At the celebration for edible New Mexico’s Local Hero Awards in early August, a surprise summer rainstorm hit the festivities. No one complained about getting wet. It was a moment of joy, a moment of grounding, of connecting to one another and the present moment. Yet the conversation kept turning to winter. After all, a farmer who’s not thinking of next season is a farmer who might not be farming next year. The same is true of a chef, a winemaker, a baker, a butcher—and, too, of the team producing a magazine devoted to the deeply seasonal story of local food. As attuned as we are to planting and harvest, fall galettes and winter stews, we are also always taking a longer view.
With this issue, we celebrate twenty years of edible New Mexico. Founded as edible Santa Fe in 2006, this magazine, from its inception, has championed all the players in the local foodshed. Over the years, we have introduced readers to countless growers and chefs, makers and grocers, restaurants and roasters, while also reporting on the histories, traditions, policies, and complex issues that inform and impact local food. We will continue to do so next season and next year.
Anniversaries invite reflection, taking stock of past performance, encounters, crops, and flavors, and that spirit moves through this issue. So, too, does thinking forward. In writing about the reclamation of Indigenous cuisine, Deborah Jackson Taffa anticipates what’s to come even while sharing stories from the past. Sarah Wentzel-Fisher adopts a treelike perspective in considering the state of local agriculture—focused on the long term and willing to transform if transformation means survival. And in tracing the history of chokecherry winemaking in New Mexico, Joe Scala also finds a communal approach to sourcing in which value extends beyond the cellar.
That spirit of continuity follows us to Taos, where we visit a new venue in a storied space, and to La Cienega, where we tour an organic farm that’s still growing vegetables for greater Santa Fe after more than twenty years. Our final edition of Savor the Mother Road finds classics, new and old, along the original iteration of Old Route 66. And pastry chef Rebecca Freeman, whose artistry graces this cover, traces the rise of the microbakery to its roots in a changing industry.
Early winter is a time of convening, with family, colleagues, friends, and neighbors. This issue of edible is also a convening: of noteworthy thinkers and writers and culinary artisans; of meaningful contributors to the local foodshed; of growers and land stewards whose commitments, extending into decades, far transcend the median tenure for American workers. We hope that you enjoy it and will continue to support us, whether with a donation to Friends of Edible New Mexico, by sharing our stories in print or online, or by joining us in advocating for this place, these people and lands, and the food that brings us together.
At the celebration for edible New Mexico’s Local Hero Awards in early August, a surprise summer rainstorm hit the festivities. No one complained about getting wet. It was a moment of joy, a moment of grounding, of connecting to one another and the present moment. Yet the conversation kept turning to winter. After all, a farmer who’s not thinking of next season is a farmer who might not be farming next year. The same is true of a chef, a winemaker, a baker, a butcher—and, too, of the team producing a magazine devoted to the deeply seasonal story of local food. As attuned as we are to planting and harvest, fall galettes and winter stews, we are also always taking a longer view.
With this issue, we celebrate twenty years of edible New Mexico. Founded as edible Santa Fe in 2006, this magazine, from its inception, has championed all the players in the local foodshed. Over the years, we have introduced readers to countless growers and chefs, makers and grocers, restaurants and roasters, while also reporting on the histories, traditions, policies, and complex issues that inform and impact local food. We will continue to do so next season and next year.
Anniversaries invite reflection, taking stock of past performance, encounters, crops, and flavors, and that spirit moves through this issue. So, too, does thinking forward. In writing about the reclamation of Indigenous cuisine, Deborah Jackson Taffa anticipates what’s to come even while sharing stories from the past. Sarah Wentzel-Fisher adopts a treelike perspective in considering the state of local agriculture—focused on the long term and willing to transform if transformation means survival. And in tracing the history of chokecherry winemaking in New Mexico, Joe Scala also finds a communal approach to sourcing in which value extends beyond the cellar.
That spirit of continuity follows us to Taos, where we visit a new venue in a storied space, and to La Cienega, where we tour an organic farm that’s still growing vegetables for greater Santa Fe after more than twenty years. Our final edition of Savor the Mother Road finds classics, new and old, along the original iteration of Old Route 66. And pastry chef Rebecca Freeman, whose artistry graces this cover, traces the rise of the microbakery to its roots in a changing industry.
Early winter is a time of convening, with family, colleagues, friends, and neighbors. This issue of edible is also a convening: of noteworthy thinkers and writers and culinary artisans; of meaningful contributors to the local foodshed; of growers and land stewards whose commitments, extending into decades, far transcend the median tenure for American workers. We hope that you enjoy it and will continue to support us, whether with a donation to Friends of Edible New Mexico, by sharing our stories in print or online, or by joining us in advocating for this place, these people and lands, and the food that brings us together.
Red Chile Roasted Butternut Squash with Pecans and Apricots
Instead of marshmallow yams for this year’s holiday spread, try this recipe to freshen up that old standby.
2026 Shop Local Gift Guide
Our 2026 Shop Local Gift Guide is filled with great finds for everyone on your list, at every price point.
Red Chile Roasted Butternut Squash with Pecans and Apricots
Instead of marshmallow yams for this year’s holiday spread, try this recipe to freshen up that old standby.
2026 Shop Local Gift Guide
Our 2026 Shop Local Gift Guide is filled with great finds for everyone on your list, at every price point.
