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Real Pickles

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

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Home / Community Investment Campaign

Community Investment Campaign

May 2013

Thanks to support from our community – We’ve gone co-op!

Real Pickles is re-writing the standard storyline for a successful organic food business: We’re staying small, independent & locally-owned. We’re securing our social mission for the long-term. We’ve become a worker-owned co-operative! (Read more about it on our blog.)

We are proud to report that in 2013, as part of our plan for transitioning Real Pickles to a worker-owned co-operative,  we launched a community investment campaign and successfully raised $500,000 in investments (in only 2 months!).

We want to extend a heartfelt THANK YOU to the 77 individuals and organizations throughout MA and VT who chose to make an investment – and to countless others for your invaluable words of wisdom and encouragement. We’re so appreciative of all the many ways in which our community has made it possible for Real Pickles to take this exciting step.

Our official transition to a worker-owned cooperative happened May 9th, 2013 … Hurray!!

Interested in other investment opportunities?

It’s become clear in the course of this campaign that there is a significant and growing interest in investing locally and responsibly. We think this is a hugely important trend and want to let you know about some other organizations offering opportunities in our region these days:

  • Equity Trust
  • Cooperative Fund of New England
  • Common Capital‘s Community First Fund
  • Co-op Power

Also, Western MA folks interested in local investing opportunities should keep tabs on the Slow Money Pioneer Valley Chapter, a working group of PVGrows. Their mission: “The Slow Money Pioneer Valley Chapter catalyzes community-based investment in the local food system by connecting investors, farmers and entrepreneurs in order to strengthen our local and regional food economy.”

A special thanks to Cutting Edge Capital for their extensive help in developing our community investment campaign. They are assisting many businesses in raising capital from their local communities.

Want to read more?

Here’s a list of posts that have been written during our process and transition. Enjoy!

  • Oct 9, 2012: We’re going co-op! (Dan and Addie Rose)
  • Dec 12, 2012: Why I want to be a worker-owner… again (Kristin Howard)
  • Mar 16, 2013: A community perspective: Keeping it Local! (Margaret Christie)
  • Apr 8, 2013: A community perspective: Investing in a better food system! (PV Slow Money Chapter)
  • Aug 15, 2013: Real Pickles and the Path to a Co-operative Economy (Erbin Crowell)
  • May 13, 2014: One Year as a Co-op (Kristin Howard)

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Exciting news!!! 🎉 Real Pickles has been named a 2 Exciting news!!! 🎉 Real Pickles has been named a 2026 Manufacturer of the Year by the Massachusetts Legislature’s Manufacturing Caucus!

Last week Kate and Kristin traveled to Gillette Stadium in Foxborough to receive the award. Senator Jo Comerford nominated Real Pickles to represent her district and we’re honored to have been selected!

We were also excited to welcome Senator Comerford and her District Director, Elena Cohen, to our Greenfield facility where they got a firsthand look at our fermentation and packing processes and had a chance to meet with our team.

As we celebrate 25 years in business, this award is especially meaningful. From the beginning, Real Pickles has been committed to building a stronger regional food system by sourcing organic vegetables from Northeast farms, making nourishing, naturally fermented foods and creating a business rooted in worker ownership and shared values.

We’re proud to continue growing our business, supporting local farmers and investing in a more sustainable future. We’re truly grateful to Senator Comerford and the Manufacturing Caucus for recognizing our work and celebrating the important role of local manufacturers and worker-owned businesses in Massachusetts! 💚
We love the varied colors of the foliage this autu We love the varied colors of the foliage this autumn season, and our line of healthy, delicious ferments is just as colorful! Real Pickles' natural fermentation process preserves the nutrients and bright colors of our Northeast-grown veggies. Add some vibrant Organic Beets and Ginger Carrots to a salad or include Turmeric Kraut in your next rice bowl for a pop of color and warmth. It's fun to play with your food when it's this good for you! #locallygrown #RealPickles #FermentedAndRaw
More Co-op Month fun! Yesterday Real Pickles' Gene More Co-op Month fun! Yesterday Real Pickles' General Manager Kristin Howard joined other local co-op leaders for a roundtable discussion at @rivervalleycoop in Easthampton. They discussed the impact co-operatives are having in the Pioneer Valley and beyond with WHMP's Bill Newman and co-host Brian Adams. Listen to the conversation on the WHMP Talk the Talk podcast https://whmp.com/podcasts/co-operative-co-operatives/ 
#coopmonth #RealPickles #BuiltForThisMoment 
Pictured L-R Kristin Howard, Larissa Demos from @flatironcoop, Will Savitri from @pvsquaredsolar and Caitlin von Schmidt from @franklincoop Link in bio!
Happy Co-op Month! As a worker-owned co-operative, Happy Co-op Month! As a worker-owned co-operative, Real Pickles is proud to be preserving our strong social mission, empowering staff to direct the future of our business, and creating great local jobs with shared profits. We treat each other and the ferments we make with care and co-op love! #CoopMonth #PackedWithAMission #BuiltForThisMoment #CoopLove #RealPickles
What a FUN weekend! Thanks to everyone who braved What a FUN weekend! Thanks to everyone who braved the nor'easter and came out to the North Quabbin Garlic and Arts Festival! Even with the wind and rain we had a blast meeting you all and sharing our garlicky ferments. Endless thanks to the organizers and volunteers @garlicandarts for all their hard work and perseverance through the wild weather. See you next year! #RealPickles #weatherornot #garliclovers #garlicandartsfestival
Big news for garlic lovers! You won't start seeing Big news for garlic lovers! You won't start seeing them at your local market until after next week, but you can find this season's fresh batch of Organic Garlic Dill Pickles at the North Quabbin Garlic and Arts Festival in Orange MA this weekend! Rain or shine, come see us Saturday and Sunday from 10am to 5pm and get your garlic on! #RealPickles #garlicandartsfestival #garliclovers #westernma #localart

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info@realpickles.com

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