Healdsburg’s cold-pressed juice empire

The Sonoma County Juice Co. was up and running in August when it encountered a licensing glitch and the need for an additional permit.

Now rebranded as “Seeded,” the company is selling locally produced, cold-pressed juice out of Bean Affair in Healdsburg while owner LeMarion Spence waits for state retail food facility and processed food permits . Once they arrive, Seeded juices will be carried by Big John’s Market, Shelton’s Natural Food Market and Snac Shac at Parkpoint, all in Healdsburg, plus Community Markets in Sebastopol and Santa Rosa.

“This is farm-to-bottle,” Spence said.

Seeded’s juice processing crew uses the Bean Affair to cold-press raw juices with names like Glow (made with carrots, apples, turmeric and ginger) and Strengthen (kale, cucumber, celery, romaine lettuce, Granny Smith apples, lemon and gala apples). They work at night, when the coffee shop is closed.

Seeded works with a nutritionist and a chef to create the unpasteurized juice recipes that include fruits, vegetables and herbs provided by Front Porch Farm, Preston Farms, Foggy River Farm and Bernier Farm, among others.

Customer feedback has been generally positive, though Spence said he gets some raised eyebrows at the price - $9.75 for a 16.9-ounce bottle, with $1 refunded when the bottle is returned to Bean Affair.

“The juice is delicious, but a little pricey,” said customer Waights Taylor of Santa Rosa.

“This is local, fresh food,” said Spence, with “nearly three 6-ounce juice servings in each bottle.” As production ramps up, he expects the price to go down.

Spence plans to rent commercial kitchen space in local kitchens as he expands, using facilities during their off hours and sourcing all fruits and vegetables from within 30 miles of Healdsburg.

“Seeded is committed to the local community,” he said. “We create delicious juices that are pesticide-, hormone- and additive-free.”

Spence also dreams of supplying local school lunch programs with his juices, producing them in smaller sized sports packs for children, and even using them to make frozen pops. “We need to help children enjoy consuming fruits and vegetables,” he said.

Spence, 42, has lived in Healdsburg since 1999. He worked for Frank Johnson Vineyards before setting out on his own. He brought “Stone Soup” to Healdsburg, in 2011 staging a free community brunch based on the children’s story, and hopes to have another one in February or March.

Spence also is starting the REDCard program, which offers rides at a nominal price to those who may be impaired after drinking at tasting rooms or bars.

To learn more about Seeded, visit sonomacountyjuice.com.

Contact Healdsburg Towns correspondent Ann Carranza at Healdsburg.Towns@gmail.com.