Food for Thought: Fall 2026
A sea change is a profound, notable and permanent shift in perspective, behavior or attitude. A transformation.
Fall in Santa Barbara isn’t the typical fall seen in picture postcards. It can be hot and dry, with Santa Ana winds rushing up the canyons and dust hanging in the air. It is a time to seek water and shade.
I specifically remember wearing tiny tank tops at Santa Barbara High School during a sweltering heat wave in November, enough that I somehow gained the dubious award for “most likely to wear a navel-revealing top” in my senior year English class, the equivalent of a participation trophy.
The only navels being revealed now are the citrus variety, and they are coming in hot for the cool season.
Autumn color? We get modest amounts by way of sycamores and willows near our trickling water sources and some imported maples and persimmons.
What does define our fall harvest season is grapes, miles upon miles of them extending up and down the coastline. Undeniably, parts of the outskirts of the county take on a noticeable skunky scent, sometimes referred to as “Croptober.” Strawberries are still amazing; avocados are still amazing. In fact, much of our produce is still amazing.
If anything, our approaching cool season is more like others’ spring. We have a remarkable, full 12-month growing season here, which makes our area so very special. There is an abundance of festivals and tasting events that can keep your social wine-and-dine calendar filled until the winter holidays.
The autumn equinox marks a transitional period, moving from summer toward winter, so the theme of this issue is “Sea Change.” Metaphorically, it’s a profound moment, a shift. For me, I first encountered the use of the phrase when reading M.F.K Fisher’s books. It influenced my own curiosity and wanderlust, taking me to the United Kingdom, Europe and further around the globe. The articles in this issue represent the sea change happening to people and places around Santa Barbara County.
Most importantly, it’s about trying new things. It’s also a notable Beck album to have on the turntable as the sun starts dipping below the horizon when the days grow shorter. On the precipice of acquiring Edible Santa Barbara (now at our 2-year anniversary), Rob and I took a break from the whirlwind of life-changing moments to spend an evening at the Hollywood Bowl for a Beck show with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, where much of the album paired so well with orchestral accompaniment during a perfect Southern California late-summer evening. If there was a time to capture a moment of our sea change, it was then.
Giving thanks,
