The Birth of BLOOM

I started fermenting in December of 2010. A friend of mine had been given a kombucha "mother" (or SCOBY) and when a new daughter culture was formed, she gave it to me. It wasn't long before other friends of mine became intrigued with the idea of fermentation. We shared batches of ferments and had fermentation parties. I started making yogurt, sourdough bread, and cheese. A little later, I began making kraut, kimchi, and kefir. Fermented foods are a regular part of my diet for several reasons:

1. I love practicing traditional crafts. Making fermented foods was a natural addition to my list of hobbies.

2. Fermented foods are healing! Most American digestive systems lack a healthy balance of yeast and bacteria. Incorporating fermented foods into your diet is a great way to restore that balance. Read more here.

3. Many store bought versions of these foods do not contain the same quality or amount of bacteria! Many also have thickeners, preservatives, sweeteners, and other ingredients that are completely unnecessary. 

In June of 2011, I started seeing a wonderful *naturopath. He suggested that I had imbalance of yeast and bacteria in my digestive system and recommended that I avoid certain foods for a while, and incorporate a variety of fermented foods. After trying a few batches of my ferments, he convinced me to start selling them. It's thanks to Micah that BLOOM was born!

*If you are looking for a good naturopath in West Michigan, I highly recommend Micah from Continuum Healing and Kathryn from Elder & Sage.