I love how our some of our contributors rolled up their sleeves and really dug in to their assignments in this issue. Vanessa Stewart jumped on board Cocktail Barbone to report first-hand about working as a bartender for private parties in a retrofitted camper. Larry Egan unfurled a yoga mat (for the first time ever) to perform sun salutations among the denizens of Deerfoot Farm—soon to be delivering the raw material for Two Goats Creamery, the Cape’s only state-inspected cheese-making operation. And Michelle Koch spent so much time with Kate and Todd Richardson of Fluffy Butt Farm that she was inspired to create a hand-drawn Poultry Primer. We hope you are as charmed by her witty illustrations as we are.

Elsewhere in this issue, John Carafoli offers some seasonally inspired dishes that encourage us to dial back our meat consumption; Aline Lindemann shares a great recipe for dealing with your apple harvest, should you be so lucky to have such a thing; and Veronica Worthington sheds light on the issue of Slow Clothes. If you are unfamiliar with the term, Slow Clothes is a philosophy about thoughtful, ethical, creative and sustainable ways to enjoy the garments we wear while being mindful of the environmental impact involved in the process of creating them. We never, ever assign a topic for Veronica to write about, and it turns out to have been a genius move. She never disappoints and always gets us thinking about something we didn’t know we needed to think about.

After 50 years advocating on behalf of our local natural resources, the Association to Preserve Cape Cod should be familiar to everyone who lives here. Their vision is of a place where waters are restored and protected, natural landscapes and wildlife habitat are preserved and growth respects the character of town centers and rural lands. Eileen Morris caught up with several of the leading staff members to bring us up to date on their past successes and future plans.

Beyond the obvious charms of spending two weeks seaside, one of the things I liked best about vacationing on Cape Cod as a child was the rare opportunity for the five children in my family to enjoy a restaurant meal—it was mom’s vacation, too! Mostly, we would eat at picnic tables outside A&W Root Beer or Dairy Queen, but there was always one night when we would dress up and sit down for a proper meal out, which is why I love Mary Petiet’s Edible Memory about The Dolphin in Barnstable Village. She captures perfectly the excitement of the days when dining out was a special, rare occasion. Today, as a nation, we eat out between four and five times a week, on average. I’m not sure how many of those meals will be treasured memories the way Mary’s and mine are.

Here’s to mindful eating and dressing this fall!