Growing up on a farm changes the way you think about food.
My dad raised wheat, corn, and sunflowers, and I learned early that a meal starts long before it reaches a plate. There’s the weather and the soil, and then there are the days that start before sunrise and end well after it sets. My July birthday falls right during summer harvest. Countless cakes were consumed, huddled in the shade of a combine, a quick song, and back to work.
I remember the quiet tension that would settle over the house when a storm rolled in. Hail could wipe out a year’s worth of work (and income) in minutes, and my dad watched the sky closely. My sister and I tiptoed around, sensing the unease. When it rained, the neighbors checked their gauges and reported back: how much fell, where it hit hardest, whether it was enough.
Watching all of that as a kid left a lasting impression and taught me that the people who grow our food carry a weight most of us never see. Farmers put their trust in the land and the weather every single season and give willingly to forces that can’t be controlled no matter how carefully you plan. That’s a heck of a way to make a paycheck, and it’s part of what makes this Culinary Issue so special to me.
Inside, we’re celebrating the people who are growing, harvesting, milling, fermenting, and crafting the ingredients that shape the way we eat. Their work shows up on restaurant menus, in farmers markets, and in the meals we make at home.
This issue is to remind us that every ingredient has a beginning. And more often than we realize, it’s someone standing in a field, looking up at the sky, hoping the weather holds.
Here’s to loving where you live.
Discover the print-exclusive Colorado’s Next-Gen Growers feature by downloading the digital magazine or pick up a copy from select local King Soopers, Safeway, Tattered Cover, or Barnes & Noble locations.
