It might be easy for the casual observer to overlook Connecticut. Our population lands us somewhere in the middle range of the 50 states. In regard to land area, we’re one of the smallest in the union; only Delaware and Rhode Island are smaller. We’re neither large nor particularly populous. Yet, despite our relatively diminutive stature, Connecticut abounds with a diversity of industry, itself a reflection of the state’s great range of landscapes and traditions: rural and urban, cities and villages, old world and new world.
A sampling of our state’s diversity is on display in this issue. A history of George Hall Farm, one of Connecticut’s oldest, traditionally organic farms, sits alongside our cover story about Dishaun Harris’ innovative urban agricultural initiatives. We explore Nit Noi Provisions’ revival of timeless Thai broths, along with Continuum Distilling’s original and unconventional approach to sustainable spirit production. The old and the new are collaborators in Connecticut, marrying the best of our state’s food traditions with the essential modernizations needed in a dynamic, ever-changing world. In a year that has shaken our state’s food industry, this union of classic and contemporary methodologies seems all the more critical to its sustainability.
In my time as a farmer, I idealized the notion that Connecticut could be “food independent” – that the state’s food industry, if optimized, could produce all the food its citizens needed, and rather than import foods from other parts of the nation, we could cycle the wealth of our food system from Connecticut farmer to Connecticut consumer, and back again. It is, perhaps, a wishful – if incredibly “Yankee” – vision of self-sufficiency. Yet, the events of this year make clear that this spirit does, indeed, prevail. Despite the staggering setbacks that 2020 has brought to our food industry, Connecticut’s independent food producers persevere, fusing sensible agricultural traditions with requisite remodeling for modern challenges. In the process, they’ve nourished both our bodies and our economy and lived up to that Yankee ideal of toughness and resiliency.
This winter, I hope you’ll take advantage of the bounty our food makers are able to offer, even in such taxing times. Visit our state’s winter farmers markets, patronize our independent restaurants, and – as always – buy from local makers. You’ll be supporting our local communities, and in the process, I think you’ll find yourself as impressed as I am with the range and quality of goods created by Connecticut’s food producers.
Dana Jackson, Editor & Publisher
Winter 2020 Digital Edition Flipbook
