At Hosta Hill, we’re not just fermenters, we’re farmers, too!  We began our business with our hands in the soil, growing the cabbage, peppers, and other ingredients for our ferments right down the road from our commercial kitchen in West Stockbridge, Massachusetts. The idea of Field to Ferment was born out of our relationship to agriculture and the desire to produce the highest quality ferments from vegetables we grew ourselves.

Over the course of several seasons, we grew thousands of pounds of vegetables using organic farming methods that emphasized crop diversity and soil health. Our co-founder Abe even converted an Allis Chalmers G Tractor to run on electricity, which we proudly used for much of our cultivation.

In 2018, with a baby on the way and a new commercial kitchen in place, we decided to focus fully on fermenting vegetables while preserving the integrity of our ingredients sourcing through strong farmer partnerships in the region.

Today, Field to Ferment remains alive for us through the direct support of farmers in Massachusetts and New England. Our experience as farmers gives us unique insight into the specific challenges faced by independent organic vegetable growers in the Northeast United States. While we might not be growing our own produce right now, we remain committed to supporting those who do it on our behalf.

Learn more about the farmers we work here.