Greens #5

Descripción

In this issue, we explore the dynamic world of brassicas and spanacias, examining their sustaining power and the deep-rooted wisdom contained in their leaves, through stories that compel further consideration of what the subject of greens can mean.

Women run the show this issue. Like a pot of well-seasoned collards, a dynamic bunch of women stir thoughtful and provocative discourse on issues that envelop the food that we eat and grow. None are afraid to dig into complex issues.

Meredith Leigh writes about challenges in mentoring women on the farm in the age of #MeToo. Food journalist and filmmaker Victoria Bouloubasis shines a light on a marginalized population— young farmworkers in North Carolina— and the activism they’ve harvested from the field and delivered to the halls of power. Two young farmworkers—Yesenia Cuello and José Godínez—contribute photography to Victoria’s story. Historian Leni Sorensen takes us on a personal journey, tracking her love of greens from a California childhood to her Charlottesville homestead. Katie Schank takes us back in time to Gee’s Bend, Alabama and asks us to contemplate the white gaze on a rural black community during the Great Depression. And Louella Hill brings us to a valley in Virginia to meet Calvin Stolzfus, a dairy farmer and prodigal son, whose farming methods oppose his parents’ traditional methods.

Learn how to grow a wealth of greens in your own backyard from Germaine Jenkins, farmer and proprietor of Fresh Future Farm in Charleston, South Carolina, who offers her tips in our Seed Skills section. Lastly, we welcome Lauren Utvich, our new food editor, who has prepared a lip-smacking collection of greens recipes to try in your own kitchen.

This is also our first issue using our three-tier subscription system, so, to keep a promise, we thank our first patron-level subscribers, Robey Martin and Ramsey Nix, for their kind support. Whether a new subscriber or loyal reader, we invite you into our pages to chew on subjects that, we hope, will simmer long in your hearts and minds.

—KEIA MASTRIANNI