Dear Readers,
With fall’s arrival and the days growing shorter, I’m stepping into a new chapter of my own. This issue marks my last as editor of Made Local Magazine, a role I’ve enjoyed for the past two years.
It’s hard to put into words just how much I’ve appreciated connecting with this community—highlighting the makers, farmers, artists, entrepreneurs, and everyday visionaries who give Sonoma County its unique spirit. Being a part of telling those stories has been a deep joy and a meaningful exploration of what it means to truly “live local.” As I step away, I pass the torch to Lisa Ludwigsen, who will be taking on this role and carrying it forward in her own way beginning with the next issue.
For this fall issue, we return—like we always do—to the land and the people who shape it.
For local healing, we visit Buckeye Botanicals, where herbalist Natalia Bertotti brings the wisdom of plants into everyday care. You’ll also find Erin Wilkins’ Medicine Meal column featuring fall herbs you can use right now—nature’s wise way of helping our bodies adjust as the days grow shorter and cooler. This is Erin’s final column with us, and we’re so grateful for the grounding knowledge and care she’s shared in these pages over the years.
In our feature The Best of Both Worlds, we meet several Sonoma County businesses started by immigrants whose entrepreneurial drive and cultural traditions are helping shape our region’s economic future.
We also go behind the scenes at St. Francis Winery & Vineyard to drink local and take in the Transcendence Theatre Company where Broadway magic meets Sonoma spirit.
In our Farm Talk column, we visit Paul’s Produce and delve into the artistry of agriculture.
This issue is also full of other community voices. Our Local Makers profile features Sonoma County Youth Poet Laureate Lisa Zheng, who finds personal and public meaning in verse. And in the Community Scene section, we celebrate 25 years of Petaluma’s citywide celebration of El Día de los Muertos, honoring memory, heritage, and tradition.
And finally, take a weekend adventure on the Sonoma County Farm Trails Fall Tour, and learn about Santa Rosa’s newest park Southeast Greenway, a gift of green space for families, wanderers, and weekend picnickers alike.
As the editor of Made Local, I’ve had the privilege of celebrating the people who make this region so vibrant—through droughts and harvests, wildfires and regrowth, community challenges and small, daily joys. Thank you for reading, supporting, and living local right alongside us.
Fall reminds us every year that change is part of the cycle. Though I’ll be stepping away from the editor’s desk, I’ll always remain rooted here—in this community, in this land, in these seasons.
With gratitude,
Kary Hess
Editor, Made Local Magazine