As spring beckons, I’m thankful that we are finally looking back at (rather than directly into) what was a difficult winter. Nature had it out for us, with plenty of snow, ice, and cold, but we’re Nutmeggers – we’re used to that. The more challenging hurdle was the continuing impact of COVID-19 on our well-being, both socially and economically. With the cold were gone the days of outdoor dining, and with those, a critical lifeline that had helped keep our state’s restaurant industry afloat. While winter is always a season with fewer events, concerns about virus transmission caused this year to be even more isolating, with virtual gatherings frequently replacing in-person festivities.

And yet, we pressed through it, with eyes toward better months ahead. Spring is always a hopeful time, but is all the more so this year, and I hope the articles in this season’s edition reflect that. This issue brings you the story of one restauranteur’s innovative pivot that helped save both her business and her sanity, as well as a look at how Connecticut’s craft butchery trade is bringing an invaluable personal connection back to the industry.

It seems like every issue, I conclude with the same appeal to support your local growers, makers, chefs, and businesses. Yet, season after season, it continues to feel like the very best thing any individual can do to bring resiliency and sustainability to our communities. It seems such a small thing to buy produce from a local farm or to order a meal from a local, independent restaurant, but the weight of these actions, taken en masse, is truly impactful. After a year that found us forcibly disconnected from our community in ways we’ve never been before, it feels all the more important to recite my perennial mantra, buy local. For the small farms and businesses most affected by the past year’s tribulations, nothing is more valuable than your patronage, be it online, by phone, or by walking through their doors.

Dana Jackson, Editor & Publisher

Spring 2021 Digital Edition Flipbook