Sep/Oct 2019
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Letter to the Editor
Our job here at Made Local Magazine is to tell the endlessly inspiring, diverse, and true stories that rise within the Sonoma County food system. A celebration of diversity is more important now than ever. That we happen to live in a region with a long history of economic growth that’s dependent on immigrant labor…
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Locavortex: September Climate Strike
How we eat, and how we dispose of the food we eat, are inextricably connected with climate change. As locally based organizations like California Climate & Agriculture (CalCAN) have made clear, the way food is grown has significant impacts on greenhouse gas emissions. Agriculture can either contribute to the problem or be a solution as…
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Bagels are Having a Moment
You no longer have to trek to New York from Sonoma County to have an authentically delicious, boiled bagel. Gone are the days when I thought of bagels as innocuous, round vehicles for cream cheese. On the contrary, these Jewish classics (which date back to 17th century Poland) are steeped in lore and actually quite…
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Beyond Groceries
Founded in 1988 in response to the AIDS crisis, Food For Thought has expanded into medically tailored nutrition services for people with other serious health issues. On a late summer afternoon, the Food For Thought garden in Forestville buzzes with activity. Bees swarm borage, volunteers weed around vegetables and pick peaches, and sunflowers and mullein…
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Bringing It All Back Home
Nearly a decade ago, Acre Coffee introduced a Portland-inspired minimalist coffee vibe locally. If you’ve ever mistaken Acre Coffee for an outside chain, you wouldn’t be alone. In fact, owners Steve DeCosse and his wife Sharon Fitzgerald laugh with an easy familiarity when asked about the misconception. “People assume we are a franchise,” DeCosse says…
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A Cannabis Infusion: Local THC and CBD Beverages are Making a Splash
Ever since legalization in 2018, cannabis products of every sort have flooded local dispensaries. From flowers and vape pens to edibles and topicals, cannabis connoisseurs have access to lots of new ways to consume the historically controversial plant. Tea and soda have been at the forefront of these cannabis consumption innovations. Recently, Sonoma County producers…
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Adventures in Drinking: The Elephant in the Room
Come for the good tunes & stay for the good vibes at The Elephant in the Room! If you didn’t know it was there, you wouldn’t know it was there. Tucked away in an unassuming shed-like space just off the roundabout in swanky wine country Healdsburg, The Elephant in the Room is like a secret…
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True Cost of Farming
Humberto Castañeda Produce is the largest grower of vegetables in Sonoma County – and they are struggling to survive. Humberto Castañeda Produce lies next to a particularly fast stretch of River Road between Santa Rosa and Forestville. I miss the turn on the first pass, just glimpsing the numbers of the address as I whiz…
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Savorbang! Backyard Chicken Deviled Eggs
Welcome to our regular recipe column from teacher and stand-up comedian Sarah Whitmore. This time around, she shares what’s up with making Basque or wasabi deviled eggs from your backyard chickens. No bragging allowed. If you’ve ever raised chickens from adorable chicks to full-fledged hens, you understand what it is to be taken advantage of—you…
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LOCAVOX: Stories from the people who make our food system go
SHEBA PERSON-WHITELY Executive Director at Sonoma County Economic Development Board Earlier this year, Sheba Person-Whitely became the new executive director of the Sonoma County Economic Development Board. We spoke to her about what she’s observed about the local food system over the last couple of months. Made Local Magazine (MLM): What are your thoughts on the…