1. Introduce yo'self! Who you are, what you do, and why you do it.
I am Summer Auerbach, Second Generation Owner of Rainbow Blossom Natural Food Markets. We are a small, family-owned chain of Natural Food Stores that has been in business since 1977.
2. What are you doing locally that helps to preserve the earth's natural awesome? What are small ways that anyone can help?
I eat as consciously as I can. I buy organically grown food that has not been genetically modified, and I love supporting our local farmers who are farming sustainably. Pesticides and chemical run off is bad for our soil, water, and the natural ecosystem. When I consume meat, I choose pastured raised meats because it minimizes the environmental impact and requires significantly less water to produce. We all eat 3 times a day, so food is a really easy (and fun) way to help out the environment, and your body.
3. What other projects are you currently involved in?
I am the Board President for LIBA (keep Louisville weird +Buy Local First,) as well as for Slow Food Bluegrass. LIBA is an Alliance of 718 locally owned business, who promotes the importance of buying locally. Local businesses are not only vital to preserving the unique character of our city and play a huge role in quality of life; they also reinvest money back into our local economy at 4 times the rate of the national chains. (http://www.keeplouisvilleweird.com/WhyBuyLocal for a complete study and more Stats.)
Through our work, we’ve been able to measure our success by participating in national surveys, which have shown year after year that independent businesses in Louisville have consistently grown at a higher rate than the same types of independent businesses that are located in cities that don’t have a “Buy Local” Campaign.
Slow Food Bluegrass is an organization that is part of an International movement devoted to savoring and protecting the heritage and biodiversity of food, agriculture and the rich culture of the table. As the new chapter president, we are planning a series of educational potlucks. Our last event was an artisan bread baking demo at Wiltshire Bakery and a Soup Swap, where everyone brings a pot of soup and “breaks bread” together. At the end, everyone took home other people’s soups in Tupperware containers that we brought. We’re working on a whole series like this, and it is very exciting to be a part of it.