Why a magazine?
I seem to get that question a lot…
When I moved back to the Rio Grande Valley in June of 2020, I was curious to explore, to see how the Valley had grown and evolved, and what had changed over the past 10 years. Since food naturally is a love language for me, that meant seeking out local products, restaurants and markets across the RGV, hoping to meet new people along the way.
I soon realized that, throughout the Valley, food and our food culture are very similar. They cross county and international borders. Our region is unique, delicious and beautiful, and deserves to be celebrated. That’s one reason for the magazine. The other reason is more practical. When I was working in the New York City restaurant industry, I was very familiar with the Edible brand. Upon my return to the Valley, I reconnected with Letty, now our editor, and expressed how difficult the job market was proving to be. I wondered where I could use my restaurant experience in curating unique experiences. Letty mentioned edible Austin and suggested starting a Rio Grande Valley edition – and everything clicked! A year and half later, you’re holding our first issue.
Starting an edible title means we also became a part of Edible Communities. Twenty years ago, edible was established in Ojai, California. There are now more than 80 titles throughout North America, making Edible Communities the largest food media company dedicated to local food. We are the fifth edible magazine established in Texas, and we will be the first to produce bilingual content and go south of the border. Our mission at edible Rio Grande Valley is to celebrate, inform and transform the way South Texans eat by connecting them to local food growers, producers and makers. We want to share their stories, thereby strengthening the local food economy and creating a sustainable local food system.
We will publish the magazine quarterly, distributed throughout the Valley and in Northern Mexico. Also, a monthly newsletter will be produced and we will curate exciting food events across the Rio Grande Valley. Sign up for our newsletter to get all the details. Our hope is to build an edible RGV community Valley-wide.
The edible Rio Grande Valley team is able to bring this magazine to you thanks to our trailblazing advertisers who chose to sign up for our inaugural issue. We thank them for their support, and we invite you to support these wonderful local businesses.
You can stay current with all things edible RGV by following us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. We hope you’ll share our stories with your friends and family.
Thank you for joining us as we embark on this new adventure…Vámonos!
