Walking into Zen Donkey Farms, a juicery in Fairway, Kansas, I expected awkward small-talk with the employee, like there usually is in a vacant store.
But at Zen Donkey Farms, there wasn’t any filler conversation or uncomfortable silences. I was immediately greeted by the bright openness of the space and a kind employee who told me about the business.
The store supports the owners’ mission to help rescue donkeys from being killed for their skin. They have a farm of donkeys in Greenwood, Missouri, where they host juice tastings, donkey yoga and other local activities.
After hosting a stand at the Overland Park Farmer’s Market — which only operates during warm weather months — they opened a brick-and-mortar store on Aug. 7 to attract customers year-round to their unique selection of curated, pressed juices.
Contributing to a donkey rescue farm was something I never predicted I’d be doing on a Tuesday morning, but I’m glad I did. Trying unique food and experiencing the pleasant atmosphere of the store kick-started a lovely morning.
A wall of windows filled the store with sunlight, couches and chairs offered a clean aesthetic look and the cashier actually engaged with me, not a meager “hello” that sums up most restaurants' customer service.
I usually find that restaurants that advertise themselves as “healthy” often don’t have food that tastes real. So after the cashier told me about all her favorites, I was hoping my $30 order — the Uplifted Signature Smoothie, Liv Juice and Apple Walnut Protein Balls — would be worth the price.
The Uplifted Signature smoothie with banana, strawberries, dates and cashew mylk — their substitute for dairy milk — was the best item of my morning.
At first taste, the cashew mylk, similar to whole milk, was overpowering, but the more I drank, the more I tasted the strawberry and banana, flawlessly balancing each other out.
Though the dates weren’t fully blended in — once I bit into a chunk — it added notes of a sweet, caramel-like flavor that added to the smoothie’s flavor.
Uplifted was the ideal smoothie for my morning. Its cool, fresh taste allowed me to easily finish the drink, and will definitely be a summer morning staple.
The grab-and-go refrigerators made the Liv juice easy to find, but it had an absurd price of $8. I was afraid it would taste too healthy, like something only gym rat influencers would drink.
And I was right. Except, I liked it.
The juice was split into separate layers of liquid and pulp at first, which made me uneasy, but after shaking it a few times, I put my faith in the overpriced drink and took a sip.
The citrusy smell of the green apple and lemon juice hit me before I even tried it, and my first sip tasted like straight lemon juice. The tangy flavor took a few minutes to get used to, but it soon became my favorite part.
The Liv was something different, unlike all the basic grocery store juice that can taste like a pound of sweetener. It just requires a refined taste.
I might not be able to drink a whole 8-ounce bottle in one sitting, and I might not be rushing to buy it at 7 a.m., but I would purchase it again.
As soon as I bought the apple walnut protein balls, I felt the regret sink in.
I could already tell they weren’t worth $6 for four tiny clusters of walnut, flaxseed, apple and protein powder.
Biting into one, I tasted the apple and cinnamon for a whopping three seconds before it turned into bitter mush with a flavor I can only compare to the dog treat I tried when I was six-years-old.
The apple became overpowering, and too many walnuts gave a texture that was both soggy and crunchy at the same time. It was just plain wrong. The protein powder and coconut left me with a foul aftertaste that only an entire bottle of water could wash away.
It quickly crossed the line to become too healthy, which, except to a small few, doesn’t taste like food at all.
For $6, the apple walnut protein balls were my greatest disappointment, worse than when I found out a dog treat only tastes good to a dog.
Zen Donkey Farms balances the fine line between quality healthy food and “health” food that doesn’t taste like food at all.
Though the protein balls fell into the overly healthy food category and I spent a ridiculous $30 for three small items, the customer service and clean atmosphere helped make up for the overpriced food.
And the Uplift smoothie alone made the visit worth it.
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