Dear Readers,
Wintertime is here, and with it, all the coziness of the season. From crisp days to family meals to holiday celebrations, the darkest part of the year is also the return of the light as communities and friends gather together and our thoughts turn to gratitude and giving.
Two organizations you’ll want to learn about and give to this year include Sonoma Family Meal and Corazón Healdsburg. In this issue, discover how they work and how you can support these worthy efforts to lift up our community.
And speaking of giving, our special Winter Gift Guide section has local and practical ideas for everyone on your list—and even for your own self-care into 2025. Sometimes, when choosing gifts we tend to say, “I’m getting my sister a present,” rather than “I’m giving my sister a present.” So in the spirit of giving, check out our ideas on where to begin finding thoughtful gifts from local purveyors—many lovingly handmade right here—that you can give to all the people on your list (and maybe even give to yourself as well!).
Some of the best times of the season are the holiday celebrations, when our fancies lightly turn to thoughts of charcuterie boards. In Sonoma County, literally everything on our boards can be local, from the meat and pickles to the incredible cheeses. And as a guest, why not try bringing cheese? It’s a crowd pleaser and we have a thriving cheese scene here in Sonoma County. In our article Cheese to Please, read what author and cheesemaking expert Laura Werlin and others have to say about our local options (did you know you can easily travel with a soft cheese?).
It is also during winter that we say farewell to the current year while welcoming a new year. And here at Made Local Magazine, we are saying farewell to Janeen Murray, our outgoing publisher and the outgoing director of GO LOCAL. Murray is a powerhouse who has done so much good for Sonoma County food, farms, and business throughout her 14 years building the thriving GO LOCAL organization and publishing Made Local Magazine. While she hasn’t determined her next professional endeavor, she knows it will be continuing to support local businesses and organizations in Sonoma County. Best wishes, Janeen!
Simultaneously, we welcome Merith Weisman as our new publisher and the director of GO LOCAL. Weisman comes from a background as founding coordinator/director of the Sonoma State University (SSU) Center for Community Engagement. There, her duties included placing thousands of student assistants, interns, and faculty researchers into collaborative opportunities with local companies and organizations.
She is looking forward to using her experience at GO LOCAL, saying, “I can’t wait to work alongside a team that shares my enthusiasm for building the Sonoma County local economy, creative problem-solving, and contributing to these projects that all align with my passions.”
We’ll be taking a little pause during this transition so look forward to our next issue in May 2025.
Welcome, Merith! And welcome, all, to wintertime. May your season be full of warmth, cheer, and light.
With gratitude,
Kary Hess