Rise and Brine!

The Pickle Baron of Key West, Dustan Carpenter, uses Homestead farmer Sam Accursio’s cucumbers and green beans to make his sweet, spicy and savory pickles. The veggies end up in the commercial kitchen at the MARC House (Monroe Association for ReMARCable Citizens) on Seminary Street, where they hire developmentally disabled workers to help prepare the pickled products. Carpenter, a trained chef who started his pickle business with his husband and business partner, John Nutting, says the next step is producing enough pickles to expand their reach and sell to locations like gift shops and specialty shops throughout the Keys and beyond.