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editor's letter

Editor’s Letter

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Welcome to the 100th issue of Valley Table! Those of you who have been faithful readers over the years may know the origins of this magazine, but for those of you who are new to the brand, this milestone is a great opportunity to share a bit of history.

The idea to create a regional publication devoted to farms, food, and cuisine was cooked up in the late ‘90s by Janet Crawshaw and Jerry Novesky. The Hudson Valley-based couple had taken an 8-month cross-country road trip and were inspired by the newly formed Chefs Collaborative, a non-profit organization comprised of a group of visionary chefs including Alice Waters, Nobu Matsuhisa, Susan Feniger, and Rick Bayless to, according to the still-strong group’s mission statement, “inspire, educate, and celebrate chefs and food professionals building a better food system.”

Crawshaw and Novesky were aware of the agricultural strength of the Hudson Valley, and they wanted to support local farming and encourage people to buy and eat local. Although it’s very hard to imagine now, 25 years ago there were fewer than a half dozen commercially significant farm markets in the Hudson Valley—for most regional farmers, it was more economical to sell their produce to chefs and consumers at the Union Square Greenmarket in Manhattan.

So, the couple came up with an action plan for a quarterly (seasonal) magazine, which has remained laser-focused on farm-to-table since the first issue in 1998. To further support, celebrate, and draw attention (and customers) to regional restaurants and the area’s culinary riches, Crawshaw and Novesky launched Hudson Valley Restaurant Week in 2007. This fall’s event is November 7–20 (for participating restaurants, turn to page 28).

This year we introduced varying price points so restaurants and customers have more options. More details about pricing can be found at hudsonvalleyrestaurantweek.com. We hope you take advantage of the opportunity to dine at new eateries and old favorites!

Enjoy the holiday season!

Linda Fears
Editor in Chief