At our Organic Garden Club meeting, members loved the fun fermenting presentation by Michele Lopez! Michelle is a well known Ojai biologist who ferments for the human microbiome. Her company, Wild at Heart, offers a diversity of wild-crafted probiotics, sourced from organic local farms, like Earthtrine Farms, Frecker Farm, and Steve Sprinkle’s Rancho Del Pueblo Farm.

She told us how fermenting vegetables heals your gut, lowers inflammation, and creates healthy nutrients and enzymes that heal your body, mind, and spirit. In her products are trillions of beneficial microbes, making the food you eat easier to digest. 

Michele did a carrot fermentation demonstration to show members how to ferment, explaining the reasons for using Himalayan Pink Salt and mineral water.

It didn’t take very long! She even gave us the recipe to make it at home! 

She uses all organic cleaners, solar power refrigeration, and feeds organic food scraps to her chickens. She does a four week ferment using the organic produce from a variety of farms to create a diverse set of probiotics that are nutrient rich with a deliciously complex taste.

Ferment Tasting! She gave everyone samples of Beet Kvass, Bio Soda, Probiotic Pickles, Probiotic Salsa, Kimchi, and Classic Dill Sauerkraut. These organic products are alive and kicking and eating them daily not only improves digestion, but fights disease, inflammation, depression, viruses, and obesity! We loved everything!

Find Wild at Heart Products at the Ventura Midtown Farmers Market, Wednesday, 9 am – 1 pm, Pacific View Mall; Ojai Community Farmers Market, Thursday, 3 – 7 pm, Chaparral School Campus; Downtown Farmers Market, Saturday, 8:30 am – noon, corner of Santa Clara and Palm Street; and Channel Island Farmers Market, Sunday, 10 am – 2 pm, 3350 S. Harbor Blvd., Oxnard. WildatHeartOjai.com