In Issue #34

HOOSIER THOUGHTS

With this issue we embrace our six-year anniversary of being storytellers, advocates and preservationists. Preservation is a word that is used to describe the process of keeping something from the past or the present for the future. We preserve the past in order to help guide us towards a more sustainable future. Our hearts, our stomachs, our mission, our values—we take the steps to contribute stories about things that shape the way we live. In this issue we talk about preserving our youth, our food, our health and, hopefully, a way of life that will lend itself to better things for generations to come. We are thankful for our readership, our support and all of the people who work tirelessly to make our community something bigger and more impactful. We hope you will find something in this issue that will positively impact your life.

Hoosier Hugs,

Jennifer & Jeff Rubenstein

FROM THE EDITOR
 

This summer I lost my dad. A man of great strength, health and integrity, he was a constant fountain of wisdom, knowledge and inspiration. My love of good food comes from my dad. And I regret not taking the time to get more of his recipes and stories down on paper. Preservation is precious.

Our fall issue turns inwards in this way to summon the preservationist in all of us. From Camp DeMulling’s commitment to establishing a homestead and family farm so their children can grow up understanding the cycle of life and gifts of the natural world to our roundup of local fermentation favorites to preserve the season and find new flavors, we offer stories steeped in the alchemy of memory-making.

We also look to heroes in the local food community, like Sam Eibling of Goods for Cooks in Bloomington. “Begin with identifying what is important to you,” she shares. “Not your business or personal goals (increasing sales or getting married, for example), not seeking the end result per se, but rather have an understanding of what qualities you value.” And Fred Linz of Linz Heritage Angus, a local hero working to bridge the past with the future in his family’s business to ensure the tradition of ranching is preserved. “Cattle farming,” he says, “seems to be losing interest from the next generation.”

While the future calls, take time to let autumn work its way into your days. Hold your cup of tea longer, turn off the TV at dinnertime and talk, listen to your child when they have a story to tell and then write it down. Take it from me as one who has loved and lost: You won’t regret preserving what makes your life worth living.

Eat Well, Love Well, Live Well,

Colleen