Starting the Year Off With The Green Farm Juicery
A new year is an opportunity for a new, healthier you. As holiday leftovers dissipate, gym memberships rise, and New Year’s resolutions roll in, motivation for an improved lifestyle is at an all time high. For friends and co-owners of Green Farm Juicery, Mara Boord and Amanda Bottleson, healthy choices are something they advocate for everyday at their juicing cafes in Cincinnati, OH. Having celebrated their second location opening in Hyde Park this past September, Mara and Amanda are inspiring “wellness warriors” throughout their community, as they call their patrons and partners in better health. We sat down with Mara to find out more.
The Start of Green Farm Juicery
Green Farm Juicery’s first location opened a little over two years ago in Blue Ash, an inner suburb of Cincinnati. Mara explains that the formation of the juicery was a natural progression of two friends following their passion. Previously, each woman pursued different fields of study, from economics and finance to Ayurveda, yoga, and health certifications. Mara reflects, “The skills we learned in our previous careers have been extremely beneficial in managing the business aspects of the Green Farm Juicery. We have been successful because we have been able to marry our past careers with our love for juice!” The two discovered juicing when they started their individual wellness journeys, motivated by losing many loved ones due to illness. Mara explains “Sparked with a desire to maximize our families’ health as well as ourselves’, we began researching the benefits of whole and alkalizing foods. We became each other’s sounding boards and would talk daily about new recipes and using food to prevent disease. Through all of this research and discussion, we began the practice of daily juicing.”
Health Benefits of Juicing
Juicing on a regular basis has a multitude of health benefits, such as lower blood pressure, reduced inflammation, weight loss and improved energy levels. Mara states, “We immediately felt the amazing benefits of drinking raw, organic, cold-pressed juice. Juicing is now a daily ritual that keeps us and our loved ones on the path of physical wellness… Personally, the most significant benefits I have experienced are reduced inflammation, stronger digestion and increased immunity.” Mara was diagnosed with two autoimmune diseases in her thirties, which caused her many gut and inflammation issues. She is happy to report, “Since I started juicing, I rarely get sick and those issues are nonexistent.”
Recipe Creation
“The goal in creating juice blends is to maximize the nutritional benefits of more nutrient dense vegetables, while blending with other vegetables or fruits to give it a delicious, healthful, and refreshing taste,” Mara explains. Only 100% organic produce is used for juicing at Green Farm. “Availability and seasonality definitely play a role in our production. We have a number of juices that we only produce during certain times of the year. We are thankful to Premier ProduceOne for always having access to our staple produce, which allows us to always have our ‘core’ juices available to our customers,” Mara expresses. In addition to organic cold pressed juices, Green Farm Juicery has many other offerings, such as smoothies, smoothie bowls, plant milks, wellness shots, and wellness h2os. Each menu item is comprised of mindfully chosen ingredients that nourish the body. Mara’s favorite? “I love our Sun Salutation juice. It is a blend of celery, cucumber, lemon and ginger. It is incredibly detoxifying, and the ginger gives it a great, spicy kick.” Amanda’s favorite juice is the new Pure Celery juice. Mara adds “The benefits of drinking pure celery juice daily are immense - if there is one juice you should drink daily, it is organic pure celery juice!”
Juice Cleanses
Whether you are looking for a clean, nutritious body detox every now and then, or are looking for a permanent lifestyle alteration, doing a juice cleanse is an incredible way to give your digestive system a rest. Mara affirms, “If you are feeling bloated or sick, or recently overindulged, or are looking for a way to incorporate intermittent fasting into your routine, a juice cleanse is an easy and effective way to help you get back on track.” Green Farm Juicery offers many different juice cleanse packages, which include 6 pre-determined juices a day in a specific order. With something for everyone, there are one-, two- or three-day juice cleanses, as well as five- or ten-day mini cleanses, and even a month-long cleanse, which consists of cleansing one day a week. “We have many different cleansing options because everyone has individual needs and goals. Some people cleanse for detoxification, some for weight loss, some for illness, or some for fatigue. We believe the length and type of cleanse needs to be determined on an individualized basis. We have an experienced team that helps each customer craft a cleanse tailored specifically to the customer’s goals,” Mara illustrates.
A Bright Future
“Green Farm is a place of wellness and many of our customers come to see us because they are battling health issues. One of the most amazing gifts we receive daily is hearing our customer’s stories on how our juices are personally helping them,” Mara advocates. In fact, the future growth of Green Farm Juicery will be thanks to a fellow wellness warrior. “A loyal customer and cancer survivor will be opening our first franchised store in March/April of 2020 in Mason, Ohio,” Mara reveals. With such an crucial mission and vision, we’re sure many more locations are on the horizon.
Written by Marianna Marchenko
