“It’s not about me anymore. It’s about the microbes”.
Trevor Ring, owner of Community Cultures, says this reflecting on the future of his educational fermentation business. I first had the opportunity to meet Trevor during a virtual community kimchi workshop. He gently encouraged shy participants to turn on their cameras and share why they wanted to learn how to make kimchi. He intentionally connected with each workshop attendee and fostered a warm communal space in what can often be a stale, virtual setting.
A Warm and Happy Welcome to Fermentation
Trevor’s approachable teaching method put students at ease as he compassionately dispelled myths about fermentation. “We’ve gotten to this point in our culture and our food system where if you see anything that looks strange, you throw the whole thing out. That is coming from our fear of bacteria. We’re coming out of a pandemic, and there is a fear of microscopic things…And it’s totally understandable.”
The fermentation process can seem daunting, but Ring has a knack for explaining why it shouldn’t be. “I tell people to compare that to the raw vegetables you get from the store and how many outbreaks there are from Romaine lettuce or whatever. [Fermentation is] very safe, it’s something that people have been doing for thousands of years and it really entails observing and staying on top of it and tasting along the way.”
Transforming the Food System One Jar at a Time
Trevor offers affordable fermentation workshops for anyone interested in crafting things like sauerkraut, kombucha, miso, and more. Ring uses his love of fermentation as a lens for how he wants to positively impact our food system. “There’s something that’s so simple and empowering about transforming your food that way rather than pasteurizing it and sanitizing everything. You’re honoring the livelihood, or the life within the food. I just started diving into that idea and thinking about how I can bridge that with creating a business model that is also empowering people.”
Trevor became interested in food at a young age but wondered what his place would be within the food world. In what he describes as “typical millennial fashion”, he was searching for a career that allowed him to make the most positive impact. Culinary school at Paul Smith’s College taught him that he didn’t want to be a chef. Studying Sustainable Agriculture at Sterling College showed him that he didn’t want to farm.
A Look at Overseas
Immersing himself in Italy while studying abroad illuminated the many ways our current food system in the US leaves much to be desired. “I was seeing things like backyard farms and agri-tourism in Italy and how connected so many people were to their food.” The high prominence of worker-owned co-operatives and the respect that Italians had for their food inspired him to assess what he could do to create positive change back home.
These eye-opening experiences deeply impacted the way that Trevor valued food, but it was one of his closest friends at Sterling who introduced him to fermented foods. His friend Malaika gave him some kombucha to try and he was forever changed. “It was so fascinating and tangy and very different. Somehow, I got my hands on a kombucha mother and started making my own dorm-brewed kombucha in small batches.”
Beyond Just a Good Taste
Tasty benefits aside, Trevor still amazes at how much better he felt after drinking kombucha. “I’ve had digestive issues throughout my life, and I recognized that a small shot of very strong kombucha made my stomach pain go away in a few minutes and I was so amazed. Not only is it so flavorful and delicious, but it also has what I felt were like magical healing powers. I had never experienced anything like that. For the first time, through food, I actually was able to feel a difference in my pain.”
Using the art of fermentation allowed Trevor to combine his experiences in food production with his culinary skills. At South River Miso, an artisan miso company in Massachusetts, Ring spent two years honing his craft through fermenting beans and rice in the traditional Japanese style. Preparing food in the same method that humans used thousands of years ago allowed him to appreciate the art behind what he ate.
Building a Food Studies Understanding
Trevor began using his fermentation background to teach workshops, and ultimately decided to attend Chatham University’s Master of Food Studies program to expand his knowledge on the food system. The concept behind his accessible, educational fermentation business was developed during research for his thesis. “Now that I know more, I also know what might be really important,…what skills I have and what I can contribute.”
These contributions have turned into community workshop partnerships with the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh, Phipps Conservatory, and the Center for Regional Agriculture, Food and Transformation (CRAFT). Trevor also organized events like a 4-day virtual “Ferment for Food Justice” conference in 2021.
Trevor offers sliding scale pricing options for many of his classes to ensure that everyone has access to fermentational knowledge. He frequently collaborates with fermenters from all over the world to create communal spaces centered around preserving the art of fermentation. Community Cultures’ business model is all about removing barriers that community members may face when trying to learn a new skill.
Community Cultures is a Space for Everyone
I asked Trevor if there were any obstacles that impact the future of Community Cultures. “Right now I am exploring how to actually make this sustainable for me. I went full-time with my business at the end of 2023 and now I feel the pressure of making this a financially sustainable business without burning myself out. I want to find the sweet spot where I can keep my business a small operation and simply teach courses and workshops while offering seasonal fermented products to the Pittsburgh community.”
Ring believes that providing resources through food incubators, supporting worker-owned co-ops, and increasing accessibility for entrepreneurs would benefit our food system tremendously. “I think that so many people have dreams that they want to pursue and there are all these barriers.”
In the meantime, Community Cultures will continue sharing fermentation goodness with Pittsburgh and beyond. This summer, Trevor is a full-time vendor at the Bloomfield Saturday Market, offering fermented sodas, veggies, and unique fermented condiments like miso, shio koji, and chili pastes. Trevor’s soda comes packaged in a simple yet thoughtful manner that any fan of artisanal products would appreciate: swing-top bottles ripe with condensation and full of the promise of delicious flavors.
Capturing Pittsburgh in a Bottle
The flavors change nearly every week throughout the course of the market, but one thing that patrons can consistently expect is clear effervescence that is in tune with the season. “Much of [my sodas] represent the local landscape of Pittsburgh–in many ways it’s the landscape fermented and put into a bottle to let carbonate…I utilize herbs from Cutting Root Apothecary, maple syrup from Paul Family Farms, local honey, and other local farms when needed and possible.”
I had the chance to try his chamomile and hibiscus mint sodas not too long ago and was surprised by how mellow the palate-pleasing tastes were. The bubbles provide a soft tingle on the tongue that doesn’t compete with the flavors, and the level of acidity is lower than what you might normally find with kombucha.
“You might get notes of acidity, but it’s usually not harsh (which kombucha can be) and doesn’t dominate the flavor (which sometimes kombucha does). When I first started making tibicos (which is also a SCOBY-like kombucha), I completely transitioned away from making kombucha. “
How to Enjoy a Trevor Ring Soda
If you are familiar with water kefir, then you will know the calm and adaptable flavors that Trevor speaks of when referring to the tibicos culture. Future potential flavors like Holy Basil, Peach, and Paw Paw will pair perfectly with the “perfect slate” that tibicos provides. And if you’re like the rest of us at TABLE and you thought, “Wow, these flavors would be great in a cocktail” then A) you would be correct and B) we should probably be best friends. His sodas also serve as the perfect base for mixed drinks and have a great level of complexity that not much else is needed. Trevor has personally enjoyed his sodas with gin, rum and whiskey. I can personally attest that a shot of tequila is also a great addition to consider.
In terms of food pairing, Trevor has plenty of ideas on complimentary summer dishes that would go well with his sodas. “Tacos, savory sourdough pancakes, spicy chicken, burgers–really, anything you might want to drink a bubbly beverage with.”
Whatever food you decide to pair your soda with, you can be sure that there’s intention and care put into your beverage. In addition to their luscious flavors, they also have more to offer in terms of health. “I’m going to take advantage of all of these fruits and different aromatic herbs. I have some herbalism background, so I’ll talk about the benefits of them and dive into that. I’m excited for that.”
We’re excited too.
The Future for Trevor Ring and Community Cultures
Trevor has future plans of collaborating with local restaurants and cafes for distribution, but in the meantime soda enthusiasts should head over to the Bloomfield Saturday Market, or Bantha Tea Bar to get their hands on one of his bottles. Head over to communitycultures.com to sign up for the newsletter and get updates about Trevor’s fermentation workshops and other offerings.
Story by Frankie Williams and Kirsten Chervenak / Photography by Dave Bryce / Styling by Keith Recker
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