Here at the farm the apples are ripening with sweetness in the crisp, cool fall air, we’re noticing the days quickly becoming shorter, and feeling grateful for the first rains rejuvenating the land.
Now that autumn has arrived, it’s time for us to join a great tradition stretching far back to our ancestors, a tradition shared by many peoples and cultures throughout the ages. We call it the Harvest Festival. In these days of abundance (and looking ahead to the low light and chill of winter), we give thanks for the nourishment of the land, the fertility of the soil, the labors of the hands that have worked it, and the ties of community. The tradition of similar celebrations seems to date back nearly as far as agriculture itself– many variations of festivals of harvest were practiced in ancient times, from Egypt to China, throughout Africa and Europe, across Mesoamerica and South America, and today countless others continue in every corner of the world. Many have coincided with the full moon of the month at the peak or end of the harvest season, many have included Goddess worship and celebration of fertility. As long as humans have cultivated land and crop we’ve gathered to share and express our gratitude for the Earth and the blessings of sun and water– celebrating the many gifts we’ve received through feasting, parade, song, prayer, dance and any other imaginable human revelry.
In doing so we honor and participate in the great cycles to which we owe our very lives. We acknowledge that which must lie down in the grave of winter in order for the bounty to rise again in springtime, we give thanks for the endless renewal of life. We honor the life that has been given and taken over the course of the season to nourish our own lives, we give thanks for the perfect transformation of things. We attend to the paths of the Sun and Moon, we give thanks for the light, and for the darkness.
Please join us at Oz Farm this Saturday, October 7, 2pm - 8pm, to celebrate the bounty of the season, the labors of our apprentices, and the beautiful tapestry of community through food. We’ll have food featuring Oz veggies, cider from our orchard, apple pies, live music, farm tours, and loads of fun.
https://digitalgallery.bgsu.edu/exhibits/show/thanksgiving-culture/harvestfestivals
https://www.britannica.com/list/5-harvest-festivals-around-the-world
Best,
Jordan Gardner, Farm Manager
