Fermented foods have been part of traditional diets around the world for centuries—and for good reason. From improved digestion and gut health to enhanced nutrient absorption and immune support, fermentation offers both flavor and function.

This event brings together local business owners who specialize in fermented foods to share their knowledge, craft, and passion. Panelists will discuss the fermentation process, the unique health benefits of their products, and how to incorporate fermented foods into everyday life. Guests will have the opportunity to taste a variety of fermented foods and experience firsthand how nourishing and delicious they can be.

Whether you’re new to fermentation or already a fan, this event offers insight, inspiration and a deeper appreciation for foods that truly support well-being.

About the Speakers

Sam Paone is a Sonoma-based cook, preservationist, and the founder of Golden State Pickle Works and Collective Cultures. She’s best known for her deeply seasonal approach to fermentation, pickling, and pantry-building—work that sits at the intersection of tradition, practicality, and everyday cooking. Sam is the creator and host of "Jarring Everything," a food series that explores approachable ways to think about ingredients differently. Filmed in her Sonoma production kitchen and rooted in local agriculture, the show focuses on techniques like fermentation, dehydration, vinegar-making, and preserving—not as trends, but as useful, hopeful skills anyone can learn.

Her work is driven by curiosity, care, and community. Sam collaborates closely with farmers, cooks with what’s abundant, and believes that learning how to preserve food is a way to feel more grounded in an often uncertain world. Whether she’s teaching a workshop, making hoshigaki from local persimmons, or talking through salt percentages on a gram scale, her goal is always the same: to make preservation feel accessible, human, and deeply nourishing."

Gina Markle of Ji’s Kimchi was born and raised in the Bay Area. She carries her Korean heritage from her parents’ roots in Seoul, where the kitchen was always alive with the aromas of sesame, garlic, and ginger. Her mother’s kimchi—crafted from humble ingredients and generations of tradition—became a symbol of the family’s connection to Seoul and inspired her own kimchi journey. While stationed in Alaska with the U.S. Coast Guard, Gina began recreating her recipe as a cure for homesickness. That passion quickly grew into a business, with jars of kimchi shipping out daily.

Ji's Kimchi is a Sonoma County-based, small-batch kimchi. Each jar is crafted to honor tradition and connection, while supporting a happy, healthy gut through natural fermentation. Now based in Petaluma and living in Rohnert Park with her husband and two boys, Ji’s Kimchi is her love language—honoring her heritage and sharing it with others. Her motto: From my family to yours, Seoul to soul.

Nicky Giusto is a fourth-generation baker and miller who grew up immersed in the craft of bread. He began his career in pan bread and sourdough bakeries before taking his skills to the international stage—competing at the 2016 Coupe du Monde de la Boulangerie and later coaching Team USA in 2020. Today, Nicky serves as vice president of sales at Central Milling, an artisan flour mill, where he develops tools for bakers, designs bread programs, provides technical support, and leads workshops for professionals at every level. Additionally, he oversees the operations of Keith Giusto Bakery Supply and the Artisan Baking Center. His expertise lies in linking ingredient quality and process to the success of artisan bread.

He started Keith Giusto Bakery Supply in 2008 to provide the artisan baking community in the San Francisco Bay Area with responsibly sourced ingredients. He says their goal was, and still is, to bring bakers closer to the origins of the core ingredients used to make traditional bakery products. Their passion for product quality naturally led to education and the opening of the Artisan Baking Center—a space used to teach techniques to baking enthusiasts and professionals of all levels. Along the way, Keith Giusto, an exceptional sourdough baker, started a bread club to share his award-winning sourdough bread with all.

Mike Scheu is president of Straus Family Creamery, where he brings a rare combination of corporate experience, entrepreneurial agility, and mission alignment to one of the country’s most respected and dynamic organic dairy brands. Since joining Straus in 2014, he has helped guide the company through pivotal transitions—uniting teams around shared goals, advancing profitability, and now leading its next chapter of purpose-driven growth with a focus on positioning the company to scale impact without compromising quality or sustainability.  

Scheu’s career spans finance, marketing, and general management roles at companies including Ernst & Young, JP Morgan, Clorox, Odwalla, Dreyer’s, and Nestlé, where he led iconic brands such as Häagen-Dazs and Edy’s. At Straus, he has found what he calls his “dream job”: leading a mission-led company committed to supporting family farms, producing award-winning organic dairy, advancing climate-smart agriculture, and helping build a more sustainable food system. Mike serves on the board of Marin Agricultural Land Trust (MALT). He lives in Northern California with his partner, Sloat, and their dog, Scout, and enjoys biking, traveling, and gardening.