In Our Fall 2017 Issue

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

Ah, fall, beautiful and glorious, the season of blessings when we bow to summer’s passing, the sun and rain that determine the harvest yield and the timing and intensity of changing colors. Fall, the pleasant interval that beckons us to gather as well as wander, to take road trips and walks to discover, taste and experience all the vibrancy and flavors of autumn.

This. This is my favorite season for the aroma of ripened grapes, the crispness of the air, the intense blues of lake and sky, the deep browns and reds of fallen chestnuts, purple asters and yellow goldenrod, and the sound of leaves crackling beneath my feet. It is also my favorite time for the tastes and smells of warm comfort foods — apple everything, all varieties of winter squash, peach cobbler, roasted vegetables and soup!

In this issue, we celebrate the gifts of the harvest. Jason Toczydlowski tells us what produce to look for while Jessica Meyers Altman and Christa Glennie Seychew offer creative recipes to excite your palate with fresh harvest vegetables. We also recognize the challenges faced by local farmers to grow and market their products. In Food for Thought: Promoting our Love for Local and Regionally Raised and Grazed, Katie Chriest and Gabe DiMaio offer insight into the trials and opportunities they encounter.

Gratitude is a word that comes to mind this time of year with appreciation for sunshine as well as storms, successes as well as failures. I am grateful for those who share this journey with me — the contributors, advertisers, distribution partners, and friends and family who carry me through the puzzles and problems of the day. I am also thankful to be able to meet wonderful farmers and business owners, chefs and retailers along the way.

I’ve been spending a lot of time lately trying to embrace each day as it comes. One of the challenges for magazine publishers is that we are always looking ahead. To prepare for a quarterly issue, we start planning, writing and collecting stories and photos months in advance, sometimes up to a year. In the middle of summer, we are thinking about fall, and when Labor Day comes around, we’re knee deep in thoughts about snow. It’s hard to welcome and enjoy the time at hand.

This fall, I am committed to staying in the moment, taking time for long walks and hikes, being outdoors as often as possible and not worrying so much about the season ahead. That being said, I plan to pick up extra fresh produce from the markets while I can and fill the freezer with my favorite foods. Then, in the depths of winter, I will pull them out and be reminded of these colorful transitions.