Heading to the farm ...

You may or may not know that in addition to producing tasteMAKERS, I’ve been the publisher of Feast Magazine, a regional culinary publication, for 11 years. In fact, I’ve been in publishing for over 20 years and launched my first magazine, Sauce, in 1999, followed by Feast in 2011. Today, I announced my departure from Feast to take a new path, one that allows me to build on all of the work I’ve done covering food and farming.

On Monday, I begin a new journey as the chief curator of the Hermann Farm and Museum in Hermann, Missouri, which is an utterly charming 19th century town perched along the Missouri River. I will be working in partnership with the Dierberg Educational Foundation to establish the farm as a center for sustainable agriculture and culinary innovation.

I’m leaving publishing, but I’m not leaving the culinary industry — in fact, I will be more connected to food and farming now than I ever was as an editor. Plus, this new role will dovetail beautifully with the show. I’ve been asked a bunch over the past year about tasteMAKERS — it’s coming back, but it will take some time for the new season to come out.

So, beginning next week I will begin chronicling my time on the farm here, detailing the experience of building this historically significant property into what I hope will become a touchstone for the food and farming industries.

And in case you’d like to read it, here is my final publisher’s letter, which hit the streets today in Feast’s May issue:

It is with a bittersweet mix of anticipation and sadness that I type my last publisher’s letter for Feast.

After 11 years with Feast and over 20 years in publishing, I am taking a new path and have accepted a position with the Dierberg Educational Foundation as the new chief curator and creative director for the Hermann Farm and Museum. 

At Hermann Farm, I will be working with the team to fulfill Jim and Mary Dierberg’s vision, guiding the nonprofit’s purpose through immersive learning experiences, professional programs and events to establish this restored 19th century farm as a national center for sustainable agriculture and culinary innovation. 

We are laying plans now, and the vision for this farm and the educational foundation is vast – I am looking forward to being part of the fabric of the organization, but leaving Feast is not a decision I came to easily or lightly. It’s been a tremendous honor to collaborate with the extraordinarily talented people who make up our staff – Heather, Alex, Rachel, Kasey and Aubrey at Feast Magazine and Dana, Heather, Lauren and Rosanne at Feast and Field – along with the dozens of writers and photographers who contribute to both publications, not to mention the incredible people I’ve had the privilege of working with at the Post-Dispatch and Lee Enterprises. 

When this opportunity was presented to me by JiaMin Dierberg, a longtime friend, I found myself thinking, at first, that I couldn’t possibly leave publishing. After all, I’ve been in publishing since my mid-20s and know how truly fortunate I've been to be able to do this work. 

But then I stopped and thought about what the opportunity to help shape and build the vision for this nonprofit would mean for me personally as well as professionally. It’s a perfect next step in my career, one that builds on everything I’ve learned and experienced and one that will allow me to have a direct and personal impact on where we steer conversations about food, farming and sustainability.

So, today, I am saying farewell to Feast, but it’s not goodbye forever – I know we’ll cross paths along the way. Moving forward, you’ll see Heather Riske’s much-more-legible signature in this spot. Heather has been with the magazine for over six years and was named editor-in-chief in 2019. She is an incredibly strong editor with excellent insight and a deep love of our region’s culinary industry. I’m leaving Feast in very capable hands and I am excited to see where Heather steers the magazine in the years to come.

I wish everyone at Feast success and am truly grateful for the opportunity to collaborate and create with them through the years. I am also grateful for the opportunity to get to know you, our readers – it’s been a privilege, one that I deeply value and regard with sincere gratitude. From today forward, I join the ranks of Feast’s loyal readership – I’ll be checking in on the magazine from afar, but I won’t be far away.

Cheers,

Cat