4 | SUMMER 2026 EDIBLE CENTRAL OREGON Welcome to the first issue of Edible Central Oregon. Launching in the summer feels perfect for a magazine guided by the seasons—we dreamt and planned through the winter, planted seeds and watered all spring, and now bring this offering to you at peak ripeness, ready for you to enjoy. We are the newest of about 75 locally owned and operated Edible magazines across the U.S. and Canada, each focused on celebrating and championing its distinctive local food scene. If you produce food or beverages in Central Oregon—or simply enjoy consuming them—we’re here for you. I feel so fortunate to be creating Central Oregon’s first Edible, my dream since moving to Bend in 2016. I’m also elated to return to publishing after a long-ago stint as editor for a regional quarterly magazine in Santa Barbara, CA. Magazines have a unique ability to connect people with businesses and organizations that align with their values, with limitless potential to move beyond the transactional into lasting and authentic relationships. Helping to make those introductions is endlessly exciting to me. And yes, print does matter: Studies show that reading on paper has a much more lasting impact, engaging spatial memory and utilizing more of the senses, than what we absorb digitally. For a publication about producing and enjoying food—elementally physical acts—it seems only fitting. To quote Oscar Wilde: “Nothing can cure the soul but the senses, just as nothing can cure the senses but the soul.” With each issue, we strive to feed your soul as much as your body. Part of what makes the Edible world so special is that we cover the scene behind the scenes with the people who nourish us and bring our region’s flavors to life. As you turn these pages (grab a beverage, take your time), I hope you see faces familiar and soon-to-be familiar, learn something new, try out a recipe or two, and fall deeply in love with our culinary community. At Edible Central Oregon, we believe understanding where our food comes from is not a luxury but rather the connective tissue of a thriving and just community. Before my passion for local food systems was a simple love of food: As a toddler, I apparently sang a spontaneous song of appreciation at dinner that went something like: “Hoppa, hoppa food’a, when she gets alive!” I’ve been in pursuit of my next delicious meal ever since. To each of you who has helped bring this vision to life with your knowledge, introductions, cheerleading, and support—thank you, thank you, thank you. Here’s to deliciousness, —Rebekah Altman FOLLOW US! @ediblecentraloregon @ediblecentraloregon ediblecentraloregon.com From the Editor Photo by Jen Lee Photography
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MTcxMjMwNg==