Dear readers,

Last week, along with a dozen or so other food journalists and dietitians from around the country, I traveled to the Bay Area for a harvest tour of California walnuts. As guests of the Walnut Board, we went to see walnuts being harvested, shelled, and sorted.

On Monday night, however, a giant storm blew into northern California and dumped inches of rain, some of it in places that hadn’t seen rain since last spring. On Tuesday, the wind whipped and the deluge continued, pelting down on our tour bus. We splashed in puddles and raced through the unceasing downpour at each of our stops.

At Frank Rebelo’s 160-acre walnut orchard in the Central Valley, pools of water formed along the roadside and the ground beneath each tree was dotted with nuts blown to the ground in the storm. Instead of walking us out to the orchard to see his trees, Frank gathered a few hulls and brought them undercover for us to examine. He and his wife were gracious hosts, but the worry of the weather creased his forehead. When the storm cleared, and the ground dried, he would have to work in earnest to bring his harvest in on time.

For most of us, bad weather is an inconvenience, but for farmers, it can make or break an entire crop. And for me, that may have been the trip’s strongest lesson.

Kim Carlson
Editorial Director