Q&A with the sweetgreen Sourceress

February 23, 2010

5 questions and some cool answers to help you get up close and personal with our very own Sourceress, Erin Teal Littlestar!

SG. Where are you from?

Sourceress. I was born near Houston, TX but grew up in Sarasota, FL. I still consider myself a Texan, though. You can take the girl out of Texas…

SG. What’s your favorite season?

Sourceress. I love that fleeting time between summer and fall, when tomatoes are still coming in by the bushel, and winter squash and pumpkins are just perfectly ripe to be picked. Just when you feel like the blistering heat will never end, suddenly you get that first cool day that signals the start of autumn. It’s the harvest season on vineyards, and it’s my lifelong dream to stomp wine grapes with my feet.

SG. You only eat local food… why?

Sourceress. Over the past couple of years, I became very concerned about where my food was coming from. Once I started to get to know my farmers, it became clear this was a much better way to eat – for myself and for my community. Also, the food is just so much better. If for no other reason, people should eat local food for its glorious taste!

SG. What’s been your most adventurous experience?

Sourceress. Either going to South America by myself for 5 weeks not knowing a single word of Spanish, or cliff jumping into the Zambezi River in Zimbabwe (which, as I learned immediately afterward, was chock full of angry hippos and crocodiles). I’m going to New Zealand for 2 weeks in a few days, so maybe I’ll come back with even better ones! (Bungee jumping in Queenstown?!)

SG. So, how did you end up being a sourceress?

Sourceress. It’s been a winding road! I have a degree in Cinema-Television, so my formal education certainly didn’t get me here. Basically I just kept focused on what I love to do – working with farmers and local food – and eventually I got paid to do it. It began at DC Central Kitchen where I piloted the local buying program. Then sweetgreen found me… and the rest is history!