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Real Pickles

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

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Home / Our Story

Our Story

Real Pickles is a worker co-operative working to change the food system by making pickles!  It all started when Dan Rosenberg began making traditional pickles in 1999 after attending a workshop at a Northeast Organic Farming Association conference. Excited about the benefits of locally grown food, he started pickling cabbage, turnips, greens, and other vegetables as a way to eat locally throughout the winter. Dan also got inspired by the work of Dr. Weston A. Price, a researcher who traveled the world in the 1920s and 30s studying the diets of indigenous peoples and who found that those eating traditional diets enjoyed a high level of health completely unknown in industrialized societies.

Dan quickly became devoted to the craft of traditional pickling and, two years later, decided to go into business.  The idea was to create a small company focused on building a better food system.  As one of a tiny handful of businesses producing raw, fermented vegetables, Real Pickles would offer an important and nourishing food that was largely missing from the food system. This new business would also be committed to local/regional food and organic agriculture.  Real Pickles would buy its vegetables only from Northeast organic farms and sell its products only within the Northeast.

Real Pickles launched in 2001, purchasing 1,000 pounds of certified organic pickling cucumbers from Chamutka Farm, and successfully selling its inaugural batches of Organic Dill Pickles to a couple dozen local stores. The following season, Real Pickles began operating out of the Western Massachusetts Food Processing Center in Greenfield, a business incubator kitchen created to boost the local agricultural economy by providing a venue for making value-added foods with local farm ingredients.  At the Food Processing Center, Dan – soon joined by Addie Rose Holland – was able to steadily grow the business, adding products like Organic Sauerkraut and Organic Ginger Carrots, and expanding sales to stores in the Boston area and then elsewhere around the region.

By 2009, Real Pickles had outgrown the incubator kitchen, and we were ready to make the leap to our own home.  We purchased a century-old industrial building in Greenfield, MA and transformed it into a solar-powered, energy-efficient, organic pickling facility.  The move allowed us to expand significantly, tripling our purchases from local farms in the years following.  We look forward to staying here for many years to come.

Meanwhile, we’ve demonstrated that there is a real and growing demand for raw, fermented vegetables and that a business as deeply committed to social responsibility as ours can work!  In 2013, we turned to preserving our social mission for the long term and – following a successful community investment campaign – took the exciting step of transitioning Real Pickles to a worker co-operative.  We are proud to join the ranks of other co-operatives that are supporting local ownership, workplace democracy, and contributing to the co-operative economy!

Read more about Real Pickles

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

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