Misfit Juicery Wants You to Eat More Garbage

Misfit Juicery really thinks that you should eat your trash.  The company is at the forefront of the ugly fruit and vegetable movement—they use produce that is either surplus or commercially unattractive, and would otherwise end up in the landfill, in their cold pressed juice recipes.  The result is a product as revolutionary as it is delicious.

Every year, the United States wastes 6 billion pounds of produce that is either discarded or left in the field as a result of appearance-based prejudices. At the same time, millions of people in our country go hungry or live in communities without adequate access to fruits and vegetables.  The company believes that we must address this paradox by relaxing our aesthetic standards and eating the misfits!  Baldor enthusiastically agrees.  We recently teamed up with Misfit on a project to incorporate our SparCs (usable food scraps from our Fresh Cut facility) into their juice recipes.  As one of our newest partners, we sent Misfit co-founders Ann Yang and Phil Wong our favorite Q&A to get to know them a little better!

1. Favorite dish you ate in a DC restaurant recently?
Phil: At Little Serow I had tow hu thouk, which is a Thai dish with tofu, peanuts, and ginger—it’s hard to pick a standout dish from that restaurant though, because everything’s so good!
Ann: Anything from Sally’s Middle Name. Roasted sunchokes, spicy butternut squash soup, goat’s milk ginger ice cream… the team and atmosphere is amazing as well and the menu
changes on a daily basis.

2. Drink of choice?
Phil: Hex Ferments is a company from Baltimore that makes the dankest ginger kombucha I’ve ever had. Our own offbeet juice is up there though.
Ann: Phil stole my answer. That kombucha, as well as the sour cherry shrub from Chaia are my favorites.

3. Least favorite food?
Phil: When I was a kid my dad, ever the culinary prankster, made some meatloaf and then served it on Christmas with the red and green ketchup that I pestered him to buy. I don’t think I’ve had meatloaf or green ketchup since.
Ann: Any drink that has almond extract or amaretto in it. I don’t know why I don’t like it.

4. What are you watching?
Phil: I don’t really watch TV but I recently went on a Vimeo tear and was fanboying over this Polish design firm called panGenerator. They do some really cool stuff.
Ann: I love Mac Premo’s work especially his recent project to turn trash into skateboards.

5. What are you listening to?
Phil: Jamie xx.
Ann: Louis & Ella! And Alabama Shakes.

6. Who is the person you most admire (living or dead)?
Phil: There are many famous people who have qualities that I really admire, but the people whom I know best to be thoroughly solid people are my parents.
Ann: My parents too, as Chinese immigrants I have learned so much from them about what it means to make a home. But I also have to say I love Maria Popova, her work at Brain Pickings is so thoughtful.

7. Where did you go the last time you traveled? Where are you going next?
Phil: Most of my travel is for MISFIT and takes me between DC and New York, with a pit stop at
my parents’ house in Jersey every once in a while.
Ann: Wow we just got back from Brooklyn at 3 AM today. We have great partners up there such as yourselves. Next week I get to go back to Colorado to see my family and the mountains. I’m pretty stoked.

8. What is a natural talent you wish you had?
Phil: I wish I could sing, and I’m sure anyone who’s ever ridden in my car with me feels the same way.
Ann: I wish I could play the marimba. Desperately. I love how communal it is, it only sounds good when the instrument is played in a group.

9. If you had a different job, what would it be?
Phil: I’d be an astronaut! I think being in space would be transcendent…seriously.
Ann: Honestly to me the most important thing is to have a good coach. I would beg a bunch of people I admire if I could work for them, it doesn’t matter what the job is.

10. What is your idea of perfect happiness?
Phil: I’ll let you know when I get to perfect happiness! But in general, the three most important things to me are being with people whom I love, doing things that I love and working to my fullest potential. If those three pieces are in place then I’m in good shape.
Ann: I think that happiness isn’t necessarily a feeling or an emotion but when you feel like you’re growing. Happiness is when you’re growing & when you’re with people you love. Personal growth can be painful, but I am terribly afraid of boredom.