How Rad Juice aims to change SLO’s health landscape

San Luis Obispo is home to many small businesses, including Rad Juice, a family-run company specializing in organic cold-pressed juices. Founded by Jason Plough, the business started with a focus on high-quality, natural ingredients and has since expanded its product offerings.

Rad Juice emphasizes clean nutrition by sourcing organic produce and developing functional beverages. One of the guiding philosophies behind the company is best summed up by Plough:

“You have two choices,” he said. “You could either pay the farmer now or you could pay the pharmacist later, right?”

Plough’s journey to starting Rad Juice began in the world of motocross film making, where he spent years on the road working with top athletes. The demanding lifestyle eventually led him to reassess his health, inspiring him to create a business centered around wellness.

“Again, I was living on the road half the year, right?,” Plough said. “We were, you know, partying a lot, living the rockstar lifestyle, drinking beers every day, eating processed foods. And so when I woke up to that and I changed my diet, I got rid of processed sugars and lowered my beer intake.”

Rad Juice was designed not only as a business but as a way to provide high-quality nutrition to his family and community.

“One of the check boxes for my next business was that it had to be a family business, where I wouldn’t have to travel and could sell a physical product in my hometown,” Plough said.

His wife, Lindsay, helps with bottling, and his five-year-old son, Nixon, has been involved since the early days of making juice at home.

Plough and his family prioritize sourcing organic ingredients by working with Earl’s Organics and local farms in the Central Coast region. He explained his early challenges and successes.

“For the first bit, I was actually sourcing organic produce through The Berry Man, and they don’t specialize in organic,” he said. “I got linked up with California’s biggest and best organic distributor called Earl’s Organics. Now, we’re always building a new network with local farmers, and they have access to our kitchen, where they come and supply us with all of our oranges, our lemons, or we work with SLO City Farms, and they’ll bring us celery or whatever.”

By working directly with local farmers, Rad Juice aims to not only ensures fresh, high-quality ingredients in every bottle but also supports sustainable agriculture.

“It’s great knowing that we’re giving farmers an outlet for their produce while also making sure nothing goes to waste,” Plough said.

The business now produces around 700 bottles per day and has pressed nearly 200,000 pounds of organic produce since its launch in 2023, according to Plough.

“We’re just getting started,” he said. “Our first big goal is hitting a million pounds of produce.”

Beyond cold-pressed juices, Rad Juice has expanded its product line to include offerings aimed at functional hydration and nutrition. One of its latest products is Rad Power, an electrolyte drink made with 90% raw coconut water, fresh lemon juice, honey, pink Himalayan sea salt and cream of tartar.

“The goal of it is to compete with Prime or Gatorade, It’s like the premium product of what they’re putting out,” Plough said. “Prime is made out of 5% coconut water, Rad Power is made out of 90% coconut water. It’s raw coconut water from young Thai coconuts we’re importing straight from Thailand.”

Another upcoming product is Rad Fuel, which is a 25-gram protein shake made with in-house coconut milk, created without preservatives, seed oils or artificial additives.

“You literally cannot find a protein shake in stores without a paragraph of chemicals in it,” Plough said. “That’s why we’re making our own, using only real ingredients.”

He is also exploring ways to bring clean, seed oil free grab-and-go meals to the market, addressing a gap he noticed in the local food industry for convenient, healthy options.

“Where in town can you get a seed oil free meal that’s convenient? Nowhere,” Plough said. “That needs to change.”

Rad Juice continues to expand its presence in San Luis Obispo, doubling production, increasing its footprint at farmers’ markets and developing new product lines. With a steadfast focus on clean nutrition and sustainability, Rad Juice is set to offer more choices for consumers seeking organic and functional beverages.