As we prepared to go to press with this issue, I was struck by how grateful I am for the people whom I’ve met thanks to this magazine.
My life has never felt very far removed from food— I grew up in a farming area and I’ve always been a passionate gardener, cook and restaurant maven, and I almost became a chef instead of a journalist.
But until launching this magazine just a few months ago, I’d never been quite so fully surrounded by so many people who share such a glorious obsession with food—whether growing it, foraging for it, cooking it, helping others get access to it or just reveling in it.
I think I’ve enjoyed meeting these people so much because, on the whole, they tend to be positive, engaged and fulfilled. And to me, it’s no wonder, because there is something deeply hopeful and life-affirming about the act of growing food, especially when it’s done in a manner that helps protect the planet for the future. It’s an act of faith to choose to create something beautiful, delicious and nourishing—and it makes the world a better place. In this issue—our second—we’ll introduce you to many of these amazing food people: mushroom foragers from Davenport to Big Sur, a spot-prawn trapper from Monterey, and Ted and Cindy Walter of Pacific Grove’s Passionfish.
Lisa Knutson of Hollister’s Pasture Chick Ranch shares her philosophy on raising animals humanely and shows you how it’s done; from Watsonville to Washington, a number of farmers and their advocates opine on how the upcoming Farm Bill could help our region. You’ll meet artisans from Santa Cruz to Greenfield who transform local meat into prosciutto, sausage and other charcuterie, and we’ll introduce you to some of the breweries behind the Central Coast’s thriving craft beer movement, including Capitola’s brand-new Sante Adairius Rustic Ales.
We hope you thoroughly enjoy all of this, but please don’t forget to also turn to our website—www.ediblemontereybay.com. Online, you’ll find directories to restaurants, CSAs, gift ideas, farmers’ markets and other services. Meanwhile, our electronic calendar, blog and Facebook page will provide you with a steady stream of local food news. (Just for starters, the 2012 EcoFarm Conference will be held in Pacific Grove Feb. 1-4, and Edible Communities will host our own local food conference in Santa Barbara March 10-11.)
If winter brings you enough time to dig into a great new book, I highly recommend Cultivating a Movement: An Oral History of Organic Farming and Sustainable Agriculture on the Central Coast. This fascinating and inspiring book, edited by Irene Reti and Sarah Rabkin of the UCSC Regional History Project, documents the personal accounts of dozens of the people who’ve made the Central Coast one of the country’s most important hotbeds of organic farming.
Finally, I’d like to thank everyone who helped with this issue in any way. I especially want to thank our advertisers for their critical support, and encourage you, our readers, to thank them with a visit!
Have a wonderful holiday, a restorative winter—and don’t forget to gather with friends to make some of that three-fruit marmalade on p. 56!
Sincerely,
Sarah Wood
About the author
At Edible Monterey Bay, our mission is to celebrate the local food culture of Santa Cruz, San Benito and Monterey Counties, season by season. We believe in sustainability, and we believe everyone has a right to healthful, clean and affordable food. We think knowing where our food comes from is powerful, and we hope our magazine, website and newsletters inspire readers to get to know and support our local growers, fishers, chefs, vintners and food artisans.
