Happy Spring

Welcome to Issue 6! Inside we reveal our 2015 Local Heroes—nominated and voted on by you. Thanks to the 3,000+ of you who voted. This issue brings stories that are near and dear to my heart: decreasing food waste, gardening with wildlife in mind and getting outdoors to explore our parks. I just love the fact that when I read a story we assigned to a writer, I always learn something new!

Speaking of learning something new, I had the opportunity to tour Nature’s Way Resources and talk with John Ferguson (you’ll meet him in our Meet the Maker department) and he bowled me over with the simple facts of why we really shouldn’t buy “natural” compost from the big box stores. When you connect the dots from soil to plant and plant to body, you’ll want to know the ingredients of that compost!

Once we grow that healthy plant or animal, we want to ensure we use it all. The sad truth of the matter is that U.S. families waste tons of food each and every year. As hard as I try, I’m reminded I can do better during my biannual cleaning of the fridge and freezer. I inevitably find shriveled up veggies in what my friend calls the rotter (the veggie drawer in the fridge that spells death to those bags of greens shoved in the back), along with mystery leftover containers and forgotten half-used condiments. Paula Niño Kehr talks to chefs to help us make the most of what we buy and to use it all, from root to shoot. I know I’ll be using many of their ideas.

Francine and I hope you learn something new too and we always welcome your feedback. Share your favorite “use every bit” recipe or hiking trail. Explore and report back…

Live local * live well