Buffalo is a funny place in some ways. Sometimes it’s all about who you know. Other times, what you know. And still other times, a combination of the two. It’s been called a big couch, which I find somewhat endearing. Chances are, if you meet someone in passing, you are bound to meet them time and time again. That’s been the case with me and Jonathan Foreman, who is now co-owner of a new beverage line called Foreman Naturals.
For years, I’ve run into Jonathan on the streets, in cafés, at events… and every time I see him he tells me about his latest business ventures. The last time that I bumped into him, he was opening a diner on the West Side, although that ended up not coming to pass.
Fast forward to today, and Jonathan and his wife, Tara Rowe-Foreman, have morphed from the diner concept into a more full fledge health movement that primarily revolves around all-natural beverages.
“When we realized that we weren’t doing the diner concept any longer, we found ourselves sitting on $15,000 worth of equipment,” Jonathan told me. “So we started to work out of our own property on the West Side. Now, we’re finally hooking up with a partner who is closing on a building, that will house our new production facility.”
Backing up a bit, Jonathan told me that the company started off with a healthy dog food concept called K9 Naturals. At around that same time, they started to develop the “human” beverage line, which immediately took off. The only problem was that the bottles containing the fizzy drinks were pricey, so they pivoted to non-carbonated tea drinks with less expensive bottles. Their first big hit was the hibiscus lemon tea, which, according to Jonathan, they couldn’t make fast enough. Then it was on to the lemongrass black tea, and the Tennessee Sweet “T” (as Tara is from Tennessee). From there, they branched into an assortment of lemonades (and other products, including a line of hot sauces).
“We make the best Goddamn strawberry lemonade on the planet!” exclaimed Jonathan. “We also have a super eye-catching label that you can spot on a grocery shelf from 40 feet away. There’s nothing artificial in our products – we use water, fruit, tea, and cane sugar.
“Some of the tea leafs are grown right on our West Side farm. We have a non-profit arm – Future Urban Farmers Program – where we teach youth how to farm, and the community how to become more self sufficient. We have eight plots, and we’re adding more this summer. We’re teaching people the importance of SPIN Farming (Small Plot INtensive Farming) – many of these people are immigrants and refugees who have been growing produce and selling goods at the Unity Island pop-up market (for example). They are accustomed to growing food in restricted areas, for subsistence farming purposes. They are doing whatever they can become self sufficient, and we’re here to help. We are not in conjunction with any other gardening or farming NFP here. We are 100% stand alone. Our teachers are immigrants who were subsistence farmers in Africa and Asia, but now live along the street. We’re utilizing these abandoned lots and turning them into productive social spaces.
“All of our products have some locally grown ingredients, whether it’s from the Future Urban Farmers Program or other regional farms.”
Next up, Jonathan and his team are looking into purchasing a sizable property on the East Side, to grow the agriculture side of the business. He’s hoping to construct a geothermal structure, for growing citrus and avocados, among other items not typically farmed in Buffalo.
“This has all been ten years in the making,” Jonathan reminded me [laughing]. “We’ve finally attracted a business partner who understands these viable opportunities. Together, we’re planning on setting up a distillery in the city, while expanding upon all of our other ventures. It’s an exciting time for us – and I might even get back to entertaining that original food concept again, now that everything is going according to plan.”
Currently, Foreman Naturals beverages are being sold at Premier Gourmet, as well as Guercio’s. The beverages will also be available online in coming weeks. Stay tuned.
Get connected: www.foremanagriculture.com