Growing some of Thanksgiving Staples

Thanksgiving....

Today as we gather around a table heaped with good food, we are reaping the benefits of the long hours and expense toiled by the 2% of those whose job is to feed you, me and the other 319 million people in the USA.  There is a prayer excerpted from the book Bless this Food: Ancient &Contemporary Graces from Around the World © 2013 Adrian Butash and in it my favorite prayer (#90) talks about this very fact.   Unfortunately I don’t have the authorization to publish that prayer, but I did provide a link for the book as it is an interesting read that will fill you with true gratefulness as we celebrate Thanksgiving and the blessings bestowed upon us, not only for tomorrow, but in our daily life.  I will however be able to post another prayer from this comforting book in the event you need one for your dinner today.  So read on…. =)

As I gather with family for our holiday feast, I wanted to briefly share some interesting things about the equally important component of today’s dinner…the potato.

Straight from the field, dirt covered wholesomeness!!

Growing up I could have been the “poster child’ for the potato industry, and today I could be their spokesperson, as potatoes are one of my very favorite foods as well as one of my true “staples”.  I put together a short video from a field trip I took last summer while hanging out with a farm manager of a large irrigated farm in Easter Washington.  The one thing I didn’t say in the picture video is that the potato plant is very finicky and a real “prima donna”.  They can’t have too much water or too little water or it will stress out the plant (which will affect the end product) and potatoes need just the right amount of water at the right time  and if that isn’t enough,  they are very susceptible to diseases that can wipe out an entire crop as well- so daily monitoring is a must.  Who knew??? All I knew was the perfectly formed potato in the produce isle was one of the first things to go into my cart.     But  with all crops, if all goes right for the farmer, potatoes are a very profitable crop, but like all crops, one mistake either by man or nature can be devastating financially for the farmer.  
click here if you are unable to view the video



And with that, I still am in awe of the precision and science that goes into making the food we eat, a blessing 3 times a day. 

And as promised, a prayer:

When you rise in the morning,

Give thanks for the light,

For your Life, for the Strength,

Give Thanks for our Food and the joy of Living,

If you see no reason to give thanks,

The fault Lies in Yourself.

~ Tecumseh (1768-1813)

Printed with permission of New World Library, Novato, CA. www.newworldlibrary.com 

With that, I wish you and yours a very blessed Thanksgiving.
All my best, Gayle.  Swheatfarmlife@gmail,com
P.S. I will share more on this Farm Chick's Thanksgiving, so come on back!