How a Local For-Profit Kimchi Company Can Carry Gimjang Values Into the Local Community

Local farm to table kimchi jars displayed for local community marketing

Gimjang, also spelled kimjang, is a deeply rooted Korean tradition of preparing and sharing kimchi in large quantities. Recognized by UNESCO as an intangible cultural heritage, Gimjang is far more than an annual kimchi-making ritual. It’s a moment when neighbours gather to share labor, harvests, and food—strengthening bonds through collaboration and generosity. While many people associate Gimjang with home kitchens or community groups, its spirit can also live within modern, for-profit businesses. In fact, we believe that a small, local kimchi company can be one of the most powerful carriers of these values.

At its core, Gimjang is about connection: people working side-by-side, preserving food for a difficult time—the winter, and ensuring that no household is left out. When a local kimchi business embraces these principles, it can transform commercial activity into something more meaningful—an engine for community health, sustainable food culture, and local resilience.

First, a for-profit company committed to local sourcing supports the same values Gimjang has always upheld: shared abundance and respect for the land that feeds us. By purchasing vegetables from nearby organic(or organic-leaning) farmers and other supplies from local vendors, the business keeps food dollars circulating within the community of responsible living. By using sustainable, low-waste practices, it honors the stewardship ethic that has long guided traditional food preservation. And by paying local growers fair prices, it strengthens a regional food system that benefits everyone—from consumers to producers.

Second, the act of making kimchi itself also can provide opportunities to create community. Workshops, tasting events, seasonal “mini-Gimjang” gatherings, and school partnerships, which Gimjang Fermentation is moving forward to host in the near future, allow people to learn, connect, and celebrate cultural diversity through food. Unlike large-scale manufacturers, a small local business can be more open to invite customers into the process—letting them see the ingredients, the craft, and the hands that make each batch. That transparency builds trust, belonging, and a deeper understanding of how good food is made although the regulatory constraint on the commercial kitchen set-up in BC, Canada, where Gimjang Fermentation Corp is currently situated, doesn't allow such scene for now.

Third, the profit itself of a local kimchi company operating with a community mindset leads to practical, meaningful contributions: educational programs that inspire healthier eating, collaborations that strengthen local farms, and food donations that ensure vulnerable neighbours have access to nourishing staples. In this way, profit becomes a tool—not the goal. The real impact emerges from building such sustainable systems that serve both people and place.

Thus, when a small kimchi business carries forward the heart of Gimjang—cooperation, generosity, sustainability, and respect—it becomes not just a producer of food but a creator of community. It shows that how traditional values can thrive in modern entrepreneurship, and that commerce and culture can enrich each other. By grounding its work in Gimjang’s spirit, we believe Gimjang Fermentation Corp can do more than grow a business. It can help cultivate a stronger, healthier, and more connected community.

Noah Yoon - Farmer and Cofounder of Gimjang Fermentation Corp.