Got Pickles?

It began with a backyard garden. “Growing up we always had a vegetable garden,” recalls James Lynch M’20. So it made sense to him to use his current backyard for the same purpose. “I started growing pickling cucumbers and thought, ‘How hard can this be?’” After tinkering with ingredients, Lynch found a pickle recipe he really liked, never imagining that this newfound interest would grow into something more.

After receiving his undergraduate degree in graphic design from Bridgewater State University, Lynch spent his entire career in the marketing and communications field.

Currently the director of creative services at Massasoit Community College, he found himself looking to further his education. “I always felt that my path was going to take me toward a master’s degree in marketing,” says Lynch. “A colleague of mine mentioned the new Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC) master’s program at Stonehill, and it was about as perfect for me as I could imagine.”

As a part of the program, Lynch had to select a capstone project. “We were asked to develop a marketing plan for a company, either real or imagined,” he says. He knew just what he wanted to do. When Lynch met with IMC program chair Lee McGinnis to discuss his project, he came armed with a jar of his homemade pickles. “Lee, how about this company?” Lynch remembers asking as he handed him a sample. Green Vines Pickling Company was born.

Lynch finalized a logo, developed the story behind his brand and defined his market. Although COVID-19 has slowed this process down a bit, he hopes to one day present this plan to an investor for financing. For now, Lynch is happy to be enjoying his side hustle, selling Green Vines pickles at local farmers markets, breweries and via social media.