Publisher’s Note

I’m not going to lie—some issues of this magazine come together more gracefully than others. This one was a toughie, and it’s entirely my fault. I made the classic self-employed mistake of saying yes to too much, resulting in becoming buried in an avalanche of competing deadlines. But what’s so bad about deadlines? As Douglas Adams said, “I love deadlines. I love the whooshing noise they make as they go by.” Let’s just say: there’s been a lot of whooshing.

Thankfully, this issue is as strong as ever, thanks to the rest of the Word of Mouth team, our fantastic contributors, and, of course, our much-appreciated advertisers who are essential to our operations. And perhaps it’s because restoring equilibrium to my life is an overriding goal at the moment, but the idea of balance seems to loom large in this issue. Felix and Yiping of Cocina Picante (p17) carefully balance flavors to create their fresh and zing-y selection of salsas, while the Redwood Coast Senior Center (p9), works hard to offer local seniors healthy meals, socializing opportunities, and activities necessary to live a balanced life. Whether it’s lunch Monday through Friday, gatherings for knitting or ping pong, exercise classes, or the Fourth Friday Food Truck all-ages community party, there is an abundance of fun to be had down at the Redwood Coast Senior Center. 

Husch Vineyards (p36) created a healthier relationship with their land when they retired their disc tractor back in the 1970s, resulting in soils that hold moisture, resist erosion, and host an abundance of nutrients and beneficial critters—let’s hear it for earthworms! We can contribute to a more equitable economy when we purchase fish and shellfish in Fort Bragg’s Noyo Harbor (p13) from the very people who catch it, like Captain Dan, The Animal Fair, Princess Seafood, and others. This keeps more dollars in our community compared to buying seafood at a chain supermarket—and the flavor and quality are superior, as well. Balance is also important in ecological relationships. Californians have been depleting groundwater for years without restoring it, a trend that is thankfully changing (p30). The Ukiah Valley Basin Groundwater Sustainability Agency is addressing the issue on a community level, and installing a rain garden on your land can do so on a personal one. And ranchers in Marin are taking a more thoughtful approach to their relationship with the North American beaver, looking at it more as a potential partner rather than a pest (p39), since a healthy beaver population can increase the biological diversity and wildfire resistance of an ecosystem. 

Most people I know are simply seeking a baseline of peace in their lives, and prioritizing balance is an essential part of that. Balance is necessary for excellent cooking, effective land management, and feeling grounded and fulfilled as we divide our time between work, rest, and play. Pushing out to the edge of one’s limits can be exciting and reveal unrealized capacity, but for sustained health and happiness—and far less whooshing—balance is the way to go.

Torrey Douglass
Co-Publisher & Art Director