Moving Few Steps

We are making a major move of all our operations, centralizing it in the Araneta Center. Offices, dressed Sunshines' meat shop, Organika, pick up of our dayold chicks... we will incorporate with other farm suppliers.

Excited to do this as we will be in the middle of everything and everywhere. Logistics and accessibility to clients who drive or commute. Landscaping is planned. Green architecture is being employed!

We've had the Fairview address from the start and we will not let go of the landmark. Manpower shortage is forcing us to close down the store facing Quirino Highway...BUT, we are moving the inquiries and pick up at Organika, our meat shop facing Regalado Ave (fronting the Regalado gate of SM Fairview). People are used to this place for the dressed Sunshines and this is where we hold our monthly seminars on Raising Sunshine Chicken. Actually it is far more comfortable for the clients making inquiries. It is airconditioned and has parking.

For prosperity, we will not let go of this address :)

There are talks with new lessees for the property. We took the clue and opportunity to make the move to a centralized location. It will all be for the better!

Making the mini few steps move, before we make the major one.

Making Plans

We are making plans to consolidate and centralize our operations in one strategic location. Hopefully, if plans push through, we will relocate in the area of Cubao, near Araneta Center.

WHAT? Moving will be our office, seminar area, commissary for dressed chickens, Solraya's Organika store, a Sunny Rottisserie with a drive thru.

WHY? Often we get raised eyebrows that our office is in faraway Fairview. Yes we do deliveries, but a lot of clients want to browse and pick up stuff at Organika. Also, if we are consolidated in one centralized location, logistics for our deliveries and operation is easier to check.

Day old chicks will also be available there for previously booked orders.

My mind is now busy how to fix the place. No frills...just utilitarian, clean look, airy...it'll be different. Quaint :)

Sunshine At AANI QC

AANI Herbal Garden and Livelihood Center was relocated to the PHILCOA entrance of Quezon Memorial Circle.

Better location, parking is good and the area is now airy and more visible.

Our dayold chicks' sales are handled by AANI office. Our booth will carry our dressed chickens, naturally farmed produce and other Organika products.

Instead of painting our booth...we decided on murals.

HERBaboy

We had been looking for a good supplier of naturally grown pigs. Almost gave up on it as it was hard to get one that jived with our drivers' schedules, supply was inconsistent, or maybe they just didn't want to deal with me :)

Enter the Davao trip. Proper timing and delays work for the best. We had no intention to market Andry and Jojie's pigs in Manila as it will be costly, time consuming plus a lot of effort on our part.

But...
1) seeing the contented pigs in the farm
2) observing how the feeds were made
3) drinking the fermented juice the pigs are having
4) smelling, seeing and almost tasting the feeds before being fed to the pigs
5) meeting Andry and Jojie, seeing that they practice what they preach
6) eating great sinugba

I knew I wanted to eat and consume this for ourselves and what comes next...we sell it at Organika. That is our focus anyway, to sell only what we ourselves use and consume.

What should be a most fitting brand? HERBaboy....why do you think we decided to call it such?

Look Around And Be Seen

Our visibility and trips opens us to other opportunities. From Ilocos Sur now we get the native garlic and onions. We load them on back to Manila and sell in Organika. The farmers are able to get some cash from us and dispose some of their stocks.

Another is the ready to use powdered form Stevia, w/c my friend imports. I wasn't too keen on carrying that, but it is a good alternative to using name branded artificial sweeteners. Surprisingly, when we displayed it, caught a lot of attention.

In trying times...maximize time, effort and opportunities. You should be creative and be functional to and fro. Business and pleasure.

January is almost over....

Dressed Deliveries

For first time orders for Organika deliveries, I prefer doing them myself.

Why? I can get lost and no body scolds me. I take time to find out what is the area in terms of stores etc, and take note of hard to find doorbells, cameras, speakerphones, dogs and auto garage openers that may intimidate our driver. So, we note those out of the ordinaries, to spare them :) Also, you are able to calculate timetables when the drivers are on the route.

Yesterday was one fine day for me. Five new addresses to find. Took me from 9am-3pm!

Hey....the difference between delivering live day old chicks and dressed chickens will be an interesting topic.

Great Start

Today we thought was going to be a slow day, as we came to start the normal schedules for the weekend markets.

As I am typing this at 10:30, I know I will pack up by 12 noon. I don't know what made this a fast day. Did they want home cooked meals after the parties? They had been gifted and wanted to buy for their own now? They heard about it in social gatherings? All of the above :)

Doc Rey got two calls from two different radio stations for interview this morning. Both shows asked him to talk about what to expect for 2009 from Sunshine:

1) Naked necks from SASSO of France - sturdier and tastier line. The growers have asked for this line. We are now test hatching and may have it available end of January at the earliest.

2) Organika will get bigger - We will continue to source new and good natural products for you.

3) Nationwide - seminars and farm visits. Our commitment to sustainability is to teach and monitor.

4) Organikarts - Just toyed up with this yesterday. Make the Organika products readily available and convenient for most people. Carts....

Good to be up and about. Being available at the right time and proper places.

Loco Over Coco

Whenever we are in our home base Santiago, we have pure buko juice as our water. So when the sourcing of products for Organika brought my attention to non dairy coco milk and ice cream, i lost no time in trying it out.

For several days I conjured the taste and texture of the coco milk in my senses. Initially, I thought coco milk...gata. It was explained that the coco milk derived is the one where the virgin coconut oil is removed, so you don't have that VCO taste. It is chemical free and healthy for us.

Yesterday, I had their ice cream as dessert and brought home coco milk. This morning, after my wheatgrass juice, I had to have the first taste of my non dairy, low fat coco milk.

HEAVEN for me. The sweet buko juice is there, creaminess with a hint, or ok...a slight taste of gata. It is coco milk, it should taste like coconut :) Refreshing, creamy....sarap. You don't have that aftertaste associated with the VCO.

I will definitely have this in my Organika roster.

My View

We're still fixing around, so for now, this is what you see when you turn from the freezers.


As you are ready to step out Organika, you see SM Fairview.


This is my view from my temporary working area. I haven't taken a picture of my cove, but its pretty cozy :)

ORGANIKA

Approved signage :)

Solraya's ORGANIKA

Yes, we got the name :)

Short, easy to recall..Like it?

Aircon had been installed, freezers stocked, we are in business...though waiting for the signs as we can't act without our DTI approval.

Solraya's ORGANIKA, Regaldo cor Quirino Hway, right across the Regalado entrance of SM Fairview.

Open 8am-6pm, daily. We are ready to serve the wholesale customers anytime of the day, for their convenience.

Sourcing

Solraya's ORGANIKA, Regalado cor Quirino Hway, right across the Regalado entrance of SM Fairview. Daily 9am-6pm.

As mentioned, we will only sell products that we ourselves use.

To date, 08 December 2009, this is what we have:

1) Of course our banner product, Sunshine Chicken
a. dressed PHP200/kg
b. adobo - home cooked, comfort food PHP150/pack
c. roasted, great for your soup stocks &/or pulled meat for salads and sandwhich fillings PHP150/pack
d. eggs from grass fed Sunshines PHP300/30s tray

2) Pork from pigs that are naturally grown - We are calling it HERBaboy. Brought to you from an alliance of two women, Jojie and Sandy. Jojie Lim from Davao, practices what Andry and she preaches in seminars, in their own farm. Since the pigs are fed fruits based juices and given plants for snacks, the name HERBaboy fits us :) PHP300/kg

3) Coconut products
a. sugar - may be used by diabetics. Has this very pleasing caramel flavor, not bitter. PHP100
b. vinegar - comes in plain and spiced variants PHP60

We will be adding selected products for you.

WE DELIVER to key Metro Manila areas.