Edible Delmarva: Autumn 2018
The sliding of late summer into early autumn is pretty subtle here in Delmarva. The evenings have a certain sweetness and there is an urgency to savor every moment, each walk on the beach, each crab cake and ice cream cone, each juicy peach at the farmers’ market. But there is also a welcoming of cooler nights, crisp apples and sweet potatoes, festivals celebrating local craft beers and wines, and those delectable oysters harvested from our beloved Chesapeake Bay. All serving to remind us of the abundance that surrounds us in every season!
We welcome the start of the harvest, as we reap what has been sown and share the bounty with our families, our friends and our communities. What has been carefully planted and lovingly nurtured can now be joyfully gathered.
Many of the stories in this Harvest issue celebrate this sentiment. From Scott Budden, whose perseverance to start an oyster farm near his hometown on the Chesapeake has led to the planting of 4 million oysters this season. And Wilmington native Dan Sheridan, who always believed in the vibrant potential of his hometown and is now anchoring a revitalization of the area with the opening of Stitch House Brewery. Even Milford, Delaware native Mariah Calagione had a vision for what might be possible when she and husband Sam started Dogfish Head Brewery more than two decades ago, nurturing it into a national brand that showcases their fun, “off-centered” approach to life. And when John Flannigan wanted to launch a new group of hotels, he knew that Tilghman Island, with its timeless appeal that still spoke to him, would be the best place to start.
But it’s not necessary to be born in Delmarva to be deeply rooted in the community and call this place ‘home’. The ties that connect people and place and purpose know no boundaries. In this issue, we meet a crew of migrant farm workers from Puebla, Mexico, who have been coming to Bob Arnold’s farm on the Eastern Shore for many years. They have brought expertise and innovation along with their strong bodies and capable hands and, year after year, make the harvest possible while enriching the local community with their presence.
So as we celebrate the change of season and the abundance of the harvest, we also celebrate the hands that planted every seed, the eyes that watched over the fields and the waters, and the tireless commitment to the cycle of sowing and reaping. For all of this and more, we have much to be thankful.
Wishing you a bountiful harvest,
