ESTABLISHED BRAND: Farmhouse Culture is the number-one selling fermented foods company in the US, with $15 million in annual sales, and its products are available at more than 4,500 stores (including every Whole Foods in the country).

CREDENTIALED AUTHOR TEAM: Kathryn has lectured and taught fermentation classes all over the world and has been interviewed for numerous articles in print and online. Two of the most respected and best-selling books on fermentation—The Art of Fermentation and Fermented Vegetables—feature interviews with Kathryn and recount the Farmhouse Culture story. Shane has coauthored two best-selling books on fermentation in Scandinavia: Fermentering and Fermentering 2.0.

APPROACHABLE: Fermented foods are well established in health-conscious and foodie communities, but many store-bought fermented products are expensive. This book demystifies an intimidating cooking method, empowering home cooks to add gut-healthy foods to their diets.

KATHRYN LUKAS worked in the restaurant business for more than 23 years—as a cook, private chef, manager, and food and beverage director—before starting Farmhouse Culture, the top fermented foods company in the U.S. She holds a bachelor’s degree in humanities from the New College, where she wrote her thesis on pre-corporate food traditions. She learned to cook classically in Stuttgart, Germany, where she owned a restaurant for three years and had her first taste of “fresh” kraut. When she returned home to her native California, Kathryn learned how to ferment through a natural chef culinary program. Kathryn has also been involved with Slow Food since 2005 and was a 2010 co-chair of Slow Food Santa Cruz. SHANE PETERSON is an expert fermentologist with nearly ten years’ experience. As production manager for Farmhouse Culture, he oversaw the large-scale production of kraut and kimchi. Later, working alongside Kathryn in innovation and product development, he co-created Farmhouse Culture’s three newest award-winning lines: Gut Punch, Fermented Vegetables, and Kraut Krisps. He has led numerous fermentation workshops here and abroad, and even helped launch Denmark’s first kombucha company.

Author Residence: Watsonville, CA