Letter from the Editor

I cut my teeth in journalism in a man’s world. It was 1990, I was a sportswriter, and my colleagues called me “Princess.” I moved to writing about politics as Anita Hill testified. And I was one of a handful of female reporters juggling caring for our babies and covering Microsoft’s rise to technology powerhouse. Ten years ago, I went to culinary school, set to writing about sustainable food systems, and surrounded myself with as many generous women working in food as I could find. The summation of these experiences makes me thrilled to be the editor who gets to introduce you, Edible Maine readers, to our inaugural women’s issue.

Given the female focus of the following pages, it is also fitting to point out the big shoes I must fill in the wake of Managing Editor Brianna Shipley’s departure from the Edible Maine masthead. During her tenure, Brianna curated stories ranging from survival gardening and making charcuterie to foraging for mushrooms and wrapping your head around myriad uses for CBD. Brianna tells me she loved writing about topics that matter to Mainers (Down on the Farm, Fall 2018 and Behind the Label, Fall 2019, for example) and she looks forward to contributing to Edible Mainein the future—as a writer.

The sisterhood of the Maine food system stretches well beyond what we could cover in a single issue. And given the COVID-19 pandemic, we watch how both male and female farmers, producers, chefs, and home cooks are changing how dinner gets safely to the table. The stories we tell in this issue are arguably too few, and provide just a snapshot in a changing world, but they are nonetheless very much worth celebrating. We tell of beer brewers who legislate; a scientist who keeps tabs on the state’s honeybees; and a coffee roaster who cares about female coffee growers. We show you a young woman fighting for her spot on the water; a chef growing Asian greens in an aquaponics operation; and the fastest female bartender in the Northeast. Our recipes include berry pies, savory honey dishes, and pitcher-perfect drinks designed to be shared with girlfriends at a safe social distance.

Thank you in advance for helping us celebrate all of the women who influence the Maine food system.

Cheers,

No. 13 / Summer 2020