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Home / Ferment Blog / A Community Perspective: Keeping It Local!

Posted March 16, 2013 by Real Pickles

A Community Perspective: Keeping It Local!

Margaret Christie is a rock star.  Especially when it comes to our local food system here in western Massachusetts.  As executive director of Community Involved in Sustaining Agriculture (CISA) in the late 1990s, she oversaw the launch of the hugely successful “Be a Local Hero, Buy Locally Grown” marketing campaign.  In her on-going work as CISA’s special projects director, Margaret plays an essential role as researcher, thinker, and organizer in the effort to build a better food system – locally and beyond.  Here, Margaret offers her perspective on the social benefit of Real Pickles’ decision to go co-op.  Thanks, Margaret, for your kind and insightful words!  


by Margaret Christie, Special Projects Director, CISA

Why is Real Pickles’ decision to go worker co-op good for the rest of us?  If they keep making good dill pickles, ginger carrots, and sauerkraut, do we care who owns them and how that ownership is structured?  Yes, we do—not only because of the impact this business will have, but because the folks at Real Pickles are showing us how we can be involved in building a better food system.

The change in Real Pickles’ ownership provides a number of collateral
community benefits, but most important may be the model of business success they offer.  As we work together to create a network of farm and food businesses that provide more of the food we eat every day here in the Pioneer Valley of western Massachusetts (and the surrounding region), we often focus on business start-ups, not on what follows success.  But what happens to a business that starts with a commitment to sourcing regionally or sustainably grown ingredients as the business matures?  When the owners are ready to do something else—or just to shoulder a little bit less of the burden of keeping the business going—how can their commitment to regional sourcing be maintained?  Real Pickles’ decision to form a worker co-op models one answer to this important question.

Every month, I attend meetings of the PVGrows Loan Fund as CISA’s representative.  When local farm and food businesses apply to us for financing, we review a list of criteria that represent our mission of “enhancing the ecological and economic sustainability and vitality of the Pioneer Valley food system.”  Among our concerns is long-term commitment to the Pioneer Valley.  If we finance a new business, will they continue to source from local farmers in the long run, or will they decide that it’s less expensive to find their ingredients in the global marketplace?  Or might they move altogether, finding both cheaper ingredients and cheaper labor?  When evaluating loan applicants, we often have no way to assess the owners’ long-term commitment to our region.

Real Pickles’ new ownership structure, in contrast, provides two clear answers to this question.  First, the business will now have multiple owners, all relying on its success for their employment, and unlikely to choose to ship their jobs someplace else.  Second, they’ve codified their commitment to regional sourcing and regional sales in their bylaws, and made those bylaws very difficult to change.  Rather than getting big and getting bought out by a larger corporation with, perhaps, a stronger commitment to their shareholders’ profits than to our local economy, Real Pickles has strengthened their commitment to our region while restructuring their ownership.

Real Pickles’ action reminds me of a courageous step taken by another Franklin County business more than a decade ago.  In 1998, a group of Franklin County dairy farmers decided to form a co-op and market their own milk to local consumers, becoming Our Family Farms.  They introduced the milk by giving out lots of free samples, explaining that it came from their own farms, right down the road.  There wasn’t much fanfare then about locally grown food, but the response was clear: the milk was delicious, and local residents understood that supporting businesses in their own communities benefitted the local economy.  Many farmers and farm advocates in the region took notice.  At CISA, when we started the Be a Local Hero, Buy Locally Grown campaign the following year, Our Family Farms’ success gave us confidence that the campaign would resonate here in the Pioneer Valley.  CISA is now celebrating our 20th anniversary, and the founding of Our Family Farms was a critical milestone on the road to the Local Hero campaign and the explosion of interest in local food and farms.

I expect that Real Pickles’ decision to form a worker co-op—and the campaign for investors which will finance the shift in ownership—will play a similarly important role in the growth of our local food system.  Growth and success can lead to a renewed commitment to our region and the health of its farms, workers, and local economy.  And as residents of this region, some of us can do more than applaud and eat pickles:  we can finance this growth from within our own community.

For more information about Real Pickles’ co-op investment campaign, visit www.realpickles.com/invest.

Tagged: CISA, CO-OPERATIVES, farmers, LOCAL, Real Pickles, REGIONAL, SOCIAL MISSION, WORKER CO-OPERATIVES

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Join our team! Real Pickles is seeking a highly qu Join our team! Real Pickles is seeking a highly qualified individual who is inspired by our mission and interested in exploring worker-ownership in our co-op to fill the role of Sales Representative & Marketing Assistant.
The Sales Representative & Marketing Assistant supports Real Pickles sales and marketing efforts by maintaining strong customer relationships, promoting brand awareness, and ensuring excellent customer service.
This role involves a balance of inside and outside sales, customer support, marketing content development, and occasional participation in public events and product demonstrations.
We’re looking for a proactive, detail-oriented individual with strong communication skills and a passion for organic and local food.
See full job description and how to apply at realpickles.com/jobs — link in bio!

#RealPickles #coopjobs #westernmassjobs #joinourteam #workerowned
We’re honored to receive this year’s local bus We’re honored to receive this year’s local business Austin Miller Co-op Hero Award! 
Thank you to @rivervalleycoop for the generous recognition and for hosting such a heartwarming event last week. We’re proud to be part of a vibrant community of co-ops, farmers, and change makers working toward a just, sustainable, and resilient local food system.

Repost from @rivervalleycoop
•
Thank you to all who attended and worked at our 2025 Strawberry Ice Cream Social Fundraiser. It was a wonderful evening on June 12th at our Easthampton store, celebrating the start of the local summer harvest season and supporting the Center for New Americans. Nearly 800 people attended this patio party throughout the evening, purchasing burgers, grilled corn on the cob, salads, and Strawberry Ice Cream Sundaes. This resulted in raising a total of $10,953 for the Center for New Americans. This is a record high for this fundraising patio party! 

🍓 Read more of RVC’s 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘄𝗯𝗲𝗿𝗿𝘆 𝗜𝗰𝗲 𝗖𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗺 𝗦𝗼𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 + 𝗔𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗻 𝗠𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗿 𝗔𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗱𝘀 recap by visiting the link in their bio 🍓

@cnaforimmigrants 
#foodcoops #communitylove #supportforimmigrants #strongertogether
🌈🥒 Rain or shine, Real Pickles shows up with 🌈🥒 Rain or shine, Real Pickles shows up with PRIDE! We had an amazing time marching in the Franklin County Pride parade this weekend — umbrellas, ponchos, and all. Thanks to everyone who came out to celebrate love, community, and inclusion with us! And thank you to the amazing team at @franklincountypride for working so hard and making this event happen! 
🤍🩷🩵🤎🖤❤️🧡💛💚💙💜
#RealPickles #pride
✨We’re a finalist!✨ Real Pickles Organic Sau ✨We’re a finalist!✨
Real Pickles Organic Sauerkraut just earned a spot as a finalist in the Pickle Category of @goodfoodfdn’s 15 Years of Good Food Awards.
This special Community Choice edition of the Good Food Awards honors past winners that continue to set the standard for taste, craftsmanship and responsible production. For the first time ever, the good food loving public had a say, submitting over 8,000 ballots to support their favorite producers.
We’re honored to be recognized alongside so many exceptional crafters—and we couldn’t have done it without you!
Winners will be announced, June 28 at Good Food Mercantile NYC.
#goodfoodfdn #goodfoodawards #15yearsofgoodfood #realpickles #packedwithamission #organic #sauerkraut
We are looking forward to celebrating a “Taste o We are looking forward to celebrating a “Taste of River Valley” tomorrow, Friday May 16th, at River Valley Co-op in Easthampton, Ma. 
Derek will be teaming up with our friends from Mi Tierra and Kitchen Garden Farm for a tasty collaboration! If you’re in the area don’t miss it! 

@rivervalleycoop #localfood #coop
Organic Red Napa Cabbage is back! This seasonal sm Organic Red Napa Cabbage is back! This seasonal small-batch ferment brings a vibrant pop of ruby color and bold, savory crunch. Crafted with red Napa cabbage, purple daikon, fresh ginger and Atlantic sea vegetables - it’s a tangy, nutrient-packed flavor that elevates any plate. Get it before it’s gone! 🌊🥬💜
#organic #realpickles #northeastgrown #fermented #packedwithamission

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