In This Issue: Holiday 2016

Our extended Northern Michigan autumn hasn't prompted any early anticipation of snow and yet, in this letter, I need to take that leap from raking leaves to welcoming winter. And so I join you now as Thanksgiving feasts are in the works and the end-of-year festivities eagerly wait their turn. Welcome to our Holiday issue!

We've truly enjoyed creating and assembling these stories and photos. It's our way of showcasing the farms and food producers who bless this community with their work. Nothing could be a better fit than to start with beautiful photos from Crooked Tree Art Center's Farm to Frame contest and exhibition, for the contestants in this annual event mirror our own passions for capturing the stories found in food.

From there the pages are filled with greens and pie, tea and chocolate, cheeses and wine, the people who make them and the places where you can get them. Did you know that several farmers' markets stay open through the winter? These serve as vital connection points for small vendors and faithful shoppers, providing access to produce, meats and other edibles not easily found until spring market season begins again.

The end of the year is a resonant time to thank those who make Edible Grande Traverse a vibrant and relevant resource. Use the ad directory in our back pages to find and visit our supporters. Let them know you are a reader–they will appreciate your patronage and I'm sure they'll enjoy meeting you! As for our contributors, they are always a joy to work with. They are writers, enthusiasts, cooks and photographers and they put love into their stories, sometimes a personal touch–like the little mouse above, carved by her grandfather, that Tracy Grant brought along to the cheese shoot. Don't ever hesitate to contact them if you like what they do, they would love your response.

With that I will close by thanking you for your readership, your interest in the food around you and the people who have a hand in creating it. None of this happens without curious eaters who care for community and the food and farming that sustains it.

Happy holidays–fresh, local and delicious ones!

-Barb Tholin, Editor