At the Farmers Market: Juicefield

With so many curbside lemonade stands and street fair-type juice kiosks, it's easy to simply walk by another juice stand at the Calabasas Farmers Market. But, at Saturday's market, one in particular merited a second, lingering and well-deserved look.

“This was made from five oranges,” said Ferenc Bajczer, pointing to a 12-ounce cup of freshly squeezed orange juice, priced at $3.50.

Being new

Bajczer was manning the Juicefield booth, which he co-owns with Viktor Nagy.

Based in Sherman Oaks, Juicefield is still in its infancy, formed by the duo in September.

“We think everyone has the fundamental right to enjoy the freshest fruit juices at their fullest taste with the greatest nutritional value,” Bacjzer said.

Juicefield is currently at three farmers markets: Calabasas, the Tuesday Agoura market and the Sunday Agoura market. According to Bajczer, Calabasas is hands-down their busiest market, where 40 to 50 cups of juices are sold most Saturdays.

Orange juice is the top-selling squeeze. “I think market-goers are attracted to the interesting-looking juicer and the juicing process,” said the young entrepreneur.

Being fresh

Bajczer then demonstrated how the Zumex juicer works. 

“It can squeeze 22 fruits per minute,” he said while describing the Spanish-made contraption, which his company exclusively distributes in the Southwest. "It's also completely automatic and touch-free."

The juice selection is limited but straightforward. Aside from orange juice, there are three kinds of lemonades: old-fashioned, berries with mint and agave. The lemonades are all made from pure lemon juice, water and simple syrup, with the exception of agave lemonade, which uses agave, a plant-based, natural sugar substitute, he said.

For now, all juices come in 12-ounce cups, which Bajczer quickly pointed out were not made from plastic. “They’re made from corn and other renewable resources,” he said.

Before their September launch, Bajczer and Nagy spent a considerable amount of time researching alternatives for the disposable goods that their juice business would use. The pair eventually settled on Eco Products, a Colorado-based company specializing in recycled disposable goods.

“We are very passionate about the environment and leaving a negative carbon footprint,” Bajczer said of their company’s commitment.

The freshly squeezed juices now come in bottles too. They are priced at $5 for a 32 oz. bottle, $9 for a half-gallon and $16 for a gallon. “You get a dollar off if you bring in your own bottle or cup,” said Bajczer.

Being giving

Another passion is charity work. Juicefield has pledged to give back 3 percent of its net sales to nonprofit organizations. Generosity Water, whose goal is to end the clean water crisis in developing countries, has already been singled out for their support.

Goal: 100 percent 'green'

In the works are carrot, apple and sugarcane juices, depending on the season and availability of a different type of juicer for the sugarcane. Juicefield is also in the process of forging relationships with local organic farmers at the markets to assure the constant supply of fresh fruits.

In the near future, Bajczer wants to create a 100 percent “green business,” using solar panels to power the juicers and exclusively using disposable goods made from renewable resources.

“I also want to encourage our customers to bring in their own bottles so they can take some of the juice home,” he said. Later on, Bajczer would like to purchase a truck, which would use both bio-diesel and solar panels.

“Going green is the only way we can survive in the long run,” he said.

The Calabasas Farmers Market is open from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. every Saturday at 23504 Calabasas Rd., across the street from the Sagebrush Cantina.