Editorial

I get excited about every issue of Southern Soil as it begins to come together, but this one has been especially fun for me. I hope you enjoy getting to know some of the women leading our local food movement as much as I have!

I stress the word “some” because this is only a small representation of the many women here in Southeast Georgia who are working hard to improve our local food system. Whether it is on the farm, in the kitchen or the boardroom; women play an important role in the sustainable food movement.

The demographics of farmers in America are changing and women are making up a growing percentage of new farmers. Though the food industry is one in which women are still largely underrepresented, female chefs and restaurateurs are making their mark as well.

Relinda Walker

In this issue, you’ll meet Relinda Walker, one of the area’s pioneers in organic vegetable farming and the current manager for Statesboro’s farmers market. I’ll also introduce you to Jennifer Taylor, an organic farmer and granddaughter of a sharecropper, who serves on multiple boards that influence policy and organic farming standards and practices.

Jennifer Taylor

You can also get to know Janisse Ray, local author nationally recognized for her writing on the environment and rural communities here in

Janisse Ray

the Southeast, who attempts to live a sustainable lifestyle with her husband on their small farm near Reidsville. And Jovan Sage and I talk about her transition into farming as she embraces her call to the land and her calling as a healer.

Jovan Sage

You’ll also want to read about Chef Lauren Teague’s interesting transition from ballerina wannabe to award-winning chef! She’s also made a name for herself in Savannah as a chef who supports local food producers.

Lauren Teague

Photo credit: Bud Johnson Photographyhy

I’m happy to introduce a new contributor in this issue, Kirsten Breau. She has been working

this year with the Forsyth Market through the AmeriCorps VISTA. Kirsten brings us the stories of two young women farmers: Marissa Paykos of Whippoorwill Farms and Madison Cowart of Bootleg Farms.

Marissa Paykos

Madison Cowart

And Brandon Chonko of Grassroots farms is the other new contributor in this issue - and the lone male! He shines some well-deserved light on the unsung hero of modern farming (where one member of the household often has to earn income away from the farm) - the farmer’s spouse, which in this case is the farmer’s wife.

Be sure to read about the women who have influenced Rebekah Faulk Lingenfelser throughout her culinary career, in her feature Some Kinda Good in the Neighborhood!

Rebekah Faulk Lingenfelser

We have some fantastic woman-owned businesses who are advertising in this issue, please take some time to click on their ads (and all our ads!) and get to know them. Without advertisers, I cannot do this work that I love to do! And without advertisers, you wouldn’t have the opportunity to read about the wonderful things that are going on here in our local communities. No one else is covering our local food movement to this degree.

So, if you enjoy reading these articles please take a moment to “thank” our advertisers by visiting their page, follow them on social media and give them your business when you can! And if you have a business, please consider advertising with us - let’s grow together!

LEEANNA TATUM, Editor