Our Story

The Fermentista crafts sauerkraut and seasonal fermented vegetables using fresh produce from local farms and time-honored fermentation methods. All our products are naturally raw, gluten-free, vegan, and made at each produce's seasonal peak.

The Fermentista is a woman-owned small business preserving local seasonal bounty through fermentation. The owner, Sarah, combines her Microbiology degree, culinary school certificate, restaurant experience, and deep respect for local farmers to transform seasonal produce into delicious and nutritious fermented treats. In addition to traditional sauerkraut, we use a variety of seasonal vegetables to craft many other fermented seasonal specialties like pickles, hot sauce, salsa, leeks, radishes, turnips, and so many more.

We've been in business since 2019, currently serving ten farmers markets across the Portland metro area. During peak season we purchase up to 500 pounds of locally grown vegetables each week, reinvesting thousands of dollars annually back into our regional food system.

All products are made in our certified commercial kitchen at Cultured Kindness (1217 SE Stark St, Portland 97214) and inspected by the Oregon Department of Agriculture.

Our Process

We use lactic acid fermentation to make everything we do. This is the original pickling method and has been an essential part of healthy human diets throughout the world for thousands of years. The process relies on beneficial cultures, similar to those used to make yogurt or sourdough bread, to break down natural sugars in the vegetables and produce lactic acid.

Our fermentation begins with fresh, local vegetables, along with their healthy soil cultures to start a wild fermentation. We wash, chop, salt, and season the veggies and let the magic happen over days, weeks, or months depending on the vegetable. We taste every batch to determine when it tastes just right.

Our Mission

We're committed to supporting a regional, organic food system that is diverse and sustainable. By purchasing exclusively from small local farms and selling only at Portland area farmers markets, we help strengthen the local food economy and reduce our environmental impact. We believe in keeping things aggressively seasonal, which means our offerings change based on what our partner farmers have in abundance. This approach helps reduce food waste while providing our customers with the freshest, most flavorful products possible. 

Thanks for checking us out! See you at a market soon!