L2T Network Spotlight – Okanagan Mobile Juicing

For Kristen Trovato of Okanagan Mobile Juicing, “every apple counts.”

Mobile Juicing began in 2012 when Kristen (then landscaper who wanted to start her own business) and partner Remo saw mobile juicing as a win-win-win for local producers, retailers and herself as a new business in service to the agri-sector.

In a nutshell, Kristen and her team take raw fruit and turn it into a tasty, pasteurized, packaged juice ready for store shelves. They press, de-stone, puree, pasteurize and/or package.

“I grew up in the Okanagan and knew we have good fruit and a lot of it.” Kristen didn’t know a lot about the apple industry then—how the influence of a global food system has left local apple producers competing with subsidized Washington growers (whose crops have access to endless water as a result of the Columbia Basin damming—long history). She sure has a good sense of it all now, and has built relationships and trust with local farmers through mobile juicing services that offer creative and localized support for farmers to earn more from their fruit.

Some of Kristen’s first customers were looking to salvage failed fruit crops through juicing. Being able to juice a crop that has, for example, suffered from apple russet (scabs all over the apples) has meant income from a crop that may otherwise go to rot. Certainly, in that case, every apple (that no one wanted to sell) counts! It started with apples and has expanded to cherries and blueberries. Some clients are making beautiful juice blends (e.g. apple, carrot, ginger) and there may have been an accidental apple-garlic blend (to which I suggested a new business venture – apple garlic cider vinegar?).

What began as a seasonal mobile juicing business, traveling up and down the Okanagan Valley from Osoyoos to Salmon Arm, continues to grow. “It seems that every two years we are changing and growing to better serve our customers.” 

In 2019-2020, Mobile Juicing became CFIA certified (a lengthy food safety certification), allowing clients to be able to sell juice inter-provincially and even to export internationally. 

“Last year we processed 100,000 pounds of blueberries!” Kristen said. That kind of demand, to process increasing volumes of fruit, has spurred the building of a permanent location. Situated across from Vegpro on Highway 6 toward Lumby, there is an attractive new 6000 square foot building for year-round fruit processing and new home to Mobile Juicing offices. 

Looking at that 2-acre lot (where the nearly complete building sits), Kristen is already thinking about next steps for growth. “The sky is the limit!”

Certainly, as far as the local food system is concerned there are a lot of “wins” packed into this local food processing business:

  • Supporting the local agriculture industry to get more value for their fruit – win!
  • Ensuring that local fruit is being used and consumed (instead of going to waste) – win!
  • Creating a small business (that continues to grow) to support a young family – win!
  • Creating local, small scale infrastructure (where there wasn’t any) – win!
  • Providing an independent alternative for fruit processing – win!
  • Contributing to building a more regional based food system – WIN!

Learn more about Okanagan Mobile Juicing:

Website: mobilejuicing.com
Facebook: facebook.com/mobilejuicing
Twitter: twitter.com/mobilejuicing
Instagram: instagram.com/mobilejuicing