Cultured pickles/vegetables are beneficial for several reasons. They contain friendly bacteria and enzymes which improve digestion and can populate your intestines with flora. These help protect you from pathogens. They are also easier to digest and assimilate than raw or even cooked vegetables. Many of the vitamins are increased and in a more usable form, such as vitamin C, and new beneficial substances can be formed through the action of the lactobacilli, while harmful substances such as nitrates are broken down.

Regarding the cream; I'm not sure what you mean when you say it is homogenized (did I read that right?) Cream doesn't need to be homogenized because it is 100% fat. What you want is a good quality cream, preferably organic, that has been pasteurized as little as possible. Ultra-pasteurized cream will not work; it is too dead to hold a culture. Pasteurized is OK. Organic pastures in CA will ship their raw dairy anywhere in the USA (if you are in the USA). Otherwise, a few phone calls or digging around will likely reveal a source close to you. These things tend to run underground, especially if you are in a state where sale of raw dairy is illegal.