Once every spring, I walk out onto the middle of the old green bridge connecting Brunswick to Topsham and watch the mighty Androscoggin River rage over the Brookfield Renewable hydroelectric dam. And I think, “So. Much. Water.”
In places where it flows freely, good, clean water doesn’t get the credit it deserves from eaters who enjoy the fruits of a vibrant local food system. We understand, of course, that plants and animals die without water. Some who garden may be aware that last summer, national drought monitors dubbed most of Maine abnormally dry. Ten percent of the state spent a couple of months in severe drought conditions. But those don’t linger in Maine like they do in other parts of the world. Yet.
We have 73 rivers longer than 20 miles, 51 lakes with surface areas of at least five miles, and 3,478 miles of coastline. The stories in this issue are here to help edible MAINE readers better appreciate the many roles H2O—salty and fresh—plays in the delivery of high-quality, nutritious food to their plates on a year-round basis.
From a short list of 10 Things to Know about personal water footprints to a chat with a surfing bartender, and from a story about smelt fishing in an age of thinning ice to a profile on a water rights activist who’s fighting corporations’ efforts to capitalize on groundwater supplies, every article touches on water usage in Maine. We have a sweet memoir about harvesting fiddleheads responsibly in Maine’s wetland areas and a primer on growing weed in water.
We synopsize the conflict between right whales and lobstermen and highlight how one fishermen’s organization is feeding hungry neighbors. Our regular drinks feature taps the burgeoning class of Maine-made hard seltzers, and our recipes come from a chef who earned her chops in a tiny galley kitchen aboard a historic Maine schooner. We introduce you to a couple of lady shuckers who promote female oyster farmers and another group of women who hand-harvest seawater and use solar energy to change it into a line of sea salt products.
Drink it all in and be satisfied with a wider appreciation of water’s contribution to Maine’s fabulous food scene.
Best,
Christine
