Craft Fermentary

Much of our “Craft” is in the Cultivation.

Soil is the foundation for what we achieve in the kitchen, and it shows.

Growing Ingredients & Making Quality Ferments

Our focus and drive is different than most regenerative growers. You generally won't find our fresh veggies and local exotics at the farmers’ market. Instead, produce is cultivated and harvested by Kres Farm and delivered to our commercial kitchen for processing.

We think this distinction is a good thing. As grower-fermenters, we aim to strengthen the local food system by broadening year-round access to healthy functional foods. Our naturally preserved krauts and condiments are unpasteurized and will keep well in the fridge for months. This is our way of expanding seasonal deliciousness.

Our Story

Between regenerative agriculture, local food preservation, and healthy communities; we’ve mobilized our passions in Kres!

Guided by our love of food, nature and science we experimented with vegetable fermentation recipes from around the world. What we discovered was a highly-reliable preservation method that transcended geography and ethnic cuisines. Adventurous flavors created by combining different vegetables, fruits, herbs and spices sharpened our memory of grandma’s delicious fall krauts… and left us wanting more. Our initial trial centered on a Slovene-inspired kraut with garlic, apples and juniper berries, a hat tip to my heritage. Many more inspirations would follow including micro-expeditions into fermented condiments. A favorite (not yet produced for market) is Meyer lemons preserved Moroccan-style. I can assure you, once you’ve made hummus with lacto-fermented lemons you will crave it forever!

In our early forays, every fruit and vegetable we fermented came from our own gardens. As our research and fermentation trials progressed, a special relationship emerged between our growing techniques and the flavors and textures that ensued during fermentation. With each recipe it became more apparent that terroir and microbial diversity was driving flavor! Those indigenous soil food web communities that thrive in healthy biological soils also live on the surfaces of fruits and vegetables immensely contributing to the fermentation process; a natural generator for wild fermentation. A business model was conceived.

With that, we leaped into the world of regenerative food cultivation. Our learning curve was steep and ongoing but in spite of our set-backs, we had just as many successes propelling us forward. At Kres Farm we’ve expanded our production space considerably with a heated greenhouse, high-tunnels, orchard, raised beds and row cropping. Throughout this expansion, we stayed true to our original vision and core values:

  1. Nurture and protect native Soil Food Web microbiology,

  2. Boost intrinsic plant resilience ecologically,

  3. Avoid synthetic fertilizers, pesticides and sprays, and

  4. Always be working to advance soil health and ecosystem diversity

Today Kres Kitchen prepares unique recipes using seasonal fruits and vegetables grown on our farm. We process and ferment in small batches in a commercial kitchen that is quality inspected. We pride ourselves on using organic and naturally-grown ingredients in our products because this is where our biological co-creators, lactobacilli and others, thrive. We use the highest-quality mineral salts because this is what our fermentative ecology needs to flourish. We source first from our own regenerative farm and then supplement (primarily cabbage and fruits) from other local growers. We are committed to minimizing waste by composting all of our kitchen scraps and garden debris back into our soil. As part of our drive towards better sustainability, we launched a community-supported glass recycling program with clearly-defined mechanisms to share the savings with loyal participants.

An ecologically-minded business, we give back!

We enjoy sharing our thinking on the many benefits of lacto-fermented vegetables with our community of fellow processors, foodies and individuals/families. We are so grateful for YOU, our supporters - learning with us, collaborating with us and enthusiastically exploring the complex flavors and range of nutrients that wild fermentation offers. We listen carefully to your comments and critiques; valuable info as we work to become better fermenters. Thank you for your kindness, for your generosity, and most importantly, for your TRUST. We feel privileged to produce foods that intersect both culinary enjoyment and lifestyle health! It is important to us that our krauts are locally accessible to all who want them; this is the beacon for our business moving forward.

Grow wild. Eat wild. Be well!

Cabby Bea Kraut, Kres’s Lifestyle Health Coach Says:

“Enjoy Kres Sauerkraut with these delicious recipe ideas” >> Recipes :)

What makes Kres Ferments so Special?

  • Preserving the Season

    Enjoying fresh vegetables during peak growing season is a culinary delight. Extending that experience and nutritive benefit into the depths of winter is absolutely enchanting. We get it. Because our timeline from harvest to ferment is condensed, we’re able to capture the essence of “in-season” locking-in quality and freshness. We think Farm to Ferment is the BEST way to meet your family’s needs for healthy vegetables year-round.

  • Wild Fermentation

    Lacto-fermentation is powered by beneficial bacteria naturally found on fresh foods. Proliferation of these bacteria during fermentation contribute to more than just preservation; flavor, bionutrients, vitamins, and important enzymes are all enhanced. At Kres Farm, we nurture these “good-guy” microorganisms by avoiding synthetic chemicals and protecting our soil. History shows that fermented foods have flourished in every culture across the globe; wild and diverse is the way.

  • Specialty, Craft, and Handmade.

    An artisanal craft, lacto-fermentation performs best when wholesome vegetables are harvested at their peak and promptly handled in small batches. Our sauerkraut recipes follow the seasons inviting unique vegetable fusions for superior flavors and varied nutritional benefits.

    Be on the lookout! Our seasonal ferments are limited in quantity and availability.

  • Quality and Safety.

    At the outset of our business, Kres engaged Cornell Food Venture Center to critically analyze our finished product and to validate that our production process yielded the highest quality and safety. Every product we make is tested by Kres to certify that these key requirements are met.

    We ferment in stone, glass or food-grade stainless offering customers a plastic-free premium product. To achieve authentic flavors and to optimize probiotic performance, our krauts remain in original fermentation vessels while nature does her work. With experience, we’ve learned that fermentation time has a distinct impact on flavor, probiotic succession and nutrient profiles. We don’t rush it.

    TIME has become our most respected collaborator.

  • Health and Performance.

    Our fermented products are fuel for a healthy and active lifestyle… driven by our gut. We begin with the very best ingredients including superfoods such as garlic, ginger, beets, and berries. Then we stimulate growth of wild lactic acid-producing bacteria by setting-up a high-grade mineral salt brine. With the help of lactobacilli, raw foods are fermented to achieve a fully preserved product. Fermentation positively influences the nutritional value of raw vegetables by liberating vitamins and enzymes otherwise unavailable to us.

    Vinegars, pasteurization, starter cultures and preservatives are excluded from our process. Once fermentation runs the course, we refrigerate to maintain quality and flavor. This is how we uphold the authenticity of every product we produce.

  • Craveable and Flavorful.

    Wild fermentation unlocks unique culinary flavors and transforms raw vegetables into living foods that are much easier for us to digest. A delicious way to boost the taste and overall nutritional value of just about any meal. If you’re not sure you like fermented sauerkraut, you probably haven’t tried ours!