Mother Nature is putting on her usual summer show with vibrant flowers, sweet strawberries and juicy stone fruits, but many people I know are not feeling the usual joy this season brings.
There’s a sense of unease and uncertainty in our community— about pocketbook issues like rising prices and possible shortages; about the erosion of public services; and about the well-being of the local farm labor force.
People often say what is happening this year makes them feel helpless, but regular readers of Edible Monterey Bay know that eating locally is part of the solution and something anyone can do. We’ve always believed that real change begins at the table.
“Local food isn’t just about what’s on your plate; it’s about who you’re standing with,” says Edible Communities co-founder Tracey Ryder. “Every time you visit a farmers market, choose food grown nearby, or dine at a restaurant that sources locally, you are investing in your neighbors, your environment, and the unique food culture that makes your community home.”
Now more than ever choosing local is an act of resilience. “When we support the farmers, ranchers, fishers, and makers in our own regions, we help create a more secure and sustainable food system—one that nourishes us, even when global systems falter,” she adds.
With this new issue of Edible Monterey Bay, we invite you to meet some of the people who are making contributions to the local foodshed, in both large and small ways—by making pickles, spotlighting forgotten vineyards, baking, cheffing and creating a new farm designed to be a model of regenerative agriculture for all of California.
And we report on two organizations—the Center for Farmworker Families and the Campaign for Organic & Regenerative Agriculture—that have teamed up to make the Pajaro Valley healthier for field workers and all residents, especially children.
We would also like to invite all our readers to attend the Summer Issue Release Party, taking place Wednesday, June 25, from 5pm to 7pm at Heirloom Pizza, 344 Main St. in Salinas. It’s a perfect opportunity to meet fellow members of the EMB community and get to know some of the new businesses that are helping revive Downtown Salinas.
Hope to see you there!
Deborah Luhrman
Publisher
About the author
Deborah Luhrman is publisher and editor of Edible Monterey Bay. A lifelong journalist, she has reported from around the globe, but now prefers covering our flourishing local food scene and growing her own vegetables in the Santa Cruz Mountains.
