Ginette Rhodes, owner of Netty’s Juicery in High Ridge, recently received a $4,000 grant from the National Association for the Self-Employed.
NASE is an advocacy organization and resource for those who are self-employed and/or in the micro-business community, and the Growth Grant is awarded to NASE members looking to expand their businesses, according to its website.
Rhodes said the funds will be used to purchase supplies and further market her company by setting up booths at farmers markets in the St. Louis area.
“(The grant) was such a blessing because I’m in the position of really trying to revamp the brand,” Rhodes said. “The funding will definitely help me get into the farmers markets of 2025 and have the right material, and the ability to present the brand in the way I feel it should be presented.”
Rhodes, who lives in Maplewood, opened Netty’s Juicery in 2022 out of a commercial kitchen in High Ridge. That incubator kitchen is owned by the Two Men and a Garden salsa and pickling company and helps promote small business growth in the area by providing the use of commercial-grade equipment, according to its website.
Netty’s Juicery specializes in fresh pressed juices and holistic remedies, all of which can be purchased from Rhodes’ online shop and shipped directly.
“High Ridge small business Netty’s Juicery was chosen for this Growth Grant award because it demonstrated a well-defined plan for growth ranging from executing new marketing initiatives, purchasing new equipment, and other creative ways to grow and expand,” said John Hearrell, NASE’s vice president of membership and affiliate programs, in a written statement. “America’s small business and self-employed community is the lifeblood of our economy, helping fuel growth along Main Street in small and large communities throughout the country. For the last few years, the American small business community has experienced a surge of new small businesses opening and expanding, representing the true entrepreneurial spirit of America’s resilience and determination.
“We are thrilled to support Netty’s Juicery’s expansion and growth.”
NASE partnered with AARP, DELL Small Business and Payanywhere in 2023 to award $112,000 in grants to 28 small businesses.
According to the written statement, Growth Grant applications are considered on a rolling basis throughout the year, and winning small businesses are awarded $4,000 grants each quarter. For more information, visit nase.org.
Juiced
Rhodes said she was inspired to start her business after living abroad in Colon, Panama.
“I was living on an organic fruit farm, working for Sunfired Foods, which is a raw vegan retreat,” she said. “We juiced every day, straight from the farm coconut water, mango and pineapple. If we grew it, we juiced it. I felt the best I ever did in my life.
“I learned so much about food science, and coming back to St. Louis, I really wanted to share it with my community.”
Rhodes said her juice products are “rooted in research,” meaning she learned the vital nutrient profiles of every fruit and vegetable she uses for her drinks to ensure they pack a nutritious punch.
The juices have no added sugars or preservatives, she said.
The juices can be delivered frozen weekly, biweekly or monthly. based on the subscription plan, Rhodes said.
“When I put (the juices) in the mail, I keep them frozen,” Rhodes said. “I think there’s a lot of misinformation in the juice world, where people will buy a pressed juice at a retail store and think that it’s raw, but it’s really been processed to extend its shelf life. The only way to really extend the life of raw juice is to freeze it – that maintains the most amount of nutrients and locks in the freshness.”
For more information about Rhodes’ business, visit nettysjuicery.com.