Summer 2020 Publisher's Note
As we were planning for this issue a few short months ago B.Q. (Before Quarantine), my mind was filled with thoughts of imminent warm weather and the coming election. At the time, it seemed a good theme would be “digging in, persistence, and resiliency.” Little did I know how relevant that theme would become.
None of us could have guessed that the world as we knew it would be plunged into uncertainty. As COVID-19 spreads through our nation, we have entirely upended our economy as we shelter in place. The seismic economic shifts feel seriously foreboding. As we here at Word of Mouth try to navigate this tumult, we simply do not know if the restaurants we love will be able to re-open, if the farms will financially survive, if the tasting rooms and inns will again welcome visitors to our gorgeous county. How many of our local businesses will still be here when the dust settles?
Years ago, long before the birth of this publication, I spent a summer doing various homesteading activities with our family friends, the Bradfords. In an effort to learn new skills and prepare for the impacts of climate change, we tried our hand at many things including cheese-making, apple cider pressing, and hyper-local cooking using the Brookside School Farm CSA. What I remember about that summer was not the struggle and effort to master these skills to become more “self-sufficient.” Rather, I have vivid memories of the long lazy hours in easy conversation while we processed cheese curds, and the laughter we shared sitting in our friend’s apple orchard after a hard morning’s harvest. When I started Word of Mouth, I realized that I wanted more of that—more connection, more community, and all of it full of deliciousness. More of what life is supposed to be.
Returning to our core beliefs as a publication, we know that we are here to celebrate our community. Our role is to highlight the innovation and determination that permeates this place we call home, a goal that remains unchanged during this pandemic. Like the native bees, we pollinate Mendocino County by sharing the tidbits overheard at the farmers market. Did you know someone has a herd of fire prevention goats (p 13), or that Victory Gardens are popping up on the coast (p 17)? We sing from the rooftops when a new generation of farmers embraces the work of John Jeavons, who revolutionized backyard gardening (p 10). And we represent our community to a larger audience when we send this magazine out into the wider world.
We do not know what the future will hold, but we know that our work here at Word of Mouth is more important than ever. This pandemic has revealed, like the ocean’s retreat before a tsunami, the frailty of our supply chains, the importance of our mental health, and the failures of our healthcare systems. Mendocino County has made great strides in cultivating our local food infrastructure. Now is the time for all of us to dig in and participate in making this community stronger and more resilient. We can all do our part to ensure that, as the memory of this experience fades, we emerge stronger and better prepared, but most importantly, grateful for all that we hold dear.
Holly Madrigal, Publisher
