Editor's Corner

June is a big month for me. It’s always been my favorite: school lets out, summer begins, *someone* has a birthday (hint, hint), graduation, father’s day, flag day… I could go on. June is also the beginning of BBQ season and the official kick-off of summer eating.

This issue is all about food, from growing to preparing to eating to policymaking. I am pleased to welcome Deborah Kane to our contributors list this month. Deborah publishes the beautiful local food magazine Edible Portland and is also in charge of Food & Farms at Ecotrust. So she knows food – and she’s a mom. Deborah recently authored a fascinating paper discussing some of the ways Portland Public Schools is incorporating a farm-to-table approach into school lunches; See “What’s for Lunch” on page 20 for an excerpt.

We talked to two local mamas building businesses around food: Alisa Gaylord of Gaia Baby Food teaches mamas how to prepare organic, healthy, and tasty first foods for the littlest eaters, and Pam Andrews, a personal chef, incorporates local harvests into the meals she prepares for lucky local families.

Being that we parents are always in the kitchen, we might as well make it look good. My Jess Says column this month highlights a few options for adding some style to mealtime. And, while you’re hanging out in there with your tots, you might as well teach them a thing or two about cooking. Our friends at Powell’s put together a great list of starter cookbooks for all tastes and skill levels, even one on making fairy food!

And of course, you might enjoy eating but cooking not so much. We share our favorite restaurants on pages 6-7. So here’s to this month’s dining adventures! Eat well this month…. Happy June!

—Jessica Davis, jessica@nwkids.com