to certify applicants for organic authenticity. These are the Negros Island Certifying Services (NICERT) and the Organic Certification Center of the Philippines (OCCP).
Once the product’s authenticity as naturally grown is proven, then the said farm would be a good source for your juicing. The next step is ensuring that your juicing process is healthy.
It is said that the best juice is one that is naturally squeezed. And those that are done manually take time. Thus, if in volume, it becomes difficult for the entrepreneur to produce so much juice at one time.
The answer comes in the creation of a slow juicer. This equipment allows more juice to be extracted from the fruit or vegetable in a modified controlled speed that does not take away its nutrients.There are many models of this type of juicer and it would be better to have them than the ordinary blender which will whisk your fruit and all the other ingredients into a smoothie. Although tasty, the better, more nutritious drink is the one from the slow juicer.
This summer, this would make a good business and a healthy body.