The New Breed
In the 28 years of its existence, the membership of the Association of Negros Producers have grown by leaps and bounds. It has evolved from just 48 founding members to more than 100 today.
Among the new breed of producers that have joined the association are husband and wife team Francine and Chin Chin Uy. True to form of being the new breed, they have established “Fresh Start”, a company that specializes in organically grown produce and other health and other products that are all-natural.
They had a funny start, actually. It was purely be accident. They were first involved in producing machinery and equipment used for vermin-composting to produce natural fertilizers. It was in response to the passing of the waste management law in 2005.
To prove the efficacy of the fertilizers they produced, they had to set up a demo farm in Silay City where they produced high-value crops like lettuce and various herbs. The demand for their produce opened their eyes to an untapped market for organically grown produce. They started with a small farm stand at Sweet Greens in Bacolod City.
With the growing demand for their produce, they cultivated their orchard in Sagay City. They increased their production and was then invited by a popular mall to open a small stall. That was where they saw the great demand for organically grown produce. This is when they established Fresh Start.
Since then Fresh Start has grown and they have started networking with producers of other all-natural products. They now have a wide array of different produce as well as other products that all boast being organically produced.
It was only in 2009 that Fresh Start became a member of the Association of Negros Producers. That was also their first year to participate in the annual trade fair. They started with just a small kiosk and were in fact stormed in on their first year.
Since then, Fresh Start has grown and has now opened a stand-alone restaurant in one of the more popular malls in Bacolod. They serve sandwiches and other dishes using their organically grown produce. Even the coffee and teas they serve are all-natural.
They have been very happy with the results of joining the ANP and the trade fair. Their market has grown and they have seen the potentials of further growth through the exposure the trade fair has provided.
Their success has allowed them to continually expand their operations. In fact, they have already opened their second restaurant in Bacolod and are about to open their restaurant in Manila soon.
With the encouragement and support the ANP provides, the new breed of members like Fresh Start are given the opportunity to grow consistently.
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Tags:
Natural and Organic
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