Emily Mellgard at Farmers' Market

Emily Mellgard displays her personally-crafted Fieldstone Kombucha (previously Salt Marsh Farm) at a Farmers’ Market.

Something delicious is brewing on the idyllic South Coast of Massachusetts. Small business owner Emily Mellgard is building up her brewery Fieldstone Kombucha in 2021. Kombucha, for the uninitiated, is a fermented tea drink. It is delicious and full of natural probiotics and healthy acids. It can aid the natural systems in your gut and boost your immune system.

After a successful summer selling (and selling out) at farmers’ markets across the South Coast, Mellgard decided to make the leap into wholesale production. Even as COVID-19 ravaged communities and the economy, people rallied around local businesses. 2020 was, paradoxically, a good time to start a local, agriculturally based, healthy beverage business. Using what she learned during the EforAll Accelerator program she decided the time was right to rename and rebrand the business. Fieldstone Kombucha was born from Salt Marsh Farm. The new name retains the New England feel and agricultural roots of the business while carving out its own space.

The business focuses on local and sustainably grown ingredients. Many are sourced from local farms or grown by Mellgard on her family’s small farm. Flavors are seasonal to make use of the freshest, most delicious flavors of the South Coast. In spring there are flavors like Garden Blush (strawberry rhubarb) and Crimson Dawn (beet). Summer brings Baby Bandit (blueberries, raspberries, and thyme), Snow Birds (red currant), and Hay Dayz (lemongrass). Autumn ushers in a new palette with the Bog Witch (cranberry), Harvest Moon (pumpkin), and Traditions (spiced apple). Winter brings the delicious chai spices of Winter Warmer.

Fieldstone’s kombucha is unique because Mellgard emphasizes the natural effervescence of the drink rather than force carbonating it. She halts fermentation before many of the larger brands, keeping the pH at a less acidic, more enjoyable, level. This makes for an easy-drinking beverage; a truly enjoyable way to introduce good things to your body.

Thirsty for a bottle? Stop by farmers’ markets throughout the south coast for bottles of kombucha. Once her wholesale license comes through, you’ll find Fieldstone’s kombucha at your local farm store, cafe, bar, and restaurant. You can even buy a keg for your next party.

Emily@FieldstoneKombuchaCo.com

www.FieldstoneKombuchaCo.com

Photos and article courtesy of Fieldstone Kombucha.