Raw, vitamin rich, and full of probiotics, traditionally lacto-fermented foods such as sauerkraut, kimchi, and brined pickles are both delicious and healthy. They are also fun and easy to make and can add great value to your farm production.

This all day class is an introduction to the theory and practice of lacto-fermentation, including the basic definitions and hands-on creation of several styles of fermented food. Michaela will address what the benefits are of creating and eating lacto-fermented foods, and will introduce the requirements of adding a fermented food product to your farm business. Then together, we will create some fermented foods for you to take home, including sauerkraut, kimchi, kombucha and ginger beer.

Michaela Hayes is a co-owner and farmer at Rise & Root Farm, a food stylist, and the founder of Crock & Jar.

She believes in helping people heal through food. Rise & Root Farm is a three-acre farm in Chester, NY, run cooperatively by four owners who are women, intergenerational, multi-racial, and LGBTQA. Rise & Root Farm encourages people to come work on the farm, get their hands in the soil, and reconnect to the land. The farm also provides sustainably grown produce and value-added products. Additionally, Michaela teaches about farming and food production, working to grow a more representative group of farmers maintaining successful businesses.

Michaela founded Crock & Jar, now a branch of Rise & Root Farm. Its mission is to support local farmers by preserving the seasons to eat locally year round. She also taught preservation methods around the country and region for organizations such as The Natural Gourmet Institute, Farm School NYC, and Whole Foods Market. Michaela was classically trained at the French Culinary Institute. She cooked for years in NYC restaurants such as Tabla, Public, and Gramercy Tavern, where she developed the pickling station. She was a Just Food trainer and co-founder of the NYC Ferments Meetup group.

As a food stylist, Michaela works in both print and film. She also develops recipes, and writes and styles the seasonal food preservation column, “Put A Lid On It,” in Sweet Paul magazine.

Her websites are: www.riseandrootfarm.com and www.michaela-hayes.com.