Bringing Juice to the People with Mike Winters

Did you know that you can find local juice with organically-grown fruits and veggies made-to-order every Wednesday in the City Market parking lot? Well, now you do! Every Wednesday from 10am-2pm through September, Mike Winters will be out front serving up delicious juice for our community. In addition to his weekly gigs here at City Market and at the Burlington Farmers’ Market on Saturdays, Mike manages a plot of land at the Intervale Center where the majority of the fruits and vegetables used in his juices are grown. I sat down with Mike in our outdoor café to learn a little bit more about our weekly visitor and to shed some light on the mission and vision behind Juice for the People.

As I approached Mike’s table outside, he was chatting with a friend who referred to Mike as his “favorite lawyer turned farmer.” Mike’s path to his current role as owner-operator of Juice for the People is certainly an unlikely one. As he shared with me, prior to starting his business he had been practicing law and felt stuck in that pathway, as he explained “consciously grinding away.” After consulting with his partner (who at the time was the supervisor of a juice bar in South Burlington), they “saw a vacuum and decided to go for it,” starting their cart-style venture and setting up shop at the Burlington Farmers' Market. They were an instant hit there starting in 2011 and eventually opened up a brick and mortar space in the downtown mall. After two years there they decided to retreat back into their original concept of reaching their client base through farmers’ markets and eventually their weekly pop-up here at City Market. In that time, they also began a new venture as farmers at Burlington’s Intervale Center.

Mike told me about his participation in the Farm Incubation program at the Intervale, saying, “It’s spectacular…It allows people with a solid business plan to have access to a subsidized situation with lots of support. The lease for the acreage is really, really affordable. If you need any help farming whatsoever there are like 20 seasoned, veteran farmers who know organic farming like the back of their hand.” As a part of this program, the Intervale offers new farmers the opportunity to develop their business over the course of their five year lease while granting access to mentor farmers, technical assistance, and business development. As Juice for the People delves into their fourth growing season at the Intervale, they will eventually graduate from the program and seek their own plot of land for purchase. The Intervale Center works closely with Vermont Land Trust’s Farmland Access Program to help farmers access affordable land and continue to grow our farm and food economy.

Speaking of graduating, Mike and I discussed the exciting news that Juice for the People will once again have its own indoor space when they join us at our new location in the South End this November, allowing us year-round access to his delicious juice and providing a business growth opportunity for Juice for the People. In discussing the re-purposing of juice pulp in innovative ways by chefs and entrepreneurs, Mike shared with me another product that he hopes to offer in the new South End space: sun-dried juice pulp chips. He told me he’s “[Had] the idea since the very beginning. It’s kind of a ‘waste’ product which is not a waste product. Getting into City Market and the revenue that would allow is going to let me make those.” Currently, the leftover juice pulp goes directly back into the soil as compost if it’s not going to feed Betseyfield Farm chickens.

As we wrapped up our conversation, I asked Mike what juice he would encourage a skeptic to try (Mike himself was once pretty skeptical of the green stuff if you can believe it). “Our most popular has always been and I think will always be what we call the Immunity. It’s a whole pear, apple, lemon, ginger, and kale…People love the sweetness. That’s what got me hooked.” After gulping down my very own Immunity earlier that day, I too am hooked.

Where to find Juice for the People:

Saturdays May-October at the Burlington Farmers’ Market

Wednesdays June-September from 10am-2pm in the City Market Parking Lot.

Coming Soon: City Market on Flynn Avenue!