Publisher’s Letter: Fall 2010

Whew! As it always seems to do, summertime flew by. As it did, we were humbled by the kind feedback we received about the first issue—thank you for the warm welcome! We also had a lot of fun celebrating at our launch parties and are grateful to everyone who made them possible and who attended. What fun it was to see old friends and make new ones!

As we settle in for the season of change, I’m reminded how blessed we are to experience four distinct seasons in our region (we won’t start talking about one of them yet. Hint: starts with a “w” and ends with “brrrr!”) There is nothing quite like the crisp air of an autumn evening or sipping your first cup of steamy mulled apple cider (p. 42) while it gently warms the palms of your hands. You can’t really top the rolling, golden fields of corn, the sound of leaves crunching under your feet, or pulling out that first warm piece of clothing to keep you cozy.

And the bounty is teeming at every turn—the kitchen becomes the main stage as our gardens, farmers markets, grocers and CSA provide the cast. We can only begin to pay homage to the harvest. In this issue, we shed light on the mysterious sweet potato (p. 16), seize the moment with seasonal cooking (p. 10), and, in the spirit of being frugal locavores, we give tips for preserving the harvest for later (p. 28).

As we celebrate the abundance of local foods in Southern Wisconsin, we have the pleasure of connecting with the people who nurture the local food movement, social change and our communities. Like the youth taking to field and kitchen (p. 22) and folks in Madison reconnecting with their neighbors and friends through urban-homesteading (p. 25).

Also in this issue, we head to Reedsburg where the Wormfarm Institute weaves together art and farming culture and will host the Smithsonian exhibit Key Ingredients: America by Food at their Woolen Mill Gallery (p. 8).

And we ponder a mostly unexplored topic—the possible impact that chemical fertilizers, herbicides and pesticides could have on our state’s official “wildlife animal,” the white-tailed deer (p. 31).

Be sure to check out our new column, Edible Culture. It’s written by self-proclaimed “cheese geek,” Jeanne Carpenter. She plans to keep us up to speed on all things cheese starting with an introduction to a few next generation cheesemakers in our region (p. 14).

Between quarterly issues, we hope you keep in touch with your food community through the Edible Madison website where you’ll find more recipes, photos, local directories and more. A special thank you to our advertisers: Without you, this magazine would not be possible. Please support these businesses, as they support our mission and devotion to local foods.

Jamie Lamonde
Publisher/Editor-in-Chief