Abundant Harvest?
All across the worlds northern regions this is a traditional time for celebration. Whether you are in the upper Midwest of the United States or in Northern China or Europe this is harvest time. One of the most beloved traditions we inherited are the celebrations of harvest. I remember the "Fall Festival" at my rural grade school in Ohio. It was among the biggest events of the year. It had a real sense of abundance, great food, games for kids and adults and a chance to support the school. People saw old friends, made new ones, had a good time and did it for a good cause. Thinking back, I believe it was no accident that the Fall Festival combined the harvest season and supporting education. While no one told me this explicitly, investing the joy and energy of harvest into your children's school was a clear act of planting for the future. Today we think of this time as "back to school" and in most of our urban communities we have lost our intimate contact with the harvest. We still have pumpkins and cornstalks as decorations around the community. I suspect these are more often associated with the increasingly commercialized holiday--Halloween, than a recognition of our inherent community with the earth, those who till it, and the seasons. Food is still one of the most important elements of community. At one time we all knew someone who produced food that we would eat. Today our connection to those who supply our food is through the cash register. This is a connection, but a much weaker one than our earlier direct contact with farmers and farming. We seldom think about where our food comes from and most don't worry about tomorrows meal being available. Where Does Food Fit in Community?This Fall season take the opportunity to look at where food fits in your community. If you have a "fall festival" be sure that you invite someone who is directly involved in producing food. If possible try to take a quick inventory of how food fits in your communities celebrations. What are the food related resources that your community will need to support it in the next century? What are you and your community leaders doing to assure that your community has the food producing resources that it may need.
As you approach the new year what is being done to assure that Y2K won't create problems in your food supply? Take a minute to think about all those in your community whose work brings you your food. Where would the community be if they weren't there? Finally, remember that in some communities this year the harvest season will be bitter. Farmers in many places will have no or limited crops to harvest. In other places the harvest will be abundant but the price will be low. On our East coast storms have torn at the networks that keep food coming from farm to table. Reach out to make connection with those who are suffering hard times whether on the farm or in the neighborhood. In the end the annual "harvest festival" is really a celebration of abundant relationships which make our life in community richer. The seasonal weather reminds us of the richness which can come from our community with the earth and those who till it. Let us pledge that in our fall celebration we will continue to invest in the relationships in our communities which will sustain us through good harvests and bad. The following are links to sites related to food and community: Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program-University of California, Davis: http://www.sarep.ucdavis.edu/pubs/pubs.htm; The Community Food Security Coalition: http://www.foodsecurity.org/index.htm. Gerry Campbell Professor and Extension Specialist
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