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Northeast Grown, 100% organic, fermented & raw pickles, sauerkraut, kimchi, kvass, and hot sauce

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Home / 2017 Annual Report

2017 Annual Report

Fiscal Year ending March 31, 2017




Download PDF – 1.9 MB








EQUITY

Front of 2017 Annual ReportLiving Wage & Benefits

We are committed to offering wages and benefits that meet the cost of living for the entire Real Pickles staff. In FY’14, we set about implementing a multi-year plan to reach this goal, and we’re proud of the progress we’ve made to date.

We’re now offering health insurance!

In January, we began offering a company-sponsored health insurance plan to all staff members working 30+ hours per week. While a major financial commitment for an organization of our size, the worker-owners chose to take this step in light of our collective view of health care as a right, not a privilege. We are thrilled to be offering this benefit to our staff.

We increased our base hourly wage to $13

This puts us halfway toward our goal of offering a $15 per hour wage to all entry level staff. Additionally, we joined Business For A Fair Minimum Wage in calling for increases to the Massachusetts minimum wage to reach $15 per hour by 2021.

Back to Work

Last summer, we began participation in a re-entry program run by Greenfield’s Franklin County jail, placing soon-to-be-released inmates in jobs with local employers. We hired Russ Lilly to join our kitchen crew, and have found him to be a highly responsible and skilled member of our staff. He was released from jail in April, and we are glad to know that his employment at Real Pickles will be a continued part of his earnest efforts to get his life back on track. As part of a broader re-entry program, he has taken classes at a local community college on agriculture and co-operative business. This is part of a federally-funded initiative that helps inmates transition from jail to community.

Staff: (L to R) Back: Tamara McKerchie, Shannon Dry, Ian Inch, Brendan Flannelly-King, Addie Rose Holland, Tim Shuipis. Middle: Alex Kestyn, Jess Howard, Lucy Kahn, Kristin Howard, Katie Korby. Front: Ryan Frizzell, Craig King Jr., Annie Winkler, Russ Lilly, Blair Gimma, Dan Rosenberg, Andy Van Assche. Missing: Greg Nichols, Leslie Lucio, Kevin Avery.
(Welcoming Emerson, Olive, Orson, Viola, Matthew, & Ida!)

We support our employees in caring for their families through our family medical leave benefit, which has been used by six Real Pickles families over the last three years! Parents are able to take three months of leave and receive 20% of their regular pay. Our goal is to increase to 60%. Soon we’ll need a daycare too!

*http://livingwage.mit.edu/

SUSTAINABILITY

100,000 kWh of Power!

This spring, we surpassed 100,000 kWh in electricity generation from our 17 kW photovoltaic system. Installed in April 2011 by our neighbor and fellow worker co-op PV Squared, our 80 solar panels have provided over 75% of our electricity needs since that time. We are especially pleased that 65 tons of carbon dioxide to date have been kept out of the atmosphere thanks to the clean, renewable power generated by the solar array atop the Real Pickles roof!

Pushing for Action on Climate Change

To change everything, we need everyone. The People’s Climate Movement is a broad-based ground-breaking coalition of hundreds of faith-based, labor, indigenous, civil rights and environmental justice groups based around the country working together to build bold solutions that tackle climate change, rooted in economic and racial justice. Real Pickles ran a promotional campaign during spring 2017 to support The People’s Climate Mobilization on April 29, 2017 in Washington DC, and many of us were present in DC and at various locations across the region.

DEMOCRACY

Newest Worker Owners!

We are delighted to welcome three staff members onto our ownership team! Katie Korby, Lucy Kahn, and Craig King, Jr. are all dedicated members of our staff, and fill important roles in our daily operation. Katie is our fermentation manager and ensures that our products are always the highest quality. Lucy, as part of our production management team, keeps us working efficiently and safely. Craig is a key member of our production team and is also our lead shipper, making sure boxes are delivered to customers intact and on time. We are thrilled that they will help to guide the future of our business!

“Real Pickles is my first job that believes in and cares about me and my family, and I really appreciate it.
I wanted to become a Real Pickles co-op member because I love the social mission and what it stands for.
I come to work every day with the values of the social mission and I’m proud to join the worker ownership team.”

-Craig King Jr.

The Spirit of Co-operation

Real Pickles is featured in a new Visionaries documentary, “In the Spirit of Co-operation: Eight co-ops working to build a better world”. The production team came to Real Pickles during spring 2016 and spent most of a day with us, filming production and discussions between our worker-owners. It is being aired nationally on PBS stations.

Hitting the Streets

Many Real Pickles staff attended the January 2017 Women’s March in several locations across the region, including Greenfield and Boston, MA; Montpelier, VT; and Washington DC!

NUMBERS

PRODUCT & SUPPLY

Distributor Profile:
Regional Access (Ithaca, New York)

Regional Access is a key part of the supply chain for farmers and small scale producers in the Northeast, distribution wholesome regional food to retailers and restaurants in New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. The late founder, Gary Redmond, will long be remembered not only as a food system visionary but also, within Real Pickles, for his knowledge of cucumber fermentation gleaned from old time New York City pickle makers and from his own experience in commercial fermentation decades before its modern comeback. Now in its 28th year, Regional Access continues to innovate in ways that value transparency and sustainability, and Real Pickles is fortunate to have them as a partner

Farm Profile:
Harlow Farm (Westminster, Vermont)

Paul Harlow runs Harlow Farm, one of the oldest and largest organic vegetable farms in New England. Based in Westminster, VT, Paul has farmed organically since 1983 and is particularly well-known for his lettuce, beets, carrots, and kale. As one of the first certified organic farmers in the region, Paul has had a significant impact on organic vegetable farming in New England. He has long been dedicated to sharing his knowledge with aspiring organic growers, including as founder of Deep Root Organic in 1986, the first organic farmer co-operative in New England, which has played an important role in developing markets for organic growers throughout the region.

New Labels!

We are so excited that our brand new label designs are now on store shelves! As we begin our 17th year, we celebrate our deep commitment to the values on which Real Pickles was founded – healthy food, a resilient regional food system, and vibrant local and democratic economies – and we think our new labels reflect this mission. With grant help from Fair Food Fund and Massachusetts Growth Capital Corporation (through Co-operative Fund of New England), we worked locally with Ajitate Design and paper cut artist Emi Lynn Holler to produce these beautiful labels. Look out for them at your local store!

Primary Sidebar

It's Friday and time for another round of Meet the It's Friday and time for another round of Meet the Picklers! Today we would like to introduce one of the newest members of the production team, Madeline! Joining us recently from Asheville, North Carolina, Madeline brings with her many awe-inspiring stories including tales of bicycling across the country with her sweetie, Drew. The two of them biked 4,200 miles from Bar Harbor Maine to Astoria, Oregon making many new friends along the way! These days Madeline's adventures are mostly centered around her new rescue pup Luna and exploring New England. She loves working at Real Pickles and being a part of a mission-based business that is supporting local agriculture. We love that she has chosen Real Pickles as a place to call home! 

#MeetThePicklers #RealPickles #PackedWithAMission #fermentedandraw #fermented #peekbehindthemask #organic #pickles #kraut #coop #workerowned #fermentation
Looking for an easy way to add a little color and Looking for an easy way to add a little color and flavor to your morning? Try mixing in some nutrient-rich fermented veggies with your cream cheese or non-dairy spread! 
Bagels by our neighbor @riseabove_413 
Photo by @clarebarboza
#RealPickles #PackedWithAMission #WorkerOwned #fermented  #naturallyfermented #fermentation #organic #raw #kraut #pickles  #beets #carrots #cabbage #bagels #northeastgrown #recipe #breakfast
It is with great pleasure to introduce to you a Pi It is with great pleasure to introduce to you a Pickler you can’t help smiling around, meet Jess! Jess came to Real Pickles after years of doing seasonal work on vegetable farms and piecing together winter jobs. They loved the farm work but when they found Real Pickles 4 years ago they decided this was the place for them! 
Jess is a worker-owner with many important roles across each department at Real Pickles. In addition to being on our board of directors and working as a production assistant, they are also responsible for the seamless success of our shipping department, a job they make look effortless. On top of all that, Jess is also the assistant bookkeeper and a huge asset to the sales team!
If there is a birthday or an occasion to celebrate at Real Pickles, Jess makes sure to provide delicious treats that everyone can enjoy, no matter what their dietary needs are! When Jess is not at Real Pickles they are working hard at mastering the yoyo, learning to crochet small animals and collecting VHS tapes and other forms of obsolete media.
We love working with Jess and appreciate all that they bring to the Real Pickles family! 

#MeetThePicklers #RealPickles #PackedWithAMission #fermentedandraw #fermented #peekbehindthemask #organic #pickles #kraut #coop #workerowned #fermentation
YUM! 😋@wheelhouse.farm has paired our Organic G YUM! 😋@wheelhouse.farm has paired our Organic Garlic Kraut with some pork belly pastrami and rosemary on top of one of our favorite bakery's sourdough! 
Reposted from @cisa_localhero:
When #localrestaurants use hand-made ingredients from other #localfarms and #smallbusinesses, that’s a win for our community and our taste buds :) 
Bread by @riseabove_413 Photo by @wheelhouse.farm

#RealPickles #PackedWithAMission #fermented #raw #organic #garlickraut #repost #beautifulfood #hyperlocal #eatlocalfood #naturallyfermented #kraut  #fermentation #northeastgrown
It's Friday which means it's time to introduce you It's Friday which means it's time to introduce you to another member of the Real Pickles team! This week we'd like you to meet Fermentation Manager and worker-owner Katie Korby. In 2011, Katie was farming and looking for a part time job that she could feel good about. She knew she had found her people when, on her first day as a production assistant, folks broke into song while sweeping the floor during cleanup! Katie took some time off when her daughter was born and to help her husband, Stoneman, of @stonemanbrewery , start his brewery in their back yard. When she returned to Real Pickles she took on the role of Fermentation Manager. Katie oversees all aspects of our fermentation process; she tests each batch, develops new recipes, and implements food safety practices and certifications. 
When Katie isn't at Real Pickles she can be found tending her gardens, raising pigs and chickens, knitting, or hanging out and probably baking something with her 6 year old daughter Maggie. Katie is also one of the musicians on staff that play live music to our fermenting vegetables on a weekly basis! Maybe that is one of her secrets for producing such wonderful ferments! 

#MeetThePicklers #RealPickles #PackedWithAMission #fermentedandraw #fermented #peekbehindthemask #organic #pickles #kraut #coop #workerowned #fermentation
@nofamass presents “Food Security for the Common @nofamass presents “Food Security for the Common Wealth” 
Friday JAN 8 - Sunday JAN 10, 2021 
Virtual workshops, intensives, keynote speeches and an online auction with amazing items (including a Real Pickles sampler) to bid on! 
Event registration: https://cvent.me/ZQZ8Nm
Auction: https://go.rallyup.com/wcauction2021

#organicfarming #organic #northeastgrown #nofa #foodsecurity #workshop #auction #fundraising

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info@realpickles.com

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