Our Promise
By making our kraut with locally sourced and organic ingredients, we’re offering you a unique taste of what flourishes in California. Each batch of Farmhouse Culture sauerkraut is made with care, as an authentic expression of the beautiful place where we live.
Our Story
Farmhouse Culture founder Kathryn Lukas will be the first to tell you: She’s obsessed with kraut! Her interest (and appetite) was first piqued in Germany, where she was the chef-owner of a popular neighborhood restaurant in Stuttgart for several years.
Living in Groveland and Santa Cruz, Lukas found herself inspired by the bounty of the surrounding landscapes–and longing to create a sustainable, hands-on business. During a writing sabbatical in the Sierra Nevada Foothills, Lukas remembered the fantastic krauts she’d loved in Germany, and began digging into kraut lore, legend, and history.
Before long, she had explored fermenting traditions from around the world and started developing her own recipes. Soon her kitchen counters were lined with crocks, and friends and neighbors were clamoring for kraut. She built up the business selling her krauts through Taylor Mountain’s CSA, a regional buying club, and a local farmers’ market, getting feedback from customers and exploring new flavors.
She debuted her Smoked Jalapeno kraut at Slow Food Nation in September 2008. It was such a hit, she decided to go for it and soon after found the perfect kitchen and fermentorium in the beautiful and historic Old Sash Mill near downtown Santa Cruz. Working closely with local farmers, she has created an innovative line of krauts that reflect the flavors of California.