In the Fall 2023 Issue

COVER: 100% full-blood wagyu at Connecticut Wagyu. Photo by Ling Messer

While writing Mise en place is one of my favorite tasks it’s always the last piece to go to our poor designers! It seems that only after all the people, stories, images, and words for the issue have gone through my head a number of times can I finally focus. Here we go.

As I write, the end of August brings, for us, a touch of melancholy about the change of seasons. We’ve certainly enjoyed the fresh vegetables, the beaches, the hikes with our golden retriever Sadie, long sunny afternoons reading on the hammock, and all the rest of summer’s bounty. The trees are still lush and green, but we know change is coming.

To greet the season, this issue is chock full of the compelling reads and images you’ve hopefully come to expect from us. We range from wagyu cattle to microgreens, from the great delights at The Essex in Old Saybrook to great autumn hikes, and we talk to the founders and farmers of Grown Connected who are helping connect farms with consumers.

In other news, or first dinner event, Feast on the Farmington, at Present Company in Tariffville was a delightful success! We’re happy to say the dinner was a sell out and everyone seemed to have an amazing evening. Check out the pictures in this issue.

We again welcome several new advertisers in this issue including The Fort Distillery (Tumbler & Rocks Craft Cocktails), The GOOD Farm, and Toast & Tonic (formerly bleu squid).

A special thank you to all who have supported edible CT EAST since our launch in the Spring of 2019 - The 85th Day Group (Oyster Club, Port of Call, & The Engine Room), Bank Square Books, Green Valley Hospitality (Vanilla Bean Café, Dog Lane Café, 85 Main, Fenton River Grill), Litchfield Distillers, and the Willimantic Food Coop. We sincerely appreciate your continued support for the magazine and for your local food community!

Embrace our beautiful autumn harvest season and the changes therein!

Best, 
R. Shane Kennedy 
Publisher/Editor