Soy Sistas

In 1997, Robin Del Rio set out in search of a simple commercial kitchen where she could produce organic salsa. Instead, she came home the proud new owner of her very own factory, the Ashland Soy Works in Ashland, Oregon.

"It was a gift in disguise," she says. "The people we were trying to reach were people already eating tofu, already consciously wanting delicious, healthy food. Doing the salsa and tofu would also be a benefit to the community. It wasn't in my 5-year plan to be a tofu factory owner, but we dance to the music the universe hands us."

For a partner, Del Rio recruited her best friend and sister, Judith Roberts, who had just returned from China where she'd finished her master's degree in anthropology. "It was an obvious opportunity," says Roberts. "I jumped in with both feet."

Little did they know, however, that the universe's music was about to change, and they'd soon be doing some fancy stepping to keep up.

Within a year, the factory equipment which had been "lovingly patched together" by the former owners--began to demand repair and, frequently, replacement. And the factory's exhaust system just wasn't doing the job. "As we puzzled about it, the ceiling--saturated by steam for over 15 years--fell down," Del Rio recalls. "No more puzzling. When you puzzle about something, and your intuition tells yon to move on it, and you don't, the world will move without you."

Luckily for the world, this pair always manages to catch up.

Today, from their little factory in the heart of Oregon's Shakespeare country, Del Rio and Roberts produce Two Sistas tofu, tofu loaf, several eggless salads and three varieties of Sassy Black-Eyed Pea Salsa.

Their business plan may never generate billions, but when it comes to personal convictions, the two put their money where their mouths are. Although they've yet to turn a profit, they've donated organic goods to homeless shelters, schools and retirement homes--often as part of nutrition education programs. They also mentor high school interns and haul empty, product containers--which they encourage their customers to return--to a recycling center 200 miles south.

The duo's newest plan is to persuade a local tire dealer to think about soy. "Once a year, he gives away beef to customers," Roberts explains. "The idea is that as he does his beef giveaway, we would be in there with our tofu" It's all part of a business philosophy anchored by the central notion to spread well-being. "That's what we're here to do," says Roberts, "to be uplifters of the energy of the planet."

With their salsas and tofu currently available only in Oregon and Washington state, the siblings dream of the day when their organic fare will be available all over the West Coast--and beyond. And while they may never get rich, Del Rio says that's really not the point.

"I want to make people's mouths happy and their bodies healthy. I want people to feel good when they look at our products--to truly share the reality that it's really fun to be here together on this planet."

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