Letter from the Crew
Apr 12, 2023 10:14AM ● By Staff Writer

Hey Zachary people—it’s Spring so we thought we’d highlight our town in green on the cover with nods to Earth Day, AAPI heritage, Autism Awareness month, and more! The cover is brought to you by a little known podcast host and his watercolor illustration kit. You guessed it, but Mike could not have done it without the digital editing skills of the amazing Linda Shi. Since our kids enjoyed coloring the black and white copies so much, we’re offering that to everyone as the first ever P&P downloadable for kids of all ages, available here. We’re so excited to see pics of your art work!
We had so much fun with Field & Garden, visiting the Bayou Sarah Farms water buffalos – you “herd” right. I wish you could have seen the look on our four year old’s face when he stared eye to eye with Casique the mighty buffalo. Check that out on page 8.
In our continual effort to foster candid conversations, we’re talking about maternal mental health this month. Lane RMC Ob/Gyn Dr. Joshua Best weighs in on the baby blues and postpartum depression. Local women share their own experiences at various phases of motherhood, from those first 48 hours, to coping with motherhood’s challenges in every season of life.
And while the most recent Census for Zachary reports less than 1% of our population identifying as Asian American or Pacific Islander, we shine a light on those neighbors and their cultures for AAPI heritage month. There are some nuggets of wisdom in these interviews that apply to meeting newcomers in general. The key takeaway: start a conversation just like you would with any other person. Don’t make “Where are you frooom?” your opening line because the answer just might be Slidell.
Finally, we spoke with experts in our community for a guide to the five pillars of financial literacy. Whether you’re a teenager ready to open your first bank account, or looking toward retirement planning and beyond, these local experts have you covered.
We hope you enjoy the Spring issue of Porch & Parish. You can check out the e-edition here or pick up a print copy at one of our many rack locations around Zachary. If you aren’t already tuned into the podcast, dialed in to our digital stories, or receiving the weekly newsletter of Zachary stories, find us on Facebook or sign up for the weekly newsletter on our website home page. And if you’re enjoying receiving all of this content for free, we’d love it if you could make a donation to support our work.
Happy crawfish season!
Jen & the crew