We chatted with Jelianny and Paola of Semilla Nativa to find out how this plant based, allergy-friendly company started and where they hope to take it in the future. Read on to learn more about this delicious, nutritious, local and women-owned brand!

Tell us a little bit about your company, Semilla Nativa.

We are Jelianny Soliman and Paola Aguilar, owners and founders of Semilla Nativa -eat well, feel well- LLC. Welcome to our bright and colorful kitchen. We specialized in the creation of allergy friendly, plant based and nutrient dense healthy food products.

We are a local, craft food brand committed to giving every client a taste of home and comfort without the hassle. We specialize in the production of nut free artisan pesto sauces and gluten-free all-purpose baking flour mixes. Our products are uniquely formulated with the highest standards of quality, non GMO ingredients or additives, refined sugar free and nutrient dense.

When did you start Semilla Nativa?

Founded in 2017 by young latinas entrepreneurs, both passionate about cooking, healthy eating, good food and sustainable farming. The desire of sharing it with others got us thinking of ways to be financially independent women and helped share our passion for this business. Thus Semilla Nativa was born in an effort to bring healthy and good food to the community. From day one we also knew our business should be community centered which is why we decided to start selling at farmers markets primarily. This is a venue that allows us a lot of time to explain how to best use our products. The Semilla Nativa booth is in a way a center for healthy eating where you leave with both good products and knowledge.

What do you find the most rewarding?

We are most proud of being able to serve the entire family with food that they can enjoy together. Getting our business off the ground has taken a lot of work. Our budget was a credit card of $300, we knew what we wanted to achieve but did not have financial advice or support. We started selling to our friends and family, moved on to farmers market and then online as well. We have taken a step by step approach as we have grown. The most important thing to us as we grow is to remain in constant contact with our customers and local farmers. as they provide us the feedback to innovate, our products are for them.

 Future Plans?

One of the main lessons we learned along the way is how hard it is to find food that is nutritionally good for you and your entire family, especially if some of the family members have dietary restrictions. We wanted to create products that taste good, help your body stay healthy and can be eaten by everyone. Our creativity is limitless, we always aspire to keep creating more allergy friendly food products as well as keep expanding our distribution to more local stores, markets and supermarkets.

About Source 

Source offers a selection of the highest-quality produce, goods and more sourced local, organic, ethical, sustainable and as regenerative as possible. You can shop online or visit us instore, M-F 10:30am-6pm. We are located at 275 Alhambra Circle, Coral Gables, FL 33143. 

A plant based gourmet line of artisan pesto sauces from Semilla Nativa are nut, dairy, synthetics and preservative free. With a nutritional component naturally high in iron, antioxidants, essential minerals and fiber from sunflower seeds that have replaced traditional pine nuts and cheese pesto sauce, you can be sure to elevate your cooking with this premium quality pesto while also reducing unnecessary calories and providing protein and healthy fats. These full-flavored pestos are great straight out of the jar, for appetizers, as dressings, marinades or to top off your favorite ready-to-eat meals.