In Our Summer 2016 Issue

LETTER FROM THE PUBLISHER

Our Actions Speak Louder Than Our Words

Dear Reader,

Winter went out like a lion; spring ambled in timidly, like a lamb. And now that the dog days of summer are upon us, we’re as hungry as bears. Idioms aside, we did spend a lot of time hibernating and now we’re ravenous— both literally and metaphorically.

The issue you hold in your hands launches Edible Milwaukee into its fourth year. For us, the need to document and shape Wisconsin’s local food culture is just as strong as it was when we published our first issue in May of 2013. Our mission remains unchanged: EAT, DRINK, READ, THINK. So here’s some food for thought:

A few years ago, “artisan, “local,” “organic” and “sustainable” were niche terms; now they have entered the mainstream. Because they’ve been widely adopted, it’s becoming harder and harder to know where they’re being used as a buzzword or marketing opportunity and where they’re real.

Food is, and always has been, a business opportunity—and a lucrative one. We all eat. We all want variety. We all want healthy food. Our readers tell us they want to know where their food comes from and how it was grown. We want it local, sustainable and consistently high in quality.

It’s easy for us to say that we want good food, responsibly produced; it’s another matter to economically support those who work hard to make that possible. Our actions speak louder than our words.

Since 2013, Edible Milwaukee has been the city’s most vocal forum and champion for a vibrant, emerging local food culture. We’ve introduced our readers to the farmers, chefs, artisans, brewers and distillers who produce the kinds of things they want to eat and drink. We’ve connected our food community to help chefs and entrepreneurs find spaces to creatively branch out, local food producers to find buyers, home cooks to expand their repertoire and food enthusiasts to find the restaurants lifting heavy to support the local food movement. If you’ve enjoyed reading our magazine and it’s helped even a little to shape the way you view food in our community, thank you.

This year, we ask you to do more. As a magazine, we are supported by advertising, mostly from local companies that keep a careful eye on their budgets. They, like us, need your support to stay viable and keep growing. If you like what we do, please tell our community partners that you read about them in Edible Milwaukee. Moreover, it’s hugely important for you to patronize their businesses, buy their products and take advantage of the offers they provide in the pages of our magazine. Your actions speak louder than words.

We have a lot of ideas for our magazine, and to grow we also need your direct support. Please consider a subscription—for $32 a year, you’ll receive a magazine hot off the presses each quarter, delivered right to your home. Find more information at ediblemilwaukee.com/subscribe.

Our smallest choices hold enormous potential. When we live what we believe in, we wield real power. Thank you again for four amazing years. I’m looking forward to seeing us reach our greatest potential— together.

-Jen Ede, Publisher/Editor-in-Chief