2019 Northeast Florida Veg Fest
Zygote Nation was there! … At the 2019 Northeast Florida Veg Fest at Riverside Park on March 2, 2019, in Jacksonville, Florida.
The park was a nice venue for the event. There were some 100 vegan food and natural product vendors at the park, many of whom ringed the park’s pond with their booths and tables. Throughout the day, there were speakers and live music. The only damper on a really nice festival was the intermittent rain, at times heavy, that I think affected turnout.
Here is my list of the festival’s notable vendors:
The Herb Room Organic Apothecary
Photos by Michael Sirak
The Herb Room Organic Apothecary of Hilton Head, South Carolina, sells Elderberry elixir, medicinal tinctures, chai tea, apple cider vinegar-based Fire Cider, balms, lip balm, bath salts, stick deodorant, insect repellant, throat spray, essential oil blends, and loose herbs. Many of the ingredients in its products are organic. I was most interested in Herb Room’s medicinal tinctures. They are available in 22 blends (e.g., Adrenal Fatigue Relief; Anti-Inflammatory; Heart Health; Immune Boosting; Liver Repair; Men’s Health and Vitality; Sleepy Time/Anxiety). They are made in a base of organic vegetable glycerin, not alcohol, and are brewed in the sun, the company’s representative at the festival told me. Kudos to Herb Room for offering a tincture created specifically with men’s health in mind. I often come across similar tincture businesses that have specially optimized formulas for women (e.g., “goddess” blend), but do not offer anything similar for men.
Mother Kombucha
Photos by Michael Sirak
Mother Kombucha of St. Petersburg, Florida, offers small-batch USDA-certified organic, vegan-certified kombucha blends. This is excellent kombucha. It’s current lineup of drinks includes: Blood Orange Ginger, Blue Rose, Goji Grape, Hopped Passion Fruit, Jasmine Flower, Lavender Mojito, Key Lime Margarita, The Trop, and Turmeric Ginger Lemonade. (It also has an Organic Sparkling Switchel, an apple cider vinegar-based drink.) The company uses fair-trade organic teas and tisanes (infusions made from leaves, bark, roots, berries, seeds, and spices), and spices, herbs, tinctures, and extracts for flavoring. For example, the Blue Rose blend features blueberries, hibiscus, schizandra berry, and rooibos tea. I spoke with Joshua Rumschlag, the company’s co-founder and master formulator, who is a trained Chinese herbologist. I found him to be exceedingly knowledgeable in explaining why each variety contains the complimentary herbs that it does. The Mother Kombucha website notes that the company uses flavors that enhance and build upon kombucha‘s natural acidity and tartness, as opposed to trying to mask them.
Small Seed Bar
Photo by Michael Sirak
Small Seed Bar of Raleigh, North Carolina, sells gluten-free, plant-based energy bars that contain mostly organic ingredients. The bars come in six varieties: Cacao Brownie, Cookie Dough, Expresso Bean, Maple Nut, Peanut Butter, and Sunflower Cinnamon. The company uses vegan proteins (i.e., hemp, sacha inchi, sprouted brown rice, yellow pea) in various combinations, depending on the bar variety. I really enjoyed the bars. They tasted extremely fresh and clean and are nicely filling. Of them, my favorites were the Peanut Butter and Maple Nut. To give an indication of the ingredients Small Seed Bar uses, here are the Peanut Butter bar’s contents: organic peanut butter, organic maple syrup, organic gluten-free rolled oats, yellow pea protein, organic sacha inchi protein, chocolate morsels (unsweetened chocolate, cane sugar), and organic flaxseed meal. The company recommends storing the bars in the refrigerator for optimal freshness and flavor, but also notes they will last for 30 days outside the fridge at room temperature.
Tea Nation
Photos by Michael Sirak
Tea Nation of Jacksonville sells hand-crafted organic teas geared towards healing. This include a wide selection of loose teas (e.g., Assam Black Tea, Kukicha, Red Rooibos); bath teas for soaking in the tub (e.g., Aphrodisiac, De-Stress, Just Breathe); chakra teas (i.e., one blend each for each of the seven chakras); survival kits (e.g., Cold, Pregnancy, Travel); “Teasonable” (i.e., seasonal) blends (e.g., Apple Chai); wedding teas (e.g., Bridal Boot Camp, Marriage Survival, Wedding Party Survival); and wellness blends (e.g., AnTEA-inflammatory, LiverTeatox, RegulariTEA). I was interested in the chakra blends and bought the Root Chakra blend. It contains ashwagandha root, dandelion root, elderflower, hibiscus, and raspberry leaf. I look forward to using it. The company will mix custom blends upon request.
Naturesville
Photo by Michael Sirak
Naturesville of Charlotte, North Carolina, markets EcoFresh dental sticks. These biodegradable sticks are from the roots of the Salvadora Persica tree. Various cultures have used these sticks for more than 7,000 years as a natural dental care tool, according to the company. The sticks have highly abrasive antibacterial properties and are packed with minerals, states the company. They whiten teeth, strengthen enamel, fight gingivitis, eliminate bad breath, and reduce sensitivity, claims Naturesville. To use them requires no water or toothpaste: one scrapes the bark from one tip, peels the tip to make it brush-like, brushes the teeth, and spits out any fiber fragments. The representative at Natursville’s table said the EcoFresh sticks can replace brushing, but not flossing. I purchased a four-pack of these sticks and am intrigued to try this product. The EcoFresh sticks are available to purchase online via Amazon.
