Certified Organic Kombucha is more than a label — Team Booch tours JR Organics Farm!
Every batch of Boochcraft is brewed using 100% USDA Organic fresh pressed fruit — that much you probably already know. However, in addition to brewing certified organic kombucha, did you know that we work directly with organic farms to source the absolute best ingredients for our Booches? Our "farm to tank" philosophy isn't just a cute platitude; it's how we do business. And today, our business was watermelon... 15,000lbs of it. So, we hopped in the car and took a trip less than an hour north of our brewery to JR Organics Farm to check on our baby 'booch watermelons, planted especially for the return of our sweet Watermelon Chili Booch (also — full disclosure — we ate our fair share of strawberries, blueberries, tomatoes, blackberries... and basically whatever they'd let us pluck from the orchards. Here's to hoping we get welcomed back...).
Joe Jr. supersedes his father, Joe Rodriguez Sr. - Taking over the family farm and leading the way into certified organic farming.
Back to the melons at hand: the watermelons you taste in Watermelon Chili are a culmination of over 100 years of farming experience. There are now four generations of the Rodriguez family on the JR Organics farm, and we had the pleasure of meeting Joe Jr. himself, and being guided around by his nephew, Mike. You can't help but feel the sense of family unity when walking through the farm, seeing grandpa Joe sitting on his porch, being greeted by the farm dogs rolling over for a belly rub, or feeding the pet billygoats a nibble of lettuce. JR Organics is much more than a farm, it is a home, and quite a happy one.
Certified Organic out of Necessity
Check out our Baby-Booch watermelon, nestled comfortably in the warm tender soil at JR Organics Farm. From certified organic farms comes certified organic kombucha!
JR Organics has been a CCOF certified organic farm since 1986. After experiencing health issues related to the chemicals found in pesticides, Joe Jr. sought to begin experimenting in organic farming customs. Given just five acres to test the capabilities for organic farming, Joe Jr. has been able to successfully regenerate the entire farm into a full-service certified organic, sustainable, composting, soil regenerative shindig! "By going organic, it helps us to protect our environment, we can also help our employees - by not being around those pesticides." -Joe Rodriguez Jr.
Sweet Baby Melons for Watermelon Chili Kombucha
With the summer upon us, there is a high demand for the return of our Watermelon Chili Booch. JR Organics has planted 2 acres of watermelon to meet our order for 15,000 pounds of watermelon this summer (fingers crossed that it's enough). Planning every batch of Booch is a delicate, complex triumph of operational prowess, especially given our non-negotiable commitment to responsibly grown and manufactured produce. We're using the Crimson Sweet variety for its exceptional taste and bright red color. Fun Fact: Did you know watermelons are 95% water! Don't worry... the Booch is still 7% ABV.
Co-Founder and Head of Impact Initiatives, Adam Hiner, checking in on our watermelons. Yes, if you talk to plants, they listen!