Farmana - Health Is a Verb. Start Acting Like It.

Ramon Vela (00:02)
Hey everyone, this is Ramon Vella, and this is another episode of the Story of a Brand. Like always, we have an amazing guest and brand that we're going to feature on today's show. But before we do, pause. One, two, three.

Ramon Vela (00:19)
Welcome back everyone. Today is going to be a great show. I have with me a brand that I have just been waiting for and couldn't just couldn't wait until I really got into learning about this brand. So please welcome Jason Dyer, who is co-founder and farmer at Farmana. Welcome to the show.

Jason Dyer (00:41)
Thank you, Ramon. Thank you, everyone. Great to be here.

Ramon Vela (00:44)
Well, hey, well thank you. I I I I know that we've had some complications and some things we had to wait for. And so I appreciate it that you've made time for us to to sit down and speak and learn more about the brand and about your journey. And and I know our audience can't wait to to learn more about the about the company. So I always like to start off my interviews with a question of gratitude. I think I've probably asked, I don't know, I don't know, maybe six hundred, seven hundred

Ramon Vela (01:13)
founders of all sorts of different show you know different brands the this very same question and it's a question of gratitude and just for everyone out there I like to ask this question for two reasons. One is I'm a big believer in gratitude. I have I've had some very difficult personal moments in my life, some very dark moments where, you know, th it felt like things were just falling apart.

Ramon Vela (01:37)
And gratitude was one of those things that helped me through those moments. So whether you pray, you journal, you meditate, I have a meditation program that I do. it's a powerful, powerful tool. It's free and it's available to you anytime. And believe me, it really does help. And I like to encourage that. The other reasons why I asked this question is that I know from a consumer standpoint, it's really difficult when you see a brand on the on the shelf or online, you know, it's easy to just say, hey, like,

Ramon Vela (02:07)
This is just some facelix corporation, right? Some large company or whatever. But I want you to know that many of the brands, if not all of the brands that we feature here on the show, you know, are independent brands, they're small brands. They have people behind them who care deeply about what they're doing. They care about their communities, about their products, about their consumers and everything else. And, you know, they bleed sweat and tear over these products.

Ramon Vela (02:35)
And getting these products out to market. And I want you to get to know about, you know, these people behind the scenes. And so one great way to get to know someone is by knowing what they're grateful for. So with all of that said, Jason, if you don't mind, can you share a moment or a memory when someone did something for you that just made you feel grateful because it meant that they believed in you, your vision, or your potential?

Jason Dyer (02:59)
Well, I've got a laundry list there, quite honestly. I think we could spend the entire time with so many examples that come to my mind. I think I had to choose one, I think, and reflect about my own personal experience of life. you know, the the convergence of career, growing up, all of these different things. And I think back to when I was younger, you know, the the human desire to belong, to fit in, to to to feel like you're contributing something, to feel meaningful and feel purpose.

Jason Dyer (03:28)
You know, as I went through my life, like I think many people, you know, we're always trying to control and manage for ourselves in a way that we can fit in more easily. and and and that can distort, you know, a realization or recognition of who our true self is. And, you know, so I I I go through a lot of motions in my career and and and all the efforts to climb the corporate ladder and and continue to improve myself and improve my contribution. But along the way, I I realized I wasn't really uncovering more.

Jason Dyer (03:58)
Of who I was. And a moment of tremendous gratitude I have was one where I met a person who's become a very important part of my life. his name's Peter Crohn, the mind architect, who, you know, saw through those layers of ego that I had built over decades of life's experience, but you know, a couple of decades of career experience. you know, this ego was formed both as a defense mechanism and a mechanism to make me feel like I was adequate. I was.

Jason Dyer (04:28)
Enough, that I fit in, I belonged. and what he really gave permission to was me being my true self and and really understanding who my true self was, and that that was enough in and of itself. And through that realization, I could bring so much more to the table by bringing a more authentic version of me to the table. You know, Peter helped me better understand the distortions that I had in believing that I was something that I wasn't.

Jason Dyer (04:56)
even more importantly helping me realize what I was. And I think, you know, through that it gave permission and gave confidence to me to really improve a lot of areas in my life. you know, it it it helped me find patience more easily, especially in the moments that, you know, patience has tried the most. I've got two young kids. That's a great experience. and I love them to death. So finding more patience was important, as well in my life and my career, you know, expectations for

Ramon Vela (05:15)
Mm-hmm.

Jason Dyer (05:22)
how things would go versus how they actually went. That that Delta always created friction and as it does for everyone, that tests patience, that tests faith as well. And so he helped me find faith within myself. He helped me find patience within myself. And he helped me to find greater independence, to, to, to be myself and give that gift to other people as well. And help them recognize that look, we're all human beings doing the best we can. Perfection is subjective.

Jason Dyer (05:52)
How do we work together? How do we benefit one another in this period of time that we get to share on the planet together? Through that, you know, I came away with a whole refreshed outlook on how I wanted to approach the world and approach life and give that gift back to people. And one way that is manifested is in the brand we've created today, but I practice that every day and how I'm paying forward both to my family, my children, my community, and to great folks like yourself that offer.

Jason Dyer (06:22)
Opportunity to share that story. So gratitude is part of my daily practice. I wake up every morning thinking of at least three things that I'm grateful for, and they always revolve around people. I have so many that I can mention I'm grateful for that have helped make this a possibility today. But that was one moment in time that was really profound that I think changed the trajectory of my becoming as a human being.

Ramon Vela (06:47)
Wow. I mean that's a that's a deep one, I mean. I I I love I love that. and you know, I know there's a lot in there and a lot to unpack and it just that kind of stuff doesn't happen overnight. So it that in itself is a a bit of a bit of a journey and and and it takes time to kind of go from point A to point B and to learn to think differently or look at things differently or

Ramon Vela (07:17)
you know, experience life a little differently or reframe things or however you want to say it and and all the different things that you you did. But that's a difficult journey. I mean, we it you know, we're we get so used to being a certain way. We get so used to living life on autopilot. We get so used to to doing certain things and, you know, we realize that maybe those things haven't been as useful to us as possible. And when someone comes along to try to help you and

Ramon Vela (07:45)
trying to h try to change your mindset a little bit or change, you know, help you reframe things or use different tools. You know, I know that it's not easy, right? It's not easy to kind of change a little bit. So kudos to you. And and I know this is a journey. So this is like a never ending thing, right? Like there's no you know, there's no what do they call it? Like a you know short answer and then boom you're you're you're cured or you're changed or you're you know you're this or that.

Ramon Vela (08:15)
It's an ongoing process, right? It's an ongoing thing. So thank you for sharing that. I appreciate it. And I think that really helps us to get to know a little bit about who you are as a person. So I really appreciate that. you know, it feels like, you know, based on what you just said, if I'm gonna kinda use that as a good transition, you'd you seem like someone who really looks to I mean, the fact that you went through all of that and you you

Ramon Vela (08:44)
you know, you were making this effort to be, you know, the person who you are. It it tells me something that, you know, you were looking you're looking to kind of like

Ramon Vela (08:58)
you know, not only offer yourself the better the best version of yourself to the world, but I think it also sounds like based on what I've read about Farmanna, it's like you're looking to provide the best version of health or the best version of wellness. And that there was something that you saw that you felt like wasn't wasn't working, that wasn't being provided the way that you felt like in your vision how you would provide.

Ramon Vela (09:28)
So let's talk a little about just for the audience's sake, let's give them a 100 foot overview of what Fermana is. And then we're gonna take that and then we're gonna work backwards. And then we're gonna I want to know a little bit about where where you were right, you know, as you started thinking about Fermana, and then walk us through a little bit about why you started Fermana. So let's first start off with.

Ramon Vela (09:56)
What is Hundred Foot Overview? What is Fermana?

Jason Dyer (10:00)
Well, Farmanna is a a number of things. For me, it's a culmination of twenty-two years experience in in health and wellness. you know, I've I've been very fortunate to be part of some really passionate, purpose driven and intentional brands. and and and and frankly involved with some very purpose driven and intentional people that have really revealed

Jason Dyer (10:23)
Problems that we take for granted, changes that that are grossly overlooked and how they manifest in our daily lives. you know, I I I came into the the industry actually from finance, which is a very different game completely. And and you know, I was skeptical like a lot of others at first, thinking, well, do these powders and pills really make that profound of a difference? But one of the greatest realizations I I had within that is, you know, and and and the best way to summarize it, I heard this recently, is health is not.

Jason Dyer (10:53)
An adjective, it's a verb that means it's something that's continually in motion, it's something that you've got to continually keep up with. And and the way I see products and and and practices differently today than when I first came in is my own learning curve, really coming to the realization of what it means to take responsibility for your health as a verb, not an adjective. and so

Ramon Vela (10:56)
Mm-hmm.

Jason Dyer (11:19)
You know, I I've I've seen a lot of great products, new science. I've seen a lot of profound changes in people's health. And that drove my my motivation and inspiration to continue down this journey of how do I create

Jason Dyer (11:32)
Better alternatives to reveal a better you. And first and foremost within myself, I have to bring the best version of me to the table in order to effectuate that for others. And so over my time and experience within the space, it was sad to see, you know, the growing attention toward the the need to take greater responsibility for our health resulted in fragmentation of products and just a sea of compromise, right? So we've heard about paradox of choice.

Jason Dyer (12:02)
That's walking to a store that prides themselves on 25,000 products and 400 different brands, not considering the consumer they serve and what they're trying to create as an outcome for that person and how much confusion and distortion they're creating. As I navigate the aisles with the knowledge that I have today, I look at it and I say, well, I can quickly identify the few things that I would recommend or select for somebody. And I can even more easily identify the things that I wouldn't, you know, the compromise that that exists out there.

Jason Dyer (12:32)
Makes it difficult for people to navigate and find things that really make a difference for them. And that's what drives me is to really make a difference for people. And not just myself, but everybody that's that's that's part of Farmana and frankly part of a tight-knit circle we have within the the health and wellness industry. and so you know our driving motivation behind Farmanna really pulls from a couple of different ways. I was fortunate within my career to have spent substantial time outside of the United States, not just experiencing.

Jason Dyer (13:02)
our our our industry and and and health and wellness but the cultures that that that that really inform locally and so you know I have an appreciation when when I I fly overseas and spend time and I'm pitching people on powders and pills and all these health products and they laugh and say you Americans you're all so funny you get your health from a pillar of powder and I say well how do you get yours? Well we get ours from real food and then it would just hit me. Wow

Ramon Vela (13:22)
Yeah.

Jason Dyer (13:30)
Health everywhere else begins at the dinner table. it begins in in in the market, the farmers' market, where they're going and getting local foods fresh every day. There's a cultural component that carries forward for generations the things that have moved them forward that we've quickly lost in the interest of convenience. And and you know, it always just tugged on me, how do I bring that back to the forefront? How do I bring the romance we once had for the foods that were available to us, not even knowing the health benefits they provide, but

Jason Dyer (14:00)
As an entryway into bringing people back to the fun and the excitement and the joy that comes with a more robust diet. What I thought about through my experience was: well, we don't consume a lot of fruits and vegetables in my own past and my own family. I grew up in an orchard where my family had pears, apples, cherries, blackberries, you name it. So, you know, I took it for granted to some extent as a child, but now, you know, acknowledging what we've lost and what I had lost for a

Jason Dyer (14:29)
Long period of time, I have a totally different appreciation for it. And so there's a big part of me and my partner Ashley that was really driven into how do we create something that really bridges the gap between good quality, diverse, fun, joyful, healthful nutrition, and you know, the functional needs that we all feel the burden from on a daily basis in the modern world.

Jason Dyer (14:54)
And and you know, we recognize statistically you have a fair percent of the population that that understands and consumes dietary supplements every day, but you still have a fair population that that is skeptical of them. On the other side of the spectrum, you have a lot of people that believe food is medicine. I just have to eat the right way and my health will continue to move forward. They're both right. And so, how do you meet them in the middle and find a better solution? How do you present an option that doesn't present compromise? And how do you give

Jason Dyer (15:24)
something that that really gives back

Jason Dyer (15:26)
in a compounding way. We've found a lot of success historically through strong scientifically validated functional compounds and ingredients. And I can think of a list in my mind of daily must-haves, my desert island products that I would have, have to have to feel like my health status is in a good place and really notice a difference when I don't have them. But you know, the big missing piece for us was that good quality nutrition. And we saw that missing on a lot of products that were in the market. And so

Jason Dyer (15:56)
So we said, wow, how do we formulate something that that that you know captures the promise and benefit of a grains product or something that is more complete, along with that functional benefit that you realize from those isolated compounds in a scoop of creatine or HMB for muscle preservation? Well, easily. Let's take our formulation expertise from 22 years of experience and let's put them together in a way that nature intended by taking actual whole foods that are

Jason Dyer (16:26)
you know, keeping the fiber, keeping the the the the polyphenol rich fiber and other compounds intact, but also all the the benefits of the new nutrients and and vitamins, minerals, et cetera, that come along with it, then let's fortify that with compounds derived from nature, active compounds derived from nature like creatine or HMB, which is a metabolite of the amino acid leucine, to really amplify the performance and and the functional benefits of those products.

Jason Dyer (16:55)
That's why we call it farm to function nutrition. We were looking for the best quality whole foods, grown in a responsible way. So where they're maximizing the nutrient density and the nutritional value of those foods. It's the difference between the blueberry you taste that doesn't taste very blueberry-like, it's very watery, to the blueberry that you taste that is sharp and tart but sweet at the same time, that real robust nutrition that's going to inform the flavor experience, but it also is indicative of the health.

Ramon Vela (17:13)
Yeah.

Jason Dyer (17:25)
Benefits and the nutrient density you're getting from that. So let's get that together. Let's formulate blends of these whole foods that are really valuable toward the health benefit we want, whether it be digestion, hydration, even physical health and pre workout, capturing that from whole foods is very possible. Now let's amplify that with ingredients we've used for decades firsthand, both in clinical practice. My partner Ashley and her world as well, working directly with.

Jason Dyer (17:55)
consumers with some great brands to bring farm to function to the table to really make a difference.

Ramon Vela (18:01)
Mm-hmm. Yeah, I I I I love that. And and just for everyone else, if you want to know what we're what we're talking about and what we will be talking about for the next hour or so, farmana.co. Farmana.co. And farmana is spelled f-a-r-m a-n-a. Farmana dot co. Farmana.co is the website.

Ramon Vela (18:30)
So, okay. So I love this idea about it feels like if I'm just gonna qu quickly summarize what you just said, is you took the you looked at the how people were deriving nutrition and the and their health, their their you know, well, their nutrition. They're eating really f real food. and you took that and then you decided to take that sort of

Ramon Vela (19:00)
that example, add on these additional other compounds or ingredients that are also found in nature that help you in in other functional ways. And you focused on well, let me just ask you this. So right now when I look at you know the website, you've it seems like you have a focus on s certain areas like hydration, you've got energy, you've got immunity, you've got

Ramon Vela (19:30)
digestion. was were these the original areas that you were going to be focusing on or did you have others or were you originally kind of like looking to to fulfill many more, you know, areas?

Jason Dyer (19:46)
I mean it's a it's a great question and it's spot on. when we originally created the the the brand, we started with 18 different formula concepts.

Jason Dyer (19:56)
So we covered a much wider array of health benefits or or health categories as as we would refer to them. And and what we wanted to really understand were what were the ones that you know we could actually recognize the need for much stronger in the marketplace? What were the ones that people really saw a gap in their own daily life and routine that they saw this as something that could fill it? And so we started by just formulating a a

Jason Dyer (20:25)
Wider range of products for a wider range of benefits, different flavor profiles as well. You know, if it doesn't taste good, if it's not an easy to use experience and it doesn't integrate relatively seamlessly into the daily routine, compliance is going to fall short and your ability to realize the benefit goes down. And so, you know, we believe that there is a way to make these enjoyable and to get the benefit. So you can have your cake and eat it too. in this case, you're gonna have your apple and eat it too. and so we started with 18 formulas. actually

Jason Dyer (20:55)
actually tested a wide range of them in in real life in stores in California right in your backyard there locations like Earth Bar Equinox Gyms and and street locations, Sprouts Farmers Market, etc. Where we had a chance to actually have a conversation directly with consumers that that you know saw benefit in the product or were curious around health and wellness products and just tremendous feedback from people on you know what was good, what wasn't good.

Jason Dyer (21:24)
And what would really be interesting and what was a real need for them, we narrowed in from there on really five products, five formulations, that were very common across everyone. every human being is facing a a need to maintain some level of hydration. you know, everyone has a digestive system and you know the things that we're putting in it can create distortions along the way that might need a little nurturing in order to create just better function and and more healthy function, I should say.

Jason Dyer (21:54)
immunity and immunity comes in so many different forms. You know, what are people reaching for for immunity? The paradox of choice in any category, I would say immunity is one of the toughest, right? When do I grab elderberry versus echinacea? What about all these functional mushrooms that I keep hearing about? And what do they do for my immune health? what's the role of gut health in immunity, et cetera? I mean, we learned so much through that initial phase that really allowed us to narrow in on.

Jason Dyer (22:21)
These are the core things that people are looking for every day. And really, it was around how do I know what I need when I might need it? It was about listening to your body. When I wake up in the morning, I'm feeling a bit parched. You lose a lot of fluids overnight while you're sleeping. It's only natural that that become the case. And so, what should you reach for? Well, let's reach for something that's enjoyable to have in the morning.

Ramon Vela (22:31)
Mm-hmm.

Jason Dyer (22:43)
That's non-stimulant. It's not caffeinated. You're already going to get that someplace else, most likely. So let's not double up on that, but let's truly meet a need that you wake up feeling that's going to set you, set you up for the, for the, for the best day. so more consistent energy throughout the day, just really feeling life. and that could be feeling hydration. That could be, I went to the great new restaurant that opened in town last night and I feel a digestion need. Well, I'm gonna grab for that as well.

Ramon Vela (23:03)
Yeah.

Ramon Vela (23:11)
Yeah, I love that. yeah, you know, it's so funny because you know f for me, I actually went back. I I grew I grew up in a multi-generational home. Like my grandmother lived with us. And I think partly because of her growing up on a farm and my mother kind of growing up on a farm and my fo my father also having experience in that in the old country. They come from Mexico.

Ramon Vela (23:41)
They made our home like our backyard into like an orchard. We had grapefruits and peaches and apricots and tangerines and oranges and lemon lime and avocados. This is all in just one backyard. And so and then she all and then cac we also grew cactus because they were big into eating you know, in Mexico they call it nopales, you like

Ramon Vela (24:08)
Yeah, we we'd have that with eggs and and so forth. And and then, you know, they ha she had an herb garden where, you know, that was our medicine. Like whenever we were feeling sick, she would say, Hey, go she would show me like which ones to go get and I would go go get some of the the herbs that were growing and so forth. And so I I knew from that experience that a lot of our nutrition or a lot of the things that were w

Ramon Vela (24:38)
You know, a lot of what our body needed came from real foods. And and I kind of got lost in just the ol in just the the the rush of modern society. And I forgot that. And then I think like maybe about six, seven years ago, maybe less, five years ago, I went back to eating more whole foods. Like so now that's that's the the biggest component that I have. But the reality is is that it's really difficult, you know, to do that.

Ramon Vela (25:05)
And it's difficult to go to the stores, it's difficult to put them together, it's difficult to you know, to to to grow that now. And and you know, most people don't have those kind of orchards in their yards anymore, don't have yards and so forth. So it's just modern life is just so mo so challenging. and then we face pressures and and you know, blue light and all sorts of things, you know, where we have trouble sleeping and everything else. So there's just a lot of things that ail us in our in our society. And so

Ramon Vela (25:35)
We have to, you know, going back to what you said about health being a verb, like we do. We have to like if we are just stagnant and passive, we, you know, we are going to feel that. You know, we're gonna feel that unhealthiness. And so I 100% agree with you that I think health is a verb. Like you have to, you have to take action. You have to do things about it.

Ramon Vela (26:05)
and the reality is that fact if you can't always get Whole Foods, you need to supplement that. I mean, and I don't think you're saying that you shouldn't have any Whole Foods, but I think what you're I think we we often need a supplement or a supplementation of something in our lives to help us with that. And and so I like just, you know, your overall message here. I I'm I'm definitely aligned with it.

Jason Dyer (26:30)
Well, I think just to just to add to that, I think, you know, you you you hit something really strong there. I I wanna be careful of the burden of accountability. You know, I think

Jason Dyer (26:41)
Just through my own personal experience. five years ago I weighed 260 pounds. I was in in a terrible state of health in spite of the industry that I lived in. I allowed life to get the best of me by by not holding myself accountable and and and not being more conscious of the choices that I was making along the way. I always had a convenient excuse around why it was the way that it was. I I I didn't make a significant or radical shift.

Jason Dyer (27:11)
In my lifestyle by any means. I just made a lot larger quantity of smaller conscious choices along the way. And so, you know, shifting my dietary habit to ensuring that, hey, I'm getting a salad on occasion actually made me fall in love with salads again. And now I've become a little bit of a salad snob as a result. Still not easy. it's a task to to have with regular frequency, but

Ramon Vela (27:31)
Yeah.

Jason Dyer (27:39)
It were small thing it was small things like that that that accumulated over time into a better state of health.

Jason Dyer (27:44)
and so what I realized looking back on that was, you know, it was the burden of accountability that I carried every day, this guilt for the choices that I wasn't making more so than the ones that I was, that that got in the way of me being able to move forward in a logical way, which was I didn't get to where I was overnight. It's not gonna get out of it overnight. It's small one step at a time conscious consideration that's gonna get me there. and so you know, I I think I I see a lot of people that.

Jason Dyer (28:14)
That accumulate guilt associated with that over time, and they begin to believe and they become discouraged. And maybe this health thing just isn't for me. It's genetic. I'm getting older. I hear a lot of reasons for it. I turned 46 this summer. I'm in a better state of health now than I was when I was 39. And I look at that and say, wow, anything's possible. And you know, I still feel the need to go to the gym more frequently, be more active, do better rather than being good. but that's okay. I have patience to know that.

Ramon Vela (28:48)
Yeah. And and I and I think, you know, that's the right message. And I think and I also think like having products like yours are are an aid d in that journey. one of the things that pops in my mind when, you know, this whole idea of of taking food, and I know that your the name Fermana is a play on, you know, farm to function. one of the things that pops in my mind is so

Ramon Vela (29:14)
Obviously Whole Foods is a the great the be the best way I think to do it, if you can, but there's lots of challenges to that. how difficult was it from a from a manufacturing or a a recipe or formulation standpoint to be able to take those take the the essence and the the all the great things and good things about you about, you know, those Whole Foods and turn into a powder or turn into something that, you know,

Ramon Vela (29:44)
becomes a product for for mana. How difficult was that? I mean, do does is any of the nutritional essence of it lost? Is it compromised? speak about that. I mean, like obviously Whole Foods is great, but this is the next best thing. And from Martin from from your perspective, why is that?

Jason Dyer (30:07)
It's a great question. and and truly one of the the bigger things we've had to tackle. and and I think one of the reasons you don't see more of this available in the market as it exists today.

Jason Dyer (30:18)
You know, my my belief, and I I I think it's it's it's able to be quantified and scientifically proven, the best whole food you can have is the one directly from the tree, directly from the plant itself, right? With relative immediacy. the the moment something is harvested, the nutrient decay process begins inside of that whole food. So you're gonna have diminishing nutritional value as time goes on post-harvest, right? So we recognize that. I I'm from Wisconsin, right? So I'm surrounded by farms my entire

Jason Dyer (30:48)
life and so there's certain things we have an appreciation for just inherently we spent about two years really examining different suppliers different potential sources for these and and going really far and understanding what are the agricultural agricultural processes and practices being deployed by these growers as well right so what I was

Jason Dyer (31:13)
really blown away by and couldn't be happier to find were a lot of really passionate farmers that, you know, I I heard things like, we went organic overnight when we recognized what we were doing with non-organic products on our farm. we have a a duty to and a purpose to serve in the world and feeding the health of humanity. We heard that so many times, and that was a clear indication that, you know, we've got a partner in this that philosophically and from a responsibility standpoint.

Jason Dyer (31:43)
Are just a rung above above the rest. so what we looked for were you know farmers that really nurtured nature, that understood the importance of you know, producing the highest quality, healthy soil from which to grow their foods, that would translate into a more robust, nutrient-dense, healthy food. from there, it's how do you take the food and preserve that nutrient density, preserve the goodness that the farmer was able to yield from nature?

Jason Dyer (32:13)
we we we studied drum drying techniques, freeze drying techniques, all the different forms of dried powdered whole foods that have currently existed in the market. And we found, well, freeze drying was the best way, right? So it's it was maintaining the nutrient density, it was maintaining more of the integrity of that that that whole food.

Jason Dyer (32:31)
But of course, if it's harvested and it sits for a period of time before it goes into the freeze-drying process, you're losing all that nutrition along the way. And so, how do we find ones that are really cleaning up the process to harvest flash freeze, freeze dry? So we're preserving by not letting time get in the way and oxidation get in the way of degrading the whole food itself. So we we map that out, have tremendous part partners both on the agricultural side, the processing side, groups that I've worked with now for 20 plus years that unbeknownst.

Jason Dyer (33:01)
To me, we're already deploying these practices well before they became recognized as best in class for whole food processing. organic processors, absolutely key. And then from there, being able to find a diverse range of foods. You know, a a big part of I would say, the dysfunction in our current diet and lifestyle is the homogeneity that our diets become comprised of, right? So we we tend to come back to the same four or five meals time and time again on rotation.

Ramon Vela (33:26)
Mm-hmm.

Jason Dyer (33:31)
For the convenience factor. It's just too much to think about having to put together something from scratch that is outside of that normal rotation. I think, you know, what I've learned is introducing those new things and giving practice to putting them together, it does become a lot easier over time and it can become part of a much more robust rotation. But we wanted to promote diversity in the diet as well. It wasn't just about getting a single whole food in, it was about getting a range of whole foods. And why? I didn't realize this until my partner.

Jason Dyer (34:01)
A nutritionist brought this to my attention long ago when we first started Farmana. The USDA tracks 150 different nutrients, right? All very important. And we see them on the labels for our foods. But what she brought to my attention was, you know, the foods we consume, these whole foods, have you know, thousands of phytonutrients and and and other compounds that are beneficial to health. And so it's the entourage effect of that completeness that really has a profound effect.

Jason Dyer (34:29)
Across the entire system. But how do we do that across different foods to expand that diversity of nutrition as well? And that's where, you know, I give her full credit. We found the sources that created better. We found the processors that maintained better. And she found a way to formulate them into recipes. I'll call them recipes that really taste amazing, but also really have profound health benefits and effects.

Ramon Vela (34:48)
Okay.

Ramon Vela (34:55)
Mm-hmm. Yeah, I mean, and in in in terms of the f f format, w why powders versus bars or versus, you know, you see other things out in the marketplace.

Jason Dyer (35:09)
Sure. You know, I mean, powders was the cleanest way for us to make a clean product, for lack of a better term. You know, with a lot of bars, gummies, other formats, which I don't see anything wrong with necessarily. if I took took, for example, a a gummy, one of the biggest challenges was, you know, we wanted to get a meaningful amount of whole foods, but also a meaningful amount of functional ingredients in this. so our our typical serving size is 12 to 13 grams.

Jason Dyer (35:35)
In a single gummy, you might be able to fit three grams worth of active ingredients. And so there was a limitation to that. As well, we understood you know the water content and other factors that go into making a gummy, a gummy would begin to degrade the nutrients and and some of the potency of our products, especially the active ingredients. And so we saw that as a big hurdle to overcome in order to create a product that we felt we could stand behind and deliver on on the promise. We examined bars, we examined RTDs, all had very

Jason Dyer (36:05)
Varying trade-offs for sure. Powder's was just easy to eliminate the need for things we didn't want to include. And so we could keep it as pure as the whole foods, the functional ingredients, and a few little additions just to make the experiential benefit that much more desirable. So, you know, we went down the path of less is more, and the best way to do that was with powders. The last thing I'll say is we could have accomplished the same with tablets or capsules, but it was important to us as

Ramon Vela (36:28)
Mm-hmm.

Jason Dyer (36:35)
well to have something that was experiential, something you could build a relationship with as well. So for me,

Jason Dyer (36:41)
and for many that I've heard from, they have a ritual or a routine built around starting their morning with a hydrate and replenish. I know once I've had that, I've set my day off on the right foot. And from there, now I can start my coffee. Now I can go to this. And in the afternoon, I know if I need that quick pick-me-up, this is my reliable partner in doing it. And there's just something about that experience that makes it all come together.

Ramon Vela (36:56)
Mm-hmm.

Ramon Vela (37:06)
Yeah, no, I can see that. let's twitch switch gears for a second and talk a little bit about the business side of it. and then we'll we'll come back and we'll talk a little bit more about the flavors and the packaging and whatnot. from a business standpoint, you know, even though you've had this, you know, vast amount of experience ahead of time working for for other companies and so forth in the space, you know, obviously creating this product

Ramon Vela (37:35)
has its own challenges, bringing it out to market has its own challenges. It's obviously a crowded space out there, which is great in in many ways, in that health and wellness has become so much a bigger part of so many so many people's lives now than then you know it's always had a market, but I think that market has grown and I think people care more about their their health now, which is fantastic. walk us through some of the challenges. in your from your perspective,

Ramon Vela (38:04)
What have been some of the challenge the the biggest challenges for you? was it on the manufacturing side? Was it is it on the awareness side and building awareness for the brand? Is in the communication side? what has been the most difficult or some of the difficulties you faced in building the brand?

Jason Dyer (38:25)
well, I mean, I can I can say with relief that it hasn't been on the manufacturing side. I we're really blessed to have great partners throughout, from agricultural to processing to manufacturing. You know, we I'm grateful that we took time to really explore the right partners. And it wasn't just the the the

Jason Dyer (38:46)
The capabilities, the quality, all that. It was a hearts over minds experiment at the same time. We wanted to find people that understood our purpose and what we were trying to drive with the products. And it was in finding that alignment that I sleep well at night knowing that we've got a great partner that's taking care of putting into the product what we intended so that people can get out of the product what we intended. I I think the biggest challenge for us has been really driving awareness and making connection with people that.

Jason Dyer (39:16)
Stand to benefit from the products we've formulated and the brand that we've created. It's a very noisy market, to your point, and it's one that is heavily pay-to-play. And so if you want to be recognized, you've got to buy people's favor. we never really set out to become the choice for hydration or the choice for a digestion product. We came out to be an alternative choice.

Jason Dyer (39:43)
But a choice nonetheless for all of them. And our hope was to introduce that in a way to say, give it a try. See if it makes a difference for you. See if the experience feels different to you. How does it feel overall? And through that, you know, where we've had the opportunities to have those trial experiences, people have seen something really different. It doesn't mean that they've replaced something in their life. It might be truly supplementing other things that they're already taking, but they felt different from it. And I've heard so

Ramon Vela (40:12)
Mm-hmm.

Jason Dyer (40:12)
So many just amazing stories that we never expected to get. unintended benefits from the products. You know, I I have one person that I've I've I've grown fairly close to now as a result of their experience with the product who has you know a history of a number of different health issues that she's gone through, etc. etc. I won't get into the details there for for her own.

Jason Dyer (40:33)
privacy. But you know, one of the biggest compliments she made about the product was, I've been taking your digestion product now for months. I just went to the hairdresser recently and they said you have all this baby hair growth coming in. What have you done differently? And she thought, Well, I'm taking a digestion product. I don't know if it be it. But she thought, I don't eat a lot of whole foods in my daily diet. I don't really eat a salad ever. I wonder if it's the nutrition that I'm getting from this because I'm taking two or three of these a day. You know, whether or not that's the case and that's the cause. I'm not really sure.

Ramon Vela (40:41)
Well yeah.

Ramon Vela (40:45)
Mm-hmm.

Jason Dyer (41:03)
Sure, but to hear the the the the energy in her voice, to hear the the renewal of of hope and faith that she's gonna find this this state of life again that she felt she lost. I I felt like we were doing better. And so, you know, the biggest challenge for us is how do we find more opportunities to say, give it a try? And so we we continue to to to put programs out there to to to try with

Ramon Vela (41:19)
Mm-hmm.

Jason Dyer (41:31)
relationships we have that I'm very grateful for with groups like Earth Bar I had mentioned before and you know other grassroots groups throughout the the the United States specifically that are becoming community hubs for health and wellness discovery. Right. So one group out there in California that we partnered with early on, I I have tremendous appreciation for. The name of the group is called Coffee and Chill. And a really interesting experience for me. They have get togethers every other week where it's you know ice plunge bath

Jason Dyer (42:01)
And sauna and a really wide array of different health and wellness products that show up to these events and a couple hundred people at each of the events. I mean, five to eight hundred people at each event, a lot of really great insights and experience, just hearing feedback from people around. Why do you come to this? Well, you know, guys like you used to go to church to get your head right on Sunday. This is where we come, and then we go to church, you know. I said, okay, well, I guess I'm the old guy here now. That's okay.

Jason Dyer (42:30)
But just to hear the drive and the passion, to see that community forming, right? I see the same thing in run clubs that are popping up left and right and local tennis clubs and and and more and more, to see people coming together all around the purpose of life and finding more of it.

Jason Dyer (42:46)
That was really driving to us. And so for Farmana, we continue to look for where that community is forming and how we can be a catalyst to continue to bring that together and how we can be a choice within that as an alternative to whatever else might be there that might be easier to integrate into your daily routine and have the effect that you're looking for.

Ramon Vela (43:07)
Mm-hmm. And if you if you know, and I'm sure you maybe have already run into this, if you give talks to groups or talk to people at different shows or trade shows or functions, if someone came up to you and said, someone, I don't know, just starting out, some new some college student, some someone someone in their twenties or whatnot, and they're like, I love health and wellness, I want to start a business.

Ramon Vela (43:36)
What advice would you give me? Is there any advice you'd give to that twenty, twenty year old, twenty younger version maybe of yourself?

Jason Dyer (43:45)
I think the younger version of myself, as I would say to to many others, is, you know,

Jason Dyer (43:55)
We look forward so hard looking for you know the answer.

Jason Dyer (43:59)
but you know, what I have found is looking back in order to look forward is is is absolutely critical. And so, how do we know where we're going if we don't know where we've been is the the quote that comes to my mind. And so being intentional about taking inventory of your daily choices, even taking time just to reflect on, you know, if I had to tell a story about my lifestyle, what would that story look like? And feeling the tension between what it's currently comprised of and what you

Jason Dyer (44:29)
Aspire toward. It really takes inventory of your current status quo and allows you to bring to the surface the things that you might not consciously be choosing every day. And because of that, that positions you to make alternative choices or give consideration to alternatives relative to those things you already have in place. And so look back to look forward is my number one piece of advice, but do it in a very intentional and with some rigor behind it type of way.

Jason Dyer (44:59)
I think from there it it's it's

Jason Dyer (45:02)
It's about identifying the resources that can really help to dispel ignorance and help to, you know, reveal new insights that might be useful to you, but you know, also being flexible to manage your own expectations to say, I'm not going to go from where I am to where I want to be in one step. it's gonna take some trial and error along the way. And frankly, the joy and the fun of the journey is some of that trial and error. I think, you know, we always go forward to say, I'm trying with the expectation of an outcome and set ourselves up for disappointment more often than not.

Jason Dyer (45:32)
And that has a compounding effect that becomes discouraging and demotivating. And so for me, I always say stay open-minded, suspend disbelief in the existence of an alternative because they are there. But the best way to do that is by recognizing the choices that you're making currently, consciously or otherwise.

Ramon Vela (45:52)
Mm-hmm. Yeah, I love that. Actually, in all the times I've asked that question, I think that's the first time someone's ever asked answered that way. about looking back to look forward. So appreciate it. and so let's get back into the brand itself. So, for everyone out there, as I mentioned before, you can go to farmana.co, and that's farmana. It's like the word farm, F-A-R-M, and then

Jason Dyer (46:00)
No.

Ramon Vela (46:22)
A-N-A, farmana.co is the website. So walk us through the website a little bit, what people are going to find on the website, because right now I look at the navigation button. You've got products, you got bundle deals, you got about us, you got a blog. if someone's listening to this and is really interested in this whole notion of farm to function and you know, supplementation and and health and wellness.

Ramon Vela (46:51)
And they're listening to this, where do where do you suggest they start? Is there a starting point or is it really just about where what you know w what areas that they need assistance with?

Jason Dyer (47:04)
Yeah, I think everybody has a different purpose for coming. and everybody has a different goal and outcome in mind. because of that, there's no one starting point that I would recommend broadly. But you know, the website really is is meant to be very straightforward. we don't want to introduce additional burden or friction. we want to be straightforward and saying, here's who we are, here's what we've got, here's why we've got it. But for those who want to go further and really you know, learn more.

Jason Dyer (47:34)
broader health.

Jason Dyer (47:35)
nutrition related around the health categories and the health areas that we we work to serve within Faramana. You know, our our blog offering has has has grown substantially over the course of the past six months or so. you know, Ashley, my, my, my partner, who unfortunately wasn't able to join us here this morning, you know, she spent her entire life in the health and wellness industry. I mean she was she was truly born into the industry. her her her family founded one of the the the most prominent healthcare practitioners

Jason Dyer (48:05)
dietary supplement brands in the marketplace, and you know, one with 38 years of history. and so she

Jason Dyer (48:12)
She grew up in that environment, chose to pursue her education in nutrition, finished her master's in nutrition. And I said, with all of this information, all of this knowledge, both through your life's experience, your formal education, and frankly, collaborating and working directly with some of the largest key opinion leaders and thought leaders in the health and wellness industry for over a decade, how do we bring more of that forward in a way that people can benefit from? And that's where she leaned in heavily on how do I create blogs that are really just gonna, you know, teach people.

Jason Dyer (48:42)
and give them the tools and the resources that benefited me and helped me make better choices along the way. So she really bolstered that. You know, beyond that, we we we look to create just greater visibility and transparency through our system. So we're developing right now a dedicated section to our agricultural partners so you can actually get to know the human behind the food. That to us is really, really important because you know, well I've met a lot of these folks and I know if others have met them, you would you

Jason Dyer (49:12)
Would look at him and say, Wow, that's a farmer that I want to see at every farmer's market. and I can only imagine what their table and their booth is gonna look like. I wanna get there early before it's all picked over. so we want to bring a lot of those stories forward because we feel like, you know, stories and and people, that's the connection really that that that that Farmana looks to create. It's not about the product, it's much more about a shared journey of life. and and life is a health optimization journey in and of itself. And so

Jason Dyer (49:42)
So with every corner we turn, every year we tick past, the journey becomes a little bit different. I'm not going to say more difficult or easier, but certainly different. And so how are we part of a community that helps us be prepared for those changes?

Ramon Vela (49:57)
Yeah. Well, I I'm I'm looking at the one of the products that you mentioned earlier, hydrate hydrate and replenish. And so I just wanted to give the audience just a little peek into what they're gonna find in there. So within each, it looks like you guys have it kind of broken down to what the what the components are. So you've got the balance electrolyte blend, you've got the low sodium formula, you've got the d ribose, is that how you pronounce it? Dribose.

Ramon Vela (50:27)
the eight organic superfoods in there. You also have so you have you've got a summary and you've got picks and so forth, but you also have a section there about the science of real hydration and you kind of break it down with each one of those elements that I just mentioned mean and what some of the the vitamins and things that you're gonna find in there. and then you've g you've got some additional information in terms of hydration. so you've you know, each page seems to have

Ramon Vela (50:56)
you know, some pretty good information to it if people want to dive into these particular areas. And I think you've really chosen some really important and very c common challenges that people are facing right now. Like a lot of people, I know that ever since the pandemic, a lot of people have been focused on their immunity and the res resilience and so forth. Digestion, you know, seems to be a growing issue for a lot of people.

Ramon Vela (51:24)
And so you that's one of the the blends that you have there, digestion and de bloat. You've got the hydrate and replenish, as I mentioned, and then you've got this workout and energized one. And, you know, if I was to click on any of these, you know, as I did before, you know, it gives you a summary, like for instance, in the energy, the workout and energy, you've got creatine and HMB, you've got

Ramon Vela (51:53)
13 organic superfoods. You've got some other stuff that I don't even know how to pronounce. like al carotene, you've got cordyceps.

Jason Dyer (52:00)
We've got cordyceps in there, we've got beet, for nitric oxide production. So

Jason Dyer (52:08)
You know, with each of these formulas, we try to create something that was more complete. Right. When I think about digestion, for example, is it am I taking a product for digestion of food because I I I I'm not digesting properly and I can feel that disruption, that discomfort manifesting in bloating or constipation, irregularity, whatever it might be? am I taking a product for better nutrient absorption? Am I taking a product for you know, just

Jason Dyer (52:36)
gut dysfunction overall. It it's a little bit like I had mentioned about immune earlier. When do I know when to grab echinacea versus vitamin C versus zinc versus elderberry? And if you look at our immunity and resilience product, it has all of those in there. Why? Well they all have different benefits and why not let them work synergistically? And so our our our products are not meant to fix a problem that exists. It's much more to you know help to proactively maintain a health status. Again, the verb.

Jason Dyer (53:06)
that that that keeps you resilient, that keeps you in motion, that keeps you moving forward, without the guessing game of, well, this has this, but I need to add a little of that, so I should buy a second product. Hydrate and replenish specifically though, as you you named that one initially.

Jason Dyer (53:22)
You know, we Ashley and I spent a a fair amount of time actually really understanding marine hydration therapy, which goes back to the eighteen hundreds, originally created by Dr. Rene Canton, spelt Q U I N T O N. I say that specifically because, you know, one of our our most commonly used, at least in our household certainly, and I think broadly, hydration products is called quinton. they're little ampules of of either a hyper

Jason Dyer (53:52)
hypertonic or an isotonic formula of seawater, highly filtered, cold filtered seawater out of Alicante, Spain. It's a beautiful product, it's an amazing product that goes back to the the the turn of the 19th century.

Jason Dyer (54:08)
One of my former organizations actually brought it to market here in the United States and continues to represent it. So I'm fortunate to have had access to it and access to understanding where it all came from. and through that I gain a real appreciation for the complexity of hydration. It's not as simple as just getting more sodium into the body or you know, a little of this or a little of that. It's a much more complex picture. And so what we found were scanning the market, everybody popping up with a hydration product.

Jason Dyer (54:38)
Is just loading sodium in under the assumption that we're all, you know, training for the next Kona Iron Man, which I wish I could get there. But the reality is we're not all exerting to the extent that we need to replenish that much sodium alone. And frankly, it's ignorant to the complexity of what hydration requires, which is balanced minerals and the right amount of different minerals in order to inform better quality hydration and sustainable hydration status.

Jason Dyer (55:08)
Status. And the biggest missing piece to us was pi potassium, quite honestly. Now I recognize it's hard to taste potassium. You can taste the sodium in a product, so you know if you're tasting that it feels like a hydration product. I think back to you know Gatorade and other things I had as a kid, the original formulas that were really salty. I get that from some today, and I think some of those products are are very appropriate.

Ramon Vela (55:16)
Mm-hmm.

Ramon Vela (55:25)
Mm-hmm.

Jason Dyer (55:31)
I certainly get that from my quinton hypertonic, which I exclusively use after playing tennis, which I never win. She's always winning. and we go lengthy on it. So I need something strong and and responsive in that way. But on a daily basis, just to maintain healthy hydration status as well as just good mineral status overall, hydrate and replenish has been something that I go to time and time again without concern of taking too much sodium and thus leading to water retention and and and

Jason Dyer (56:01)
Other things. So

Ramon Vela (56:03)
Well, I mean, I think this is fantastic. So let me ask you, and I want to be respectful of time so we we can start wrapping up, but I wanna make sure that people know where to go. any any other thing that they need to know about the website. in is this well, let's start off with where to go. Is this is the website the best place? Is it available in retail? Where can people find us?

Jason Dyer (56:28)
Well, the website I can say is the most reliable place. I I go to great lengths to make sure that it's always up and running and functional. But I can say for our our our other retail partners and other locations you can buy is this is strong. Our website's a great place to find the products, especially as new things are coming forward, to find the resources and insights. but there are plenty of other options on places you can find an Amazon, certainly. you know, we have a direct relationship with Amazon, so you can trust that the product.

Jason Dyer (56:55)
Being sold and being bought on Amazon is coming directly from us through Amazon. It's not represented by other third parties out there, and the the risk of fake product isn't there. beyond that, you can find our products in Earth Bar locations nationwide. Earth Bar has about 70 locations, primarily in California, New York, inside of Equinox Gyms, but above and beyond that. you can find the products in Sprouts Farmers Market, select locations there.

Jason Dyer (57:25)
Really great local spots in California like Boney's Bayside Marketplace. I just I love that spot, Rainbow Acres and so many more. So I would look for you know your organic grocery specialty grocer or always as a dependable fallback is online at farmana.co, Amazon, or earthbar.

Ramon Vela (57:31)
Okay.

Ramon Vela (57:46)
Well, that's fantastic. So, so as we wrap up, I wanna give you an opportunity to kind of leave us with some final words, you know, for that you wanna leave with the audience. Is there anything that you wanna leave with them? Anything that you wanna make sure that they they remember as they go on in their day and they think about, you know, where they're gonna what, you know, what health produ health and wellness product they're gonna buy and or, you know, where they're gonna buy it from.

Jason Dyer (58:14)
I think if I just leave it leave words of encouragement with with people pause. I'd like to redo that.

Ramon Vela (58:23)
Sure.

Jason Dyer (58:26)
Mm-hmm.

Jason Dyer (58:30)
I think if I was to leave people with anything, it would be, you know, after twenty two years of experience in in dietary supplements and health and wellness, I can I can say I've tried

Jason Dyer (58:40)
everything truly. and so I have an appreciation for the exhaustion that comes along with trial and error, especially when you have an expectation for realizing a benefit from it. you will find it. Keep trying. and and reframe that trial and error process into you know the experience that you're gaining, the learning that you're gaining. One of the the the greatest quotes that that I ever heard was, you know, learning is what you get when you don't get what you want. How are we learning along the way but giving

Jason Dyer (59:10)
Permission to trying more and more and of course I'm asking try Farmana.

Jason Dyer (59:15)
It's not meant to be the choice, but it's meant to be a choice that you can experiment with and see if it's different. I think beyond that, continue to stay stay positive, maintain faith that health is part of your essence as a human being. Don't give up on it yet. get out there, connect with others, hear what their ex their experience and their story and and and try some new things. you're not alone in this and and you will find it probably when you don't rec when you don't expect it.

Ramon Vela (59:44)
Well, that's fantastic, man. Thank you so much. I really appreciate you being on the show and I appreciate you sharing with us. And I think, you know, what you're doing is fantastic. And I think you meet our tagline, which is products worth buying, brands worth supporting. And I definitely want to encourage our audience to support your brand and give it a try. take a look, go to the website. because I love the philosophy and the ideas behind Farmana and why you created it and what you guys are trying to achieve.

Ramon Vela (01:00:14)
I'm like as I mentioned, I'm a big believer in Whole Foods, but I think, you know, this is is very difficult and it's difficult to to maintain that. But these type of products make it easier to find the nutrition and the health that you that you look for and that can help improve your life in small and big ways as well. So thank you so much for for being on the show. I truly appreciate it, Jason. So one last thing with your social media handle.

Jason Dyer (01:00:41)
Farmana Fresh. Farmana Fresh.

Ramon Vela (01:00:44)
Okay, great. So everyone out there, we have just had Jason Dyer, who's co-founder and farmer at farmana.co. And we're gonna have that link as well as social media link and the link to some of the other places you can find them on our podcast description, which you you you can find on Apple, Spotify, pretty much anywhere you listen to podcasts. Simply type in the story of a brand show and you should be able to find it. Beyond that, I always say stay safe, stay sane, stay healthy.

Ramon Vela (01:01:12)
And one way of doing that and probably all three is by going to fermano.co, which is the website. Take a look, read some of the information they have there, read up on some of the ingredients they have for each of the different blends that they have. And I think you're really going to be impressed. So go check it out. and at the very least, sign up for the newsletter and you can find out about any new things that are gonna be happening, new products, et cetera and so forth and promotions. so

Ramon Vela (01:01:41)
Go do that. And then beyond that, everyone, one last thing. We've all been going through a lot of stuff in the last few years, pandemic and geopolitical wars and the economy and everything else. So a lot of stress, a lot of anxiety. So let's just do ourselves a favor and let's just try to be a little kinder to each other. Cause I know by doing that, we can make this human experience a little bit better. Beyond that, thank you from the bottom of my heart.

Ramon Vela (01:02:09)
For listening to another episode of the story of a brand.