Craft Fermentary
Much of our “Craft” is in the Cultivation.
Soil is the foundation for everything we do… and it shows.
Our Approach
The focus and drive at Kres is different. We pride ourselves on growing nutrient-dense plants but you won't find our fresh veggies and local exotics at the farmers’ market. Instead, produce is cultivated and harvested by Kres Farm and delivered to our commercial kitchen for processing.
We think this distinction is a good thing. As Grower - Fermenter, we aim to strengthen the local food system by broadening year-round access to healthy functional foods. Our traditionally preserved ferments are unpasteurized and will keep in the fridge for months. This is our way of capturing seasonal deliciousness and contributing to healthy communities, year-round.
Our Guiding Principles
REGENERATIVE AGRICULTURE
Successful fermentation begins in our soil. Our ferments are powered by naturally occurring microbiology freely found on the surfaces of fruits and vegetables. Ecological stewardship is the foundation for healthy plants... and for WILD fermentation.
THE BEST RAW INGREDIENTS
Our happy vegetables are sustainably grown in a healthy ecosystem free of synthetic chemicals, pesticides and sprays. Harvested at the peak of freshness, we process almost immediately. This means very little waste or nutrient loss and LOTS of FLAVOR!
AUTHENTIC FERMENTATION
Our ancestors understood that important chemical changes occur during fermentation; nature can't be rushed. Our ferments are allowed to progress spontaneously so that key biological and chemical transformations can be fully realized. This is how flavor, vitamins, enzymes, phytonutrients and antioxidants, naturally unfold.
FRESHNESS PRESERVED
We believe lacto-fermentation is an artisanal craft. A time-tested preservation method that offers the best culinary experience and the highest nutritional benefit when produced in small quantities. Our products & ingredients may change, but our core processes are solidly rooted in quality and cultural heritage.
Our Story
We're not here to follow trends — we're here to build something timeless. With a blend of creativity, wild inspiration, and an ecological sense of place, we bring foods to life. Every ferment is an opportunity to learn, grow, and create something meaningful. We treat nature like a partner and our work like craft. Between regenerative agriculture, local food preservation, and healthy communities; we’ve mobilized our passions in Kres!
Guided by our love of food, nature and science we experimented with vegetable fermentation recipes from around the world. What we discovered was a highly-reliable preservation method that transcended geography and ethnic cuisines. Adventurous flavors created by combining different vegetables, fruits, herbs and spices left us wanting more. Our initial trial centered on a Slovene-inspired kraut with garlic, apples and juniper berries, a hat tip to my heritage. Many more inspirations would follow including expeditions into fermented condiments. A favorite (not yet produced for market) is Meyer lemons preserved Moroccan-style. I can assure you, once you’ve made hummus with lacto-fermented lemons you will crave it forever!
From the beginning, every fruit and vegetable we fermented came from our own gardens. As our research and fermentation trials progressed, a special relationship emerged between growing techniques and the flavors and textures that ensued during fermentation. With each recipe it became more apparent that terroir and microbial diversity was driving flavor! Those indigenous soil food web communities that thrive in healthy biological soils also live on the surfaces of fruits and vegetables immensely contributing to the fermentation process; a natural generator for wild fermentation. A business model was conceived.
With that, we leaped into the world of regenerative food cultivation. Our learning curve was steep and ongoing but in spite of our set-backs, we had just as many successes propelling us forward. At Kres Farm we’ve expanded our production space considerably with a heated greenhouse, high-tunnels, orchard, raised beds and row cropping. Throughout this expansion, we stayed true to our vision and core values:
Nurture and protect native Soil Food Web microbiology,
Boost intrinsic plant resilience,
Avoid synthetic fertilizers, pesticides and sprays, and
Always be working to advance soil health and ecosystem diversity
Today Kres Kitchen prepares unique recipes using seasonal fruits and vegetables. We process and ferment in small batches in a commercial kitchen that is quality inspected. We pride ourselves on using organic and naturally-grown ingredients in our products because this is where our biological co-creators, lactobacilli and others, thrive. We use the highest-quality mineral salts to help our fermentative ecology grow and manage oxidative stress. We source first from our own regenerative farm and then supplement (primarily cabbage and fruits) from other local growers. We are committed to minimizing waste by composting all of our kitchen scraps and garden debris back into our soil. As part of our drive towards sustainability, we launched a community-supported glass recycling program with clearly-defined mechanisms to share the savings with loyal participants.
An ecologically-minded business, we give back!
We enjoy sharing our thinking on the many benefits of lacto-fermented vegetables with our community of fellow processors, foodies and individuals/families. We are so grateful for YOU, our supporters - learning with us, collaborating with us and enthusiastically exploring the complex flavors and range of nutrients that wild fermentation offers. We listen carefully to your comments and critiques; valuable info as we work to become better fermenters. Thank you for your kindness, for your generosity, and most importantly, for your TRUST. We feel privileged to produce foods that intersect both culinary enjoyment and lifestyle health! It is important to us that our krauts are locally accessible to all who want them; this is the beacon for our business moving forward.
Grow wild. Eat wild. Be well!
Women in Agriculture
If you're attuned to the world of soil health, you know that “Earth School” lost a profoundly influential woman leader in February, 2026.
Dr Ingham leaves behind an incredible body of work – now manifested in those of us who studied and learned with her. The splendor of her influence lives on in real change; places around the world where human-driven degradation turned vast amounts of living soil into dead dirt… and human stewardship is now reversing the consequences using the fundamentals she imparted. Life-giving strategies -- happening now across the globe.
As a Registered Nurse and owner of a women-operated agricultural and food business, Dr Ingham’s work resonates beyond soil. Her approach to natural systems reconnects our ancestral pathways: Soil >> Nutrition >> Health. Humans are meant to replenish our own gut microbes by consuming plants grown in biologically active, healthy soil. This is the essence of her work, the foundation for wild fermentation and the driver behind every product Kres Kitchen makes.
“Nature does not need humans, humans are entirely dependent on the biological health of soil for our survival.” Much love and respect to Dr Elaine for ensuring this evolutionary truth will never fade out.