• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Real Pickles

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

  • About
    • Our Mission
    • Our Farmers
    • Our Co-operative
    • Our Story
    • Our Facility
  • Products
    • Products & Webstore
    • Store Finder
    • FAQ
    • Recipes
  • Fermentation
    • Fermentation Process
    • Health Benefits
  • What’s New?
    • Ferment Blog
      Voices from Real Pickles
    • News
    • Press
Home / Ferment Blog / Fermenting Workplace Democracy

Posted October 15, 2019 by Lucy Kahn

Fermenting Workplace Democracy

Red and purple

As a worker-owner at Real Pickles, I’m excited that my work exists at the intersection of two of my passions: building a just food system, and building co-operative economies. There is plenty of work to do at that intersection, and we are not alone as we do it. We have powerful historical examples of cooperatives of all kinds working to transform the food system (shout-out to the Federation of Southern Cooperatives, to name one of my inspirations). Right now, there are a growing number of worker co-ops starting up in our local food scene in western Massachusetts. In the last year, we have seen The Compost Cooperative launch in Greenfield, creating living wage, ownership-track jobs for formerly incarcerated people. The Pioneer Valley Workers Center is laying the groundwork for a worker co-op farm, where farm workers can bring their experience farming in the Northeast and Central America to collective farm ownership. October is National Co-op Month, the perfect time to celebrate and support these co-ops who are working towards a just transition.

Workshop speakersThis summer, Real Pickles got the chance to share the stage with two other Massachusetts-based worker co-ops who share another, even more specific, intersection with us: fermentation and workplace democracy. At the Boston Fermentation Festival, we were part of the “Fermenting Workplace Democracy” panel, alongside Danielle Robidoux from Equal Exchange and James Razsa from Democracy Brewing. We represent three different ages of worker co-ops, and we work in different parts of the food web. Greg Brodsky, founder of Start.Coop, who moderated the panel, led us through a Q&A that demystified what it means to be a worker co-op and what fermentation and workplace democracy have in common. We found many similarities in our co-ops, like how owners make decisions together, and how profits are shared.

Of the three worker co-ops on the panel, Equal Exchange is the most senior and the largest. For more than thirty years, Equal Exchange has been building fair trade supply chains by partnering with small farmers who grow and ferment coffee, tea, and chocolate. Because many of Equal Exchange’s farm partners are organized as farmer co-ops, they remind me that the movement of co-ops in the food system is global, not just local. On the panel, we discussed how food brands often grow so they can “sell out,” or get bought by larger companies; instead, Real Pickles and Equal Exchange are independent businesses owned by our workers, and our growth benefits our workers, communities, and partners instead of corporate CEOs and shareholders. Equal Exchange was one of the co-ops that supported Real Pickles during our conversion to a worker co-op, as they have supported so many other co-ops globally.

Opened on July 4th, 2018, Democracy Brewing is a brewery and pub located in downtown Boston. They created a worker co-op and signature beer recipes from scratch, and their beers’ names give pub-goers a lesson in Boston’s activist history, like the 1919 Strike Stout. On the panel, James Razsa talked about the challenges of raising capital when starting the business. One of the tools they used to raise the money they needed was a direct public offering, just as Real Pickles did in 2013 to finance our conversion to a worker co-op. Both Real Pickles and Democracy Brewing are raising the bar for jobs in the food system, where low wages and poor working conditions are often, unfortunately, the norm. In terms of wages, both our co-ops have kept ahead of the statewide minimum wage raises, and Real Pickles offers health insurance and a generous paid time off benefit. In terms of building engaged, democratic workplaces, James and I compared stories about how we run our kitchens differently as co-ops, and what it sounds like when our crews make decisions together.

We send a big thank you to the Boston Fermentation Festival organizers for giving us a chance to gather with other worker co-op fermenters and explore these connections! Check out the video of the panel to learn more.

Reader Interactions

Trackbacks

  1. Democracy Brewing – cooperative.co says:
    October 25, 2022 at 3:08 pm

    […] Real Pickles  – Celebrating Co-op Month: Fermenting Workplace Democracy (2019) […]

    Reply

Primary Sidebar

  • Ferment Blog
    Voices from Real Pickles
  • News
  • Press

Tags

cabbage CISA CLIMATE CHANGE CO-OPERATIVES COMMUNITY corporate food system cucumbers decentralization diversity EQUITABLE farmers Ferment fermentation fermented pickles food as a right Good Food Awards health health benefits investing LOCAL mud NEW ECONOMY Occupy Wall Street Old Friends Farm organic PEOPLE-CENTERED PEOPLE POWER pickle posse pickles Real Pickles recipes REGIONAL RESILIENCY sauerkraut SLOW MONEY small business SOCIAL CHANGE SOCIAL MISSION SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY stocking up sustainable tasting turmeric turmeric kraut WORKER CO-OPERATIVES
Fermented foods make delicious, nutrient-rich snac Fermented foods make delicious, nutrient-rich snacks and bring a little vibrant color to these cold January days! Make a quick and easy treat by adding a healthy serving of your favorite Real Pickles ferment to avocado and your favorite toasted bread.
Garnish with sprouts, radish and sesame seeds like these beauties, or finish as you wish! #realpickles #packedwithamission #lactofermentation #avocadotoast #superbowlsnacks #organic #raw #pickles #kraut #recipeideas 

Photo by @clarebarboza
Bread by @riseabove_413
On the shortest and darkest day of the year, may y On the shortest and darkest day of the year, may you be cozy and warm with ferments aplenty, and may the light of the Winter Solstice shine on you! 

#wintersolstice #RealPickles #ferments #organic #kraut #sauerkraut #northeastgrown #fermentedandraw
Still looking for that perfect gift? How about som Still looking for that perfect gift?
How about something that supports regional organic farms, creates meaningful jobs in our community, and is super delicious?! Consider a few jars of Real Pickles ferments or a super cozy organic cotton tee! Check out the store locator on our website to find the Northeast store closest to you, or order a 4 jar sampler, some colorful merch, or a Real Pickles gift certificate on our webstore!
Link in profile. 

#RealPickles #PackedWithAMission
#FermentedAndRaw #organic #giftgiving #shoplocal #supportregionalfarms
It’s carrot day at Real Pickles and we’re havi It’s carrot day at Real Pickles and we’re having lots of fun processing these gorgeous, vibrant carrots from Brookford Farm! Such beauties! 
#organic #northeastgrown #carrots #ferments  @brookfordfarm
Looking for a new way to enjoy your favorite Real Looking for a new way to enjoy your favorite Real Pickles ferments? Check out this colorful, mouth watering post by @hawthorncleansebuds - 
and tag us with your recipe ideas! 

Posted @withrepost • 
Let the RAINBOW ROLLING begin 🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈💫😋👏

Check the goodness at last nights RR station: 

arugula, baked tofu, rice noodles with lemon and hemp seeds, sautéed lions mane/ cremini and caramelized onions, turmeric japanese sweet potatoes, cilantro, sesame seeds, avos, calendula flowers, lemon and chocolate mint. 

Fermented loves ginger carrots, red kraut and kimchi @realpickles 

Tahini lemon maple dressing 
Peanut soy honey allium dipping

#RealPickles #organic #fermentedandraw
Real Pickles is seeking a well-qualified individua Real Pickles is seeking a well-qualified individual to join our team as a Sales Representative. We are looking for someone with a strong interest in organic food, Real Pickles’ mission and a desire to explore worker-ownership in our co-op. See details on how to apply and full job description at realpickles.com/jobs - link in bio! 

#RealPickles #coopjobs #organic #sales #werehiring

Footer

Contact

311 Wells St
Greenfield, MA 01301
(413) 774-2600
info@realpickles.com

Connect

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter

Join Our Email List!

Co-operative Enterprise Logo
USDA Certified Organic
Good Food Awards Winner
NOFA Mass member badge

Site Design by Ajitate · Photography by Valley Lightworks, Clare Barboza and others · Artwork by Emi Lynn Holler
Real Pickles® © 2023