Fermentation Guild
Meets: Second Friday, 12:00 p.m., posted in DroverNet · Adviser: Solveig Trapp, Professor, Food Science · Organized 2004
The Fermentation Guild is open to all students with an interest in fermented foods. Guild activity is separate from program instruction; Guild batches are for member consumption only and are not sold, served in the Commons, or entered into practicum records.
History
- Organized in 2004 by students in the Fermentation and Brine Sciences program.
- The Guild’s 25-gallon crock, donated in 1998 and predating the Guild itself, is stored in the fermentation cellar and is used once each year for the anniversary batch. Scheduling of the crock’s use is coordinated with the Division.
Officers, 2026–27
Officer lists are filed with the September recognition renewal; the roster below is as filed with the Office of the Dean of Students.
- Boyd Hertzler — President
- Fermentation and Brine Sciences. Presides over the anniversary batch. The recipe is unchanged and is read aloud before brining.
- Agnes Vontz — Crock Steward
- Equine and Asinine Husbandry. Inspects and stores the crock. The condition entry has read "unchanged" in every year on record.
Events
- Anniversary batch day — October.
- Home fermentation workshop — spring, open to the public, registration required.
The anniversary batch record
One batch is made in the 25-gallon crock each year. The batch is numbered from the Guild’s founding; the crock’s condition is entered at cleaning.
| Year | Batch | Days in crock | Condition entry |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 19 | 42 | Unchanged |
| 2023 | 20 | 42 | Unchanged |
| 2024 | 21 | 44 | Unchanged; delay noted |
| 2025 | 22 | 42 | Unchanged |
Batch day notes, 2025
| Date | Note as recorded |
|---|---|
| Oct. 3 | The recipe was read aloud. A member asked whether the recipe had ever been varied. The presiding officer answered that the question is asked every year. |
Batch day notes, prior years
| Date | Note as recorded |
|---|---|
| Oct. 4, 2024 | The batch was brined two days late. The delay is noted and is attributed to the cellar’s occupancy schedule. |
| Oct. 6, 2023 | A proposal to enter the batch in the county fair was declined. Guild batches are for member consumption only, and the fair’s entry form requires a declaration the Guild cannot make. |
| Oct. 7, 2022 | The crock’s donor attended batch day at the Guild’s invitation, as in prior years. The donor observed and did not comment. |
From the minutes
Recognition of a student organization is granted under the terms stated at Student Organizations and does not constitute College endorsement of the organization’s views or activities. Current officer contacts are maintained in DroverNet.
Page last revised 7 August 2026 · student-life/organizations/fermentation-guild · Office of the Dean of Students