From the Publisher: Spring 2022
The inspiration for this issue is the land of milk and honey—the promised land of sorts. We learned about dairy farming and honeybees. The lessons: Work hard as a team, take care of your environment, and sustain your community. The Vermonters featured in this issue exemplify these values.
The most rewarding part of the work I do is meeting and speaking with folks about their visions, rewards, successes, and challenges. It is humbling to be able to tell these stories. As Anson Tebbetts, Vermont’s Secretary of Agriculture, Food, and Markets, said in our “Edible Voices” interview: “I tell our farmers and producers that they really need to share their stories. The public wants to know about them, their product, how it’s produced, where it’s grown, how they take care of their animals and tend the land.”
Anson, your connections with people in this state are unsurpassed. You have a vast ability to be everywhere all the time. The state of Vermont is fortunate to have you, and we at Edible Vermont thank you for contributing to this issue and for being a great partner. Throughout the pandemic, we saw more than ever how Vermonters take care of one another. We highlight a few of these superstar markets: Auntie Dee Dee’s in East Burke, Edelweiss Mountain Deli in Stowe, and Woodstock Farmers’ Markets in Woodstock and Waterbury.
And speaking of tireless work, our state is blessed with dairy farmers who raise cows, goats, and sheep. As Managing Editor Maria Reade reminds us, “These people work from before sunrise to well beyond sundown, ensuring their livestock are fed, comfortable, and milked on time, 365 days a year. These farmers have no day off, no hour without worry about the health and safety of their herd. The three farms featured here—The Corse Farm Dairy, Joneslan Farm, and Rebop Farm—are committed to land stewardship, soil conservation, sustainable practices, and peer education.”
Thank you to Adeline Druart, president of Vermont Creamery, and your team for the endless support in contributing to this issue. Additional special thanks to the Vermont Beekeepers Association for the background and information on bees; to James Key, its Director-at-Large; and to Ross Conrad for explaining some of the lesser-known challenges of beekeeping.
And…. Woody Jackson! Thank you for your incredible generosity, patience, and of course humor in providing us with your spectacular artwork for this cover and for participating in “Last Bite” for this issue. I am very honored.
Support Local in every way and be kind in everything you do.
Marcia Lissak
