A MESSAGE FROM THE EDITOR:

The fall season harkens back to a time when early settlers celebrated the bounty of a New World, when pilgrims gathered to reap the rewards of the annual harvest. Today, we are celebrating the harvest of a new bountiful commodity: Sustainability.

One can only imagine the awe that must have been struck by early settlers when they descended upon the fertile plains in the new country. The soil rich in nutrients provided a rich life for the homesteaders who became land stewards, employing simple land principles worked the way nature intended. Very little went to waste and their efforts were well rewarded. Their grains fed everyone at home with plenty left over for neighbors. As the harvest grew, it had promise to feed the hungry around the world. When the crops became international commodities, priorities shifted to profit. The industrial revolution changed everything; new fertilizers, insecticides and weed killers made up for the soil depletion, pest infestation and rogue weeds that permeated over-used fields. Land stewardship was abandoned for more expedient methods; farming the way nature intended has been replaced by what has become known as industrial farming.

Today, we are beginning to see just how unsustainable the industrial methods have become. As new health and environmental concerns come home to roost, we are observing a shift in priorities and a number of farms returning to principled methods to harvest their crops. Community-supported agricultural cooperatives and farmers’ markets are cropping up in nearly every metropolitan center. There also appears to be another trend emerging from a combination of these priorities and tough economic times – a return to self-sustaining agriculture at home.

We are inspired by these changes and envision a time when everyone embraces principles over profits and a reverence for our bountiful natural resources. This issue is dedicated to that bountiful harvest of sustainability!

On behalf of all of us at AZGreen Magazine, I want to thank our subscribers, advertisers, supporters and alliance partners for all they do to help us succeed. We are gratified to have received such positive response to our publication! I also want to take this opportunity to congratulate our friends at Green Living AZ, a new publication whose first issues recently graced the public with fantastic information about going green at home, at work and at play. The presence of a second magazine that bridges sustainability with every day life is validation that demand for information about principles of sustainability is high in our state. That’s great news for everyone. From one editor to another, keep up the good green words, Tishin!

We applaud like-minded individuals and businesses joining us to celebrate inspiration, awareness and stewardship – and the Harvest of a message for a common good. We hope you enjoy Harvesting Sustainability and look forward to your comments and Reflections on the Harvest!

Snowden Bishop | Editor-in-Chief

INSPIRATION  | AWARENESS  |  STEWARDSHIP