Letter from the Editor: Winter 2020
Happy New Year! Welcome to the 50th issue of Edible Sarasota. As we head into a new decade of food and drink we are more excited than ever. I can’t help but reflect on the last 10 years as a family. We started this magazine in the middle of a recession with warnings that the future of print was “pretty bleak.” What we saw was a future of storytelling and experiences and so we began this carefully crafted magazine called Edible Sarasota.
In the process, we have watched our children grow. They have become selective in their food choices, opting for “real chicken” when dining out. They walk into some restaurants like it’s their second home, because it feels that way. My niece Mia has established a forever friendship with the head of the downtown Sarasota farmers’ market, dear Uncle Phil. Matthew, Tina and John—the memories of our garages full of boxes-turned-forts will live on forever. And my father-in-law, John—delivering magazines all over our communities.
I can’t help but touch on the words of Edible Communities co-founder, and now dear friend, Tracey Ryder. The local food movement has exploded over the last 15-plus years, around the world and right here in Southwest Florida. We found the most respected voices in our community to write these powerful stories, photographers who brought the stories to life, and recipe developers who nourished our bodies and souls. Over the past decade our team has been awarded countless Eddy Awards for excellence (the Edible Communities version of an Oscar) and we have taken home the coveted Langeland Award twice (an award for community service). We did this as a community—a community dedicated to change our food system.
As we told these important stories, people began to listen and learn. When people learn they become inspired to make better choices about the food they eat, and we all win. It’s this collaborative effort that brings us all together. We would not be here today if it wasn’t for all of the advertisers—whom I prefer to call partners who support our mission.
Over these 10 years we have seen the rise of farmers’ markets, small family farms, and school gardens. We now have 31 school gardens, up from just a handful 10 years ago! Be sure to read the article by Vanessa Caceres in this issue to learn more.
We have tackled food waste, embraced the issues of sustainable seafood and matters of meat. Last year we hosted all the Edible Communities publishers in our very own backyard. We have a community that just won’t stop, and neither will we. We are honored to be your publishers.
Now it’s time to celebrate. Stay tuned for special events all year long as we celebrate this beautiful milestone—together! Thank you, to all of our readers. This is for you!
