Letter from the Editor

Here it is 2019, and we are embarking on our second year of bringing you the stories of our local food movement.

I’m really excited to start this new year knowing how many wonderful things are going on right here in our own backyards (sometimes quite literally) as those of us who are passionate about changing our local food systems continue the good fight! It’s not always easy (is it ever?), but is so worthwhile and I take courage in knowing that there are so many more of us than I realized when I started on this adventure a year ago.

In this issue we explore some ways that food is sometimes more than what meets the eye … or the belly. Beyond nutrition, food can provide comfort, justice, healing and connection. It might possibly even hold the key to reconnecting us with part of our human spirit locked away as we have become so distantly separated from our food source and the earth itself.

This year, we will be continuing our collaboration with A Greener World, by re-publishing, with their permission, one article per issue from their publication Sustainable Farming Magazine.

And we have begun a new collaboration with the Coastal Plain Chapter of the Georgia Native Plant Society in order to highlight the value of incorporating native plants within our edible landscapes, gardens and farms.

I’m happy to welcome back some familiar writers this year who will continue to contribute their own unique perspectives to the conversation and excited to welcome a number of new contributors this year as well!

In this first issue, we welcome back Rebekah Faulk Lingenfelser with her feature, Some Kinda Good in the Neighborhood. Rebekah is passionate about preparing good food sourced locally. She shares cooking and entertaining tips, and easy-to-execute, flavorful recipes to encourage others to gather around the family table and share in the joy of cooking and eating together.

New to Southern Soil, Patrick J. Holladay, Ph.D. is an academic, researcher, and lover of all things outdoors. Patrick has held leadership positions with local groups like Slow Food Coastal Georgia, Georgia Coast Travel Association, GA Grown Highway 17 Agritourism Trail, and the St. Simons African American Heritage Coalition.

He brings not only practical experience but a wealth of research to his writing and I’m excited to have his voice added to the ongoing conversation about our food systems. I think he brings a valuable perspective to the table.

There are several other new contributors (I will introduce them as they come aboard in later issues) whose contributions will, I believe, help to round out our coverage of the food movement here in Southeast Georgia. It has always been my goal to include a diverse group of people into this conversation and this year we are making strides in that direction.

Speaking of conversation … please don’t be a passive reader! Southern Soil was truly designed and created to be a platform, a table so to speak, that we as a community can gather around and engage in a meaningful conversation about our local food. So, please do pull up a chair and join that conversation!

There are a number of ways you can do that. Follow us on social media (Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest) and engage! As writers, we want to know if our words resonate. As facilitators for this food movement (which is what we ultimately endeavor to be), we need your feedback and your input.

You can also reach me via email at info@ southernsoil.org. I would love to hear from you and know what is on your mind. What issues do you want to see covered? What topics are important to you?

I’m looking forward to 2019 being a year of growth for Southern Soil and for our local, sustainable food systems. Thank you for joining me!

LeeAnna Tatum, editor

Happy piglets on Comfort Farms

photo by: LeeAnna Tatum