Back in April, “We’re All In This Together” meant that collectively, as a nation, we were putting our regularly scheduled programming on pause to help stave off the coronavirus. A few weeks of working from home, some casual “distance learning” and baking our own bread would nip this thing in the bud and we’d emerge on the other side with new skills, some much-needed self-sufficiency and a greater appreciation for teachers, service workers, doctors, nurses, our local food community and the “essential” among us. 

But we all know that’s not what happened. Weeks have turned to months and here we are, our phased “reopening” still in its infancy and the new normal not quite yet understood. Will open-air patio dining and in-store shopping breed a viral resurgence two weeks from now, like what we’re seeing in other states? I’m cautiously optimistic that our proper masking and distancing will make Massachusetts a model for the rest of the country. Emphasis on cautiously. 

I’ve started and scrapped this letter at least a dozen times. What can I say that you don’t already know about the turmoil and agony of the past few weeks? I feel ill-equipped. But I’m listening and learning and will do what I can to amplify more voices in the local food community with every issue. I’m writing this in mid-June, on the day of an historic, monumental ruling in favor of LGBTQ rights—this is a shiny bright spot of truly good news in a year full of bad. So maybe we’re headed for a turning point. Maybe real change can come after all.

If these transformative 14 weeks have brought me anything, besides alternating bouts of empathy and outrage, it’s gratitude. We’re still here because of you, our readers, and your positive encouragement and support. We thank the team who cobbled this issue together while social distancing, doing their work in a constantly changing environment. Thinking ahead to an amorphous future date while information was still in flux took patience and a lot of revisions. You’re all stars.

And to the writers who so ably told the COVID stories for us online between issues—Nina Livingstone, Louisa Kasdon, Annie Copps, Robin Hauck, Ashira Morris, Bobby McLean, Maggie Battista, Tara Taft, Jolivia Barros, Andrea Pyenson, Katie Kantrowitz, Emily Gowdy-Backus, Heather Cole-Mullen, Alexis Kelleher, Debra Stark, Bethany Graber, Jenna Tsui, Alison Moore, Rachel Caldwell, Margo Gabriel, Penny Schwartz—thank you. You’ve perfectly captured this ever-changing moment, informed our readers with a fresh perspective and we are forever grateful for your talents. 

But most of all, we are beholden to the generosity of our advertisers. Every ad you see in this magazine was purchased by a local business to help further our mission, even as they themselves are struggling to know what comes next. Please support these people, and all local businesses; they’re the backbone of our communities and without them we’d be lost.

Chances are you’ve never spent this much time at home in your own backyard, and we planned this issue with that in mind, with three How-To stories from local experts designed to up your outdoor self-sufficiency game. We’ve got recipes for at-home birthday cakes, frozen treats and a whole new take on pizza night. In memory of our postponed readers’ trip, An Edible Adventure to Campagna and Puglia, we’ve got a summertime supper picnic so you can dream of Italy right here at home; perhaps you’ll join us there this time next year. And in support of our local fisheries, I created five grilled seafood menus, all paired with sweet corn, to cook up on your Weber and serve to your nearest and dearest. 

Our features delve a bit more into the food community’s response to COVID-19, their strategic pivots and novel adaptation, including Commonwealth Kitchen’s new venture, CommonTable; a profile of #OffTheirPlate, an organization feeding the front lines and putting restaurant workers back in the kitchen; a look at the past and future of food co-ops in Boston as the pandemic shines light on food access and supply chains; a North Shore sheep farm, founded as a cheesery, taking a step back in favor of family; and Chef Tony Maws of Craigie on Main lays out the platform of Massachusetts Restaurants United in this season’s Q+A.  

Nothing about this summer will be normal, that much is clear. But I hope you find a way to adapt and pivot and innovate in real time, just like our intrepid local food community. It’s been inspiring to watch and they need our help—they can only do so much without us. So, wash your hands, wear a mask, social distance and support local restaurants. March in the streets, write to your member of Congress, stand up for what’s right and persevere. Change is in our hands. And we are all *still* in this together.

Peace.

Sarah Blackburn