Culture Magazine

6 culturecheesemag.com BEGINNINGS 2024 EDITOR'S LETTER W hen I was a kid, I wanted to be a children's book author. In grade school, I vowed to dedicate my first book to my first-grade teacher, a woman who fostered my passion for reading and writing. Then, like many kids of the 90s, I decided marine biology was my destiny—it was more interesting and "cooler" than writing. That dream shifted to wanting to be a veterinarian, but after a shaky semester of science in my freshman year, I landed on art—specifically, graphic design. The direction was always forward, but the path was winding, chock-full of fresh starts and beginnings, as most career paths are. Because spring is often associated with fresh starts, we chose "beginnings" as our theme for this issue. Linni Kral highlights one of the key ingredients in making cheese that's there from start to finish (Salt of the Earth, p. 48), and Tanya Henry profiles the unique origin stories of three cheesemakers who began careers in fields totally unrelated to the dairy industry (Turning the Wheel, p. 42). Emily Monaco spotlight's Welsh cheesemaker Carrie Rimes (Finding Her Whey, p. 36) and her continuous quest to answer "why not"?, and Agela Abdullah interviews Natalie Matos (@madcultured) about Afro-Caribbean cheeses, encouraging folks to try the abundance of cheese outside the European model (For the Culture, p. 16). Josie Krogh catches up with father-son duo Joe and Joey Widmer of Widmer's Cheese Cellars about what's on the horizon for their century-old business (Voicings, p. 13), and Trenton Speer shares how Caputo Brothers Creamery offered him an opportunity to start fresh (Ruminations, p. 64). I always look forward to a beginning: opening the first page of a blank planner at the start of a new year (I know, nerd-alert), workshopping creative pitches, experiencing the joy of a budding friendship—all starts to journeying an unknown path. When I became the creative director at culture five years ago I told my husband (who just so happens to be a marine biologist) I'd landed my dream job. Now, as I embark on another new beginning as culture's content director, I can't help but smile as I reflect on my writing ambition. I never could have predicted authorship would come in the form of leading the editorial department at a cheese magazine. It's funny how our dreams have a way of meandering their way to fruition. Mallory Scyphers, Executive Content Director

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