Olive My Pickle started in 2010 in Florida, using fermentation techniques the owner’s grandparents mastered in Israel. Today the small company’s pickles are on store shelves like Whole Foods. Check out their feature on ABC.

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Should fermented foods be on the food pyramid? This scientist says yes, fermented foods should be the 5th category. Researcher Gregor Reid: “The point of the…expansion is that people are much more aware of the benefits of beneficial microbes.”

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Further evidence of the ancient roots of fermentation: archaeologists found 8,000 year old wine from the early Neolithic period, the oldest evidence of fermented grapes ever discovered.

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Want to ramp up production? Look up! Silicon Valley startup Plenty Farms scored the largest ag-tech investment in history ($200 million in July) for their inventive farming warehouse. Produce grows upwards in towers under LED lamps.

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Oregon-based Humm Kombucha , one of the largest kombucha sellers in the country, is expanding to the East Coast. Humm currently makes 1 million bottles of kombucha each month, and is expecting to grow its production with the addition of the Virginia facility.

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The New York Times highlights gut health research in a fascinating piece on the secrets of the the microbiome. From the article: “A diet more heavily based on plants — that is, fruits and vegetables — may result in a microbiome containing a wider range of healthful organisms. In studies, mice that had a microbiota preconditioned by the typical American diet did not respond as healthfully to a plant-based diet.”

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Travel Oregon: The Game

The classic game Oregon Trail got a makeover — and the modernized equipment store sells Kombucha now. Take a look at the remake of this ’70s classic via the Travel Oregon website.

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60% of food startups are using crowdfunding to launch their business. Many offer product trade for funding.

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Only 10% of food startups succeed. What’s the entrepreneurial secret? Make your product stand out in a crowded marketplace, and focus on building a brand not a product.

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A former nutrition consultant, the chief brewer at Canadian kombucha business Pop Culture Brew Company says she saw first-hand how digestive disorders are linked to mental health issues. She calls the kombucha startup a “health and happiness movement.”

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