We are thrilled to welcome four new member-owners into our co-operative! K Adler, Gillis MacDougall, Amy Leprade and Victor Signore have joined fourteen other member-owners, raising the percentage of co-op members to 73% of all staff at Real Pickles! We strive to create good local jobs with shared profits that empower staff to direct the future of the business. Vegetable coordinator Victor Signore says he is “excited to be a part of something that is having a positive effect in supporting our local agriculture, local economy and our community. Being a worker-owner means that I can help shape the future of Real Pickles”. Amy Leprade, production and shipping assistant, adds, “What excites me the most (about becoming a member-owner at Real Pickles) is the opportunity to build alliances with like-minded people, which can help shape the kind of community I wish to live in.” Fermentation coordinator K Adler says, “It feels fulfilling to be participating in a process that has a history to be admired and a future that is attainable.” Production assistant Gillis MacDougall is the company’s youngest co-op member at 18 years old. He says that Real Pickles has played an important role throughout his life and it made sense to him to become a member-owner. Real Pickles is proud to be part of the co-operative movement to build and strengthen democratic economies throughout the local community and beyond.
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Real Pickles Annual Report FY’21
We invite you to take a look at our FY’21 Annual Report highlighting some of our work toward building a stronger and more just food system in the past year. In the report, you’ll find details on our handling of the pandemic and how we supported our staff throughout, while also making good and healthy food available to our customers. We also share news on our newest building project to increase our resilience, an exciting community award, our TWO new worker owners, and our commitment to racial justice. Check it Out Here>>
Two Good Food Awards!
On Friday January 17th, Real Pickles co-owners Annie Winkler and Greg Nichols accepted Good Food Award medals for our Organic Beet Kvass and Organic Nettle Kraut! The San Francisco ceremony was hosted by renowned farm labor activist Dolores Huerta, food author Michael Pollan, and chef Alice Waters. The Good Food Awards recognizes American food and drink crafters who demonstrate both a mastery of their craft and a commitment to maintaining exceptionally high social and environmental standards in their work.
A timely example of Real Pickles’ commitment to responsible food is our recent 31-kW solar array which, installed beside our existing 17-kW array, makes our facility 100% solar powered. “Environmental sustainability and strong regional food systems are at the core of our mission,” says Dan Rosenberg, founder and general manager. “We are always seeking ways to reduce our carbon emissions, increase our use of renewable energy, and support policies that push for climate mitigation.”Read More
Good Food Finalist (x2)!
We’re proud to announce that TWO Real Pickles products have been named Good Food Awards Finalists for 2020!! The Organic Beet Kvass and Organic Nettle Kraut both had high scores in the blind tasting competition and met the strict vetting criteria for sustainability. We’re proud to be among 307 companies in the running for a 2020 Good Food Award. With a demonstrated commitment to environmental stewardship and growing their businesses in harmony with a better food system, these outstanding crafters represent the nation’s best in delicious, sustainable fare.
2019 Annual Report
We’re excited to share several great stories of our mission-related work in our 2019 Annual Report, including our new solar array that makes us 100% solar powered! We also highlight scientific and community business collaborations, two new worker-owners, and our thoughts on a climate-resilient food system. And, our Annual Report welcomes a new crop of socially-minded investors supporting our work for a better food system! Check it out>>
Real Pickles Wins TWO Good Food Awards!!
We are so excited to share the news that our Organic Garlic Dills AND our Organic Garlic Kraut received top honors at the 2019 Good Food Awards!
The winners were announced Friday January 11th at a 900-person gala at the historic San Francisco War Memorial & Performing Arts Center. The Good Food Awards recognizes American food and drink crafters who create tasty, authentic and responsible products and, in doing so, better the nation’s food system. Read More
Annual Report: Year 5 as a Co-op!!
We’ve completed our fifth year as a worker co-operative, and we are thriving! As a healthy business with nearly half of our employees engaged in ownership, we know that strong partnerships with our community are central to our success. We are deeply grateful to all our partners – the talented organic farmers who supply our top-quality ingredients, our loyal customers committed to our products and mission, our distributors who share our vision for a healthy regional food system, our community investors and lenders, and so many more. Read all about it in our latest Annual Report! >>>
Toward an Economy that Works for All
Announcing our 2017 Annual Report!! We’re excited to share some of our recent work in this past year to improve our staff wages & benefits, build local democratic ownership, and promote action on climate change. Health insurance is the big news under benefits – we’re proud to offer a plan to all staff who work 30+ hours! Read about our three newest owners, Katie, CJ, and Lucy; and about our kitchen crew member Russ, who joined us through a local jail re-entry program that supports soon-to-be released inmates returning to the workforce. There are also some great photos of our newest family members (supported by our family medical leave benefit), our participation in the Women’s and Climate Marches, and of course our new labels! We hope you enjoy… Check it out here.
People’s Climate March
We need to stand together to protect our climate, our health, and our communities. In response to Trump administration’s latest executive order that begins to repeal the Clean Power Plan and environmental protections, the Peoples Climate Movement (PCM) is demonstrating itself as a massive and wide-reaching movement in opposition to this dangerous step that puts people and the planet at grave risk. The PCM is a broad-based ground-breaking coalition of hundreds of faith-based, labor unions, 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 29th 2017 in Washington DC, and many of us were present in DC and at various locations across the region. To change everything, we need everyone! peoplesclimate.org