How should I eat? (Not too much)
—Michael Pollan
If it is so difficult to learn to cook, how did all those early pioneer women manage to cross the country in rugged covered wagons and feed troops of people from one big pot hung over an open fire?
—Marion Cunningham, from Learning to Cook
Treat treats as treats.
—Michael Pollan
No matter how you slice it through, grain-fed meat production systems are a drain on the global food supply.
—Jonathan A. Foley, director of the Institute on the Environment, U of MN
Food Entrepreneurs Part IV: Tomgirl Juice Co.
Natalie and I are finding it really fun to interview the Burlingon areas’ remarkable food entrepreneurs. And, this week’s addition to our series on these hard-working food artists was especially fun because of the wonderful energy of Gabrielle Kammerer, the owner of Tomgirl Juice Co. I know you’ll find Natalie’s observations on what it takes to create a new food business enlightening. Enjoy!
Upon walking into Tomgirl Juice Co., my day was brightened by the charming shop filled with whimsical yellow tissue paper flowers that hung from the ceiling. Bronwyn and I were warmly greeted by the owner, Gabrielle Kammerer (pictured above on the right), who was equally as vibrant as the colorful juices that filled the shelves. Tomgirl Juice Co. is an organic juice company located in Burlington’s South End that focuses on locally grown and wild produce. Gabrielle’s goal is to use local “superfoods” to aid in the “thoughtful consumption of color”. Oftentimes, we think of superfoods as products that are grown afar, such as as goji berries. However, Gabrielle explains that there are tons of “superfoods” that are fresh and packed with nutrients in our own backyards. Tomgirl sells a variety of unique seasonal juices, such as Butternut Squash and Sweet Potato, nut milks, like Maple Sunflower Seed, and a variety of other goodies, from seasonal soups to chia puddings. Gabrielle also offers a variety of cleanses to fit anyone’s personal goals and comfort level. Visit Tomgirl’s website here to stay up to date on juices and treats offered each day.
Passion and Hard Work
A little over a decade ago, Gabrielle Kammerer could be seen riding her bike in below freezing temperatures with a helmet, bomber jacket, tights, thick socks, and an April Cornell dress blowing in the wind as she raced to deliver juice on her lunch break. How Gabrielle’s life led her to the creation of Tomgirl is anything but a straight trajectory, but there’s an inspiring common thread of passion, hard work, sacrifice and risk taking that guided her entire journey.
Food Can Be Fun
With her interest in photography and influence from her father, a commercial artist, Gabrielle has always had a creative drive. However, her interest in food was not illuminated until her teenage years after visiting a Trader Joe’s for the first time. The creative and colorful packaging triggered something in her, making her realize that food can be a fun outlet of expression too.
Colorful Oaxacan Agua Frescas
Her interest in food and color deepened during a trip to Oaxaca at the age of 20, where the many layers of flavor that went into each dish excited her eyes and palate. She became fascinated by the chocolate makers who would grind chocolate to their personal taste, and make a paste that would be used in moles as well as hot chocolate and desserts. This handcrafting was an art form that made food personal. It was the opposite of her experience in the US, and the opposite of processed foods and supermarket production. What really captivated her about Oaxaca was the beautiful fresh fruit Aguas Frescas that came in a rainbow of colors filled with slices of fresh fruit.
An Infinity Company
Now, in a brightly lit shop with her own colorful juices, she reflects on the variety of her creative endeavors predating Tomgirl including: helping to design a bathing suit line, starting a gingerbread cookie company, and working for Katrina Markoff at Vosges Chocolate. However, Gabrielle came to realize that she wanted to move in a more health conscious direction, specifically focusing on tomatoes. To Gabrielle, tomatoes represent power through femininity and sensuality. She began thinking about an idea to create a tomato juice company that would come in an array of different colored tomatoes, and thus, different colored juices, similar to the Aguas Frescas in Oaxaca. This idea evolved further into Tomgirl Juice Co., what Gabrielle calls an “infinity company”, that could become an endless number of products under one label. She felt she had come up with an entity that embodied all the qualities that she admired, and gave her room to be creative and express the feminine power and energy she had discovered in Mexico.
Leap of Faith
Gabrielle then started doing what she knew how to do best – learning from the experts! She worked for two different juice companies simultaneously, learning different juices techniques and flavor combinations. After hearing from a friend how wonderful the food scene was in Burlington, she knew she had to make a go of it. Gabrielle bought a one-way ticket and arrived with no money to her name, but she magically felt at home in Vermont.
Grassroots Phenomenon
Once she felt confident that she could make her own juice, she was working at April Cornell during the day and juice making all the time in-between. She started training herself to wake up early. She perfected a positive mood to make juice even though it meant she had no time for anything else outside of her job.  The time she’d spent making gingerbread cookies had taught her how to “make things fast,” which was helpful.  She started selling juice during her lunch breaks, and after work–queue the intro bike scene– and signed up for events where she sold her juice as well. From leaving different juices on neighbors’ cars and mailboxes, to personally handing them out to strangers on Church Street, Gabrielle’s juice company started as a grassroots phenomenon.
Right Intentions
Today, with a staff of eight, Tomgirl Juice Co. makes 150 juices every day. Gabrielle does not believe in “controlling” the fruits and vegetables she works with. There are certain juicing standards she upholds to preserve the integrity of each juice. “You must have the right intentions go into each juice”, Gabrielle emphasizes. For example, she’ll never juice a berry; instead she blends them into a drink. In addition, there are certain produce she will never filter, such as grapefruits, ginger and wheatgrass because this overworks the juice. In addition to giving her juices the utmost respect and care, Gabrielle shares this treatment with her staff. This includes giving  them an hour lunch break so that everyone has time to enjoy, what Gabrielle calls, the most important meal of the day.
Don’t Quit Your Day Job!
As for tips for other entrepreneurs, Gabrielle believes and trusts in the universe. She believes that the energy you give to the world is the energy you will receive. “We are all bodies of energy—we attract what we put out into the world.” Although there is a certain amount of spirituality that goes into success for Gabrielle, it also requires lots of hard work. Gabrielle’s tips for other food entrepreneurs? “Learn from the experts”, “visualize yourself accomplishing your goal”, and most importantly, “don’t quit your day job!”
Tomgirl Juice Co.
463 St Paul St, Burlington, VT
tomgirl.production@gmail.com
Mon – Fri: 7:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Sat: 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM
***
Natalie Lovelace
All Photos Taken By Bronwyn Dunne
Posted: 10-5-2015
Tomgirl Juice Co. 463 St Paul St, Burlington, VT tomgirl.production@gmail.com Mon - Fri: 7:00 AM - 4:00 PM Sat: 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
*** Natalie Lovelace All Photos Taken By Bronwyn Dunne
" ["post_title"]=> string(45) "Food Entrepreneurs Part IV: Tomgirl Juice Co." ["post_excerpt"]=> string(107) "Read about Gabrielle Kammerer's inspiring story behind TomGirl Juice, located on St. Paul St in Burlington." ["post_status"]=> string(7) "publish" ["comment_status"]=> string(4) "open" ["ping_status"]=> string(4) "open" ["post_password"]=> string(0) "" ["post_name"]=> string(43) "food-entrepreneurs-part-iv-tomgirl-juice-co" ["to_ping"]=> string(0) "" ["pinged"]=> string(0) "" ["post_modified"]=> string(19) "2016-02-21 03:18:09" ["post_modified_gmt"]=> string(19) "2016-02-21 03:18:09" ["post_content_filtered"]=> string(0) "" ["post_parent"]=> int(0) ["guid"]=> string(42) "http://inthekitchenwithbronwyn.com/?p=3896" ["menu_order"]=> int(0) ["post_type"]=> string(4) "post" ["post_mime_type"]=> string(0) "" ["comment_count"]=> string(1) "5" ["filter"]=> string(3) "raw" } ["queried_object_id"]=> int(3896) ["request"]=> string(183) "SELECT wp_posts.* FROM wp_posts WHERE 1=1 AND wp_posts.post_name = 'food-entrepreneurs-part-iv-tomgirl-juice-co' AND wp_posts.post_type = 'post' ORDER BY wp_posts.post_date DESC " ["posts"]=> &array(1) { [0]=> object(WP_Post)#1121 (24) { ["ID"]=> int(3896) ["post_author"]=> string(1) "1" ["post_date"]=> string(19) "2015-10-05 04:00:08" ["post_date_gmt"]=> string(19) "2015-10-05 04:00:08" ["post_content"]=> string(10032) "Natalie and I are finding it really fun to interview the Burlingon areas' remarkable food entrepreneurs. And, this week's addition to our series on these hard-working food artists was especially fun because of the wonderful energy of Gabrielle Kammerer, the owner of Tomgirl Juice Co. I know you'll find Natalie's observations on what it takes to create a new food business enlightening. Enjoy! A bientĂ´t!

Upon walking into Tomgirl Juice Co., my day was brightened by the charming shop filled with whimsical yellow tissue paper flowers that hung from the ceiling. Bronwyn and I were warmly greeted by the owner, Gabrielle Kammerer (pictured above on the right), who was equally as vibrant as the colorful juices that filled the shelves. Tomgirl Juice Co. is an organic juice company located in Burlington’s South End that focuses on locally grown and wild produce. Gabrielle’s goal is to use local “superfoods” to aid in the “thoughtful consumption of color”. Oftentimes, we think of superfoods as products that are grown afar, such as as goji berries. However, Gabrielle explains that there are tons of “superfoods” that are fresh and packed with nutrients in our own backyards. Tomgirl sells a variety of unique seasonal juices, such as Butternut Squash and Sweet Potato, nut milks, like Maple Sunflower Seed, and a variety of other goodies, from seasonal soups to chia puddings. Gabrielle also offers a variety of cleanses to fit anyone’s personal goals and comfort level. Visit Tomgirl’s website here to stay up to date on juices and treats offered each day.





Tomgirl Juice Co. 463 St Paul St, Burlington, VT tomgirl.production@gmail.com Mon - Fri: 7:00 AM - 4:00 PM Sat: 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
*** Natalie Lovelace All Photos Taken By Bronwyn Dunne
" ["post_title"]=> string(45) "Food Entrepreneurs Part IV: Tomgirl Juice Co." ["post_excerpt"]=> string(107) "Read about Gabrielle Kammerer's inspiring story behind TomGirl Juice, located on St. Paul St in Burlington." ["post_status"]=> string(7) "publish" ["comment_status"]=> string(4) "open" ["ping_status"]=> string(4) "open" ["post_password"]=> string(0) "" ["post_name"]=> string(43) "food-entrepreneurs-part-iv-tomgirl-juice-co" ["to_ping"]=> string(0) "" ["pinged"]=> string(0) "" ["post_modified"]=> string(19) "2016-02-21 03:18:09" ["post_modified_gmt"]=> string(19) "2016-02-21 03:18:09" ["post_content_filtered"]=> string(0) "" ["post_parent"]=> int(0) ["guid"]=> string(42) "http://inthekitchenwithbronwyn.com/?p=3896" ["menu_order"]=> int(0) ["post_type"]=> string(4) "post" ["post_mime_type"]=> string(0) "" ["comment_count"]=> string(1) "5" ["filter"]=> string(3) "raw" } } ["post_count"]=> int(1) ["current_post"]=> int(0) ["in_the_loop"]=> bool(true) ["post"]=> object(WP_Post)#1121 (24) { ["ID"]=> int(3896) ["post_author"]=> string(1) "1" ["post_date"]=> string(19) "2015-10-05 04:00:08" ["post_date_gmt"]=> string(19) "2015-10-05 04:00:08" ["post_content"]=> string(10032) "Natalie and I are finding it really fun to interview the Burlingon areas' remarkable food entrepreneurs. And, this week's addition to our series on these hard-working food artists was especially fun because of the wonderful energy of Gabrielle Kammerer, the owner of Tomgirl Juice Co. I know you'll find Natalie's observations on what it takes to create a new food business enlightening. Enjoy! A bientĂ´t!

Upon walking into Tomgirl Juice Co., my day was brightened by the charming shop filled with whimsical yellow tissue paper flowers that hung from the ceiling. Bronwyn and I were warmly greeted by the owner, Gabrielle Kammerer (pictured above on the right), who was equally as vibrant as the colorful juices that filled the shelves. Tomgirl Juice Co. is an organic juice company located in Burlington’s South End that focuses on locally grown and wild produce. Gabrielle’s goal is to use local “superfoods” to aid in the “thoughtful consumption of color”. Oftentimes, we think of superfoods as products that are grown afar, such as as goji berries. However, Gabrielle explains that there are tons of “superfoods” that are fresh and packed with nutrients in our own backyards. Tomgirl sells a variety of unique seasonal juices, such as Butternut Squash and Sweet Potato, nut milks, like Maple Sunflower Seed, and a variety of other goodies, from seasonal soups to chia puddings. Gabrielle also offers a variety of cleanses to fit anyone’s personal goals and comfort level. Visit Tomgirl’s website here to stay up to date on juices and treats offered each day.





Tomgirl Juice Co. 463 St Paul St, Burlington, VT tomgirl.production@gmail.com Mon - Fri: 7:00 AM - 4:00 PM Sat: 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
*** Natalie Lovelace All Photos Taken By Bronwyn Dunne
" ["post_title"]=> string(45) "Food Entrepreneurs Part IV: Tomgirl Juice Co." ["post_excerpt"]=> string(107) "Read about Gabrielle Kammerer's inspiring story behind TomGirl Juice, located on St. Paul St in Burlington." ["post_status"]=> string(7) "publish" ["comment_status"]=> string(4) "open" ["ping_status"]=> string(4) "open" ["post_password"]=> string(0) "" ["post_name"]=> string(43) "food-entrepreneurs-part-iv-tomgirl-juice-co" ["to_ping"]=> string(0) "" ["pinged"]=> string(0) "" ["post_modified"]=> string(19) "2016-02-21 03:18:09" ["post_modified_gmt"]=> string(19) "2016-02-21 03:18:09" ["post_content_filtered"]=> string(0) "" ["post_parent"]=> int(0) ["guid"]=> string(42) "http://inthekitchenwithbronwyn.com/?p=3896" ["menu_order"]=> int(0) ["post_type"]=> string(4) "post" ["post_mime_type"]=> string(0) "" ["comment_count"]=> string(1) "5" ["filter"]=> string(3) "raw" } ["comment_count"]=> int(0) ["current_comment"]=> int(-1) ["found_posts"]=> int(1) ["max_num_pages"]=> int(0) ["max_num_comment_pages"]=> int(0) ["is_single"]=> bool(true) ["is_preview"]=> bool(false) ["is_page"]=> bool(false) ["is_archive"]=> bool(false) ["is_date"]=> bool(false) ["is_year"]=> bool(false) ["is_month"]=> bool(false) ["is_day"]=> bool(false) ["is_time"]=> bool(false) ["is_author"]=> bool(false) ["is_category"]=> bool(false) ["is_tag"]=> bool(false) ["is_tax"]=> bool(false) ["is_search"]=> bool(false) ["is_feed"]=> bool(false) ["is_comment_feed"]=> bool(false) ["is_trackback"]=> bool(false) ["is_home"]=> bool(false) ["is_privacy_policy"]=> bool(false) ["is_404"]=> bool(false) ["is_embed"]=> bool(false) ["is_paged"]=> bool(false) ["is_admin"]=> bool(false) ["is_attachment"]=> bool(false) ["is_singular"]=> bool(true) ["is_robots"]=> bool(false) ["is_posts_page"]=> bool(false) ["is_post_type_archive"]=> bool(false) ["query_vars_hash":"WP_Query":private]=> string(32) "934c67b872c8b6c6e70e396b6aa788d0" ["query_vars_changed":"WP_Query":private]=> bool(false) ["thumbnails_cached"]=> bool(false) ["stopwords":"WP_Query":private]=> NULL ["compat_fields":"WP_Query":private]=> array(2) { [0]=> string(15) "query_vars_hash" [1]=> string(18) "query_vars_changed" } ["compat_methods":"WP_Query":private]=> array(2) { [0]=> string(16) "init_query_flags" [1]=> string(15) "parse_tax_query" } } SUBSCRIBE TO THIS BLOG’S FEED5 responses to “Food Entrepreneurs Part IV: Tomgirl Juice Co.”
Leave a Reply
small bites

Edible Green Mountains Cooks Issue Feature

Bronwyn Jones Dunne Selected by IACP as Featured Blogger
featured events
Food events that have caught my eye.

Burlington Farmer's Market | Saturdays 8:30a-2p

School of the New American Farmstead - Press Release

ArtsRiot | TRUCK STOP May 17 - Aug 30
a La Carte Videos
Bronwyn Dunne and Judith Jones Prepare Two Potato Salads at Bryn Teg. See the recipes
Gateau de Crepes- In Molly’s Kitchen.
See recipe from the Smitten Kitchen
Blog Archives
- The Intervale – An Unexpected Adventure - Jun 2020
- Pandemic Silver Lining - Jun 2020
- Digging the Dirt for a More Sustainable Future - May 2020
- Shop Local! - May 2020
- Quarantine Cuisine – Part II - Apr 2020
- #QuarantineCuisine - Apr 2020
- Armchair Traveling – Part II - Mar 2020
- ARMCHAIR TRAVELING - Mar 2020
- Everybody Loves Cheese - Feb 2020
- Love food? Love Farmers! - Dec 2019
- Our Treasured Cookbooks - Nov 2019
- Pumpkins of all shapes and sizes - Oct 2019
- Three New Must-Haves For Your Spice Cabinet - Jul 2019
- dEELicious Flavors for your Summer Grill - Jun 2019
- Go Bananas at Burlington Farmer’s Market - May 2019
- Five Reasons to Pursue Continuing Education - May 2019
- Mind Your Macros – there’s an app for that - Apr 2019
- A Love Affair with Fermented Fare - Mar 2019
- Onion Soup for the Soul - Mar 2019
- Dinners with Bronwyn - Feb 2019
- Top Three Weekend Activities - Jan 2019
- Muffins posing as cupcakes - Dec 2018
- ‘Tis the Season - Dec 2018
- Four Things I learned in Cooking Class - Oct 2018
- Gastronomy from Coast to Coast - Oct 2018
- Meghan Markle moves the conversation on diversity with a celebration of food - Sep 2018
- I Love Early Fall…From My Head…To-ma-toes - Sep 2018
- Some things you only need to do once - Sep 2018
- Meet My Flock - Aug 2018
- Summer Crowd Pleaser - Jul 2018
- Seven joys of urban farming - Jun 2018
- Wild and Untamed - Jun 2018
- 5 Mistakes of a First Time Gardener - May 2018
- How I Failed in Boston - Apr 2018
- Love your FOOD | Love your FARMer - Apr 2018
- Poor Poh-tay-toe… - Apr 2018
- Love Lives Here…in Burlington! - Mar 2018
- Flashy New South End City Market - Feb 2018
- The Hungry Bookworms - Feb 2018
- A Road Well-traveled - Jan 2018
- Baby…it’s cold outside - Jan 2018
- How to Make Chocolate Peanut Butter Granola: A Story of Holiday Blunders - Dec 2017
- Triple Dipple Pickles - Dec 2017
- COLD days, HOT coffee - Nov 2017
- A Deviation of Appreciation - Oct 2017
- Remembering Judith Jones, A Culinary Luminary – a film - Oct 2017
- The Rice Whisperer – a sequel - Oct 2017
- Love your food & Love your neighbor - Oct 2017
- TELL YOUR FRIENDS! Each new subscriber in October = $2 donation to Vermont Foodbank - Oct 2017
- Judith Jones New York Memorial – October 4th - Sep 2017
- Sum sum summertime = Champlain Valley Fair - Sep 2017
- Soooo Many Momos - Sep 2017
- Judith Jones Memorial – August 26th, 2017 - Aug 2017
- In Loving Memory of Judith Jones: March 10, 1924 – August 2, 2017 - Aug 2017
- The Left Coast - Jul 2017
- The Duck Whisperer - Jul 2017
- Right in My Backyard: Trillium Hill Farm Part II - Jun 2017
- Right in My Backyard: Trillium Hill Farm - Jun 2017
- Where Food Comes From - Jun 2017
- A Day of Dining in New Orleans - May 2017
- Sautéed Fiddleheads in Butter with Lemon and Garlic - May 2017
- This is Not a Gardening Blog II - May 2017
- When Life Gives You Bruised Apples…Make Applesauce!!! - May 2017
- This is Not a Gardening Blog - Apr 2017
- New Guest Writer: Welcome Corrie to the Green Mountain State! - Apr 2017
- A Farewell To The Green Mountain State - Jul 2016
- Zabby & Elf’s Stone Soup, Part II - May 2016
- Zabby & Elf’s Stone Soup - Mar 2016
- Gratitude - Dec 2015
- Food Entrepreneurs Part V: Brio Coffeeworks - Nov 2015
- Food Entrepreneurs Part IV: Tomgirl Juice Co. - Oct 2015
- Food Entrepreneurs Series Part III: The Bakery At The Farmhouse Kitchen - Aug 2015
- Food Entrepreneurship in Vermont Part II: Bijou Fine Chocolates - Jul 2015
- Summer Events In Vermont - Jul 2015
- Is Localizing America’s Food System Possible? - Jun 2015
- Food Entrepreneurship in Vermont Part I: SharkBite Hummus - Jun 2015
- Nourish Vermont: Traditional Foods and Health Gathering - May 2015
- Late Sugaring In The Northeast Kingdom - May 2015
- Baking With Bayley Hazen Blue - Apr 2015
- Vermont Artisan Village - Mar 2015
- A Rare Book Indeed - Nov 2014
- It’s Time for an Organic Revolution! - Sep 2014
- Food for the Soul as well as the Body: Shojin Ryori - Aug 2014
- The Venerable Shojin Ryori Cuisine of Japan by Hiroko Shimbo - Aug 2014
- Better than Summer Camp: Summer Programs in Cheese Making, Fermentation, Charcuterie, Draft Horse Farming & Food Writing at Sterling College - May 2014
- We Did It! GMO Labeling Passed in Both the Vermont House & Senate - Apr 2014
- A Very Important Birthday: Judith Jones Celebrates Her 90th Birthday! - Mar 2014
- A Book Is On Its Way! As my interest in local farming has grown, I find myself writing a book… - Jan 2014
- After the Barn Fire Fundraiser Dinner to Benefit Maple Wind Farm – Tues, Jan 28 at Hinesburgh Public House - Jan 2014
- Sign Up for Blog Updates from In the Kitchen with Bronwyn & We’ll Donate $2 to the VT Foodbank for each subscription through Dec 31! - Nov 2013
- A Recipe for the Holidays from Shelburne Farms - Nov 2013
- When the Farm is a School: Shelburne Farms - Nov 2013
- Bronwyn Jones Dunne Selected by IACP as Featured Blogger - Nov 2013
- Fairfield Farm at The Hotchkiss School: Where Academics & Agriculture Meet - Oct 2013
- Farm to School – Not Just a Slogan - Oct 2013
- The Making of the “Zetterburger”: A True Tale of Creativity in the Kitchen - Aug 2013
- The “Zetterburger” Recipe - Aug 2013
- From the Sea Cloud to the Cloud Nine of Dining - Aug 2013
- Making Fresh Mozzarella - Jul 2013
A lovely story about Gabrielle. Thanks.
Margo
Sure wish TomGirl juices could be ordered for a week and delivered to the Middlebury Food Coop! Wouldn’t that be great!
A combination of Tomgirl juices, concocted by Gabrielle, got rid of a pesky urinary tract infection I had. 🙂
Thank you so much for all your comments…and how great that TomGirl Juice is so effective! The juices I’ve tasted are really delicious, too, and really pure. Delightful combination of good health and good taste!
I have tried several of the TomGirl juices and they are pretty amazing. Gabrielle has a very charming shop as well. Nice job on this article on all the amazing juice choices! Enjoyed reading it!