Editor's Note: A Chance to Sift

I recently learned the Greek root of the word “crisis” is to sift. And my, oh my, the past few months have forced us to sift.

Beloved summertime milestones scratched off the calendar. Classrooms emptied and retailers shuttered. Early visions for what the year would bring are long gone. No matter if you’ve been impacted in big or small ways, these losses have real impacts on our lives.

But instead of reeling about what has been sifted out, I’m working to flip my perspective and focus on what remains in the sieve.

For me, it’s clear that family and food remain.

For the first time ever, simple FaceTime calls are highlighted on my weekly calendar. A new chocolate chip cookie recipe is an event to anticipate. A favorite takeout meal or being able to eat out again are treats to savor. And a nightly family walk to check on road construction progress is a new form of entertainment.

Recent crises have made me more deliberate, thoughtful and thankful.

It shouldn’t be a surprise that family and food are what I’ve held onto through these difficult times … after all, I work for an initiative called the Iowa Food & Family Project (Iowa FFP)!

This reflection has reaffirmed the importance of celebrating food and family. In good times and bad, the Iowa FFP can be an ongoing reminder to cherish these core values. Food and family have the potential to bring us together, make us more human and provide hope for a brighter future.

The stories in this issue of Fresh Pickings honor a cross-section of the foods and families that make our state shine. Beyond serving as a tribute to the people and places featured, each story is also designed to be an inspiration that you can bring back to your own kitchen tables, daily routines and family road trips.

As you continue to work through these turbulent times, I hope that you’ll see it as a chance to sift. And I hope that you, too, will find that food and family are priorities that remain true today and in the future.

Enjoy the issue,

Editor | Fresh Pickings Magazine

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