This is Eater Voices, where chefs, restaurateurs, writers, and industry insiders share their perspectives about the food world, tackling a range of topics through the lens of personal experience.

When peak blackberry season arrived at the end of August, wildfire smoke soon followed, casting a claustrophobic haze in martian shades of orange, red, and yellow. I wheezed behind my mask, squinting to find ripe fruit through the razored canes in West Seattle. My arms felt grimy, coated in a fine