It's Harvest Time!

Tobacco, next to a corn field...

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In Lancaster County, PA, I like to track the summer by the ebb and flow of agriculture (it's almost impossible not to...) We have thousands of acres of corn, soybeans, alfalfa, tobacco, watermelons, pumpkins, and every other scrumptious northeastern crop you can think of. And now it's time for all that to come in, if it hasn't been enjoyed already. Just a couple of days ago the large production farms started to harvest their corn - it's a now-you-see-it, now-you-don't event. What was hundreds of acres of corn in the morning will be stubble by evening.




All that harvest brings with it the opportunity for great bounty in our pantries. I've written before about getting out to market for fresh produce and what the local farmers are growing in your area. Now that fall is on the doorstep, there will be even more opportunity to benefit and stock up before winter. You may even get motivated to freeze or can some favorite fruits or vegetables. Lots of folks around here preserve their produce to enjoy over the next 3-6 months... beans, corn, beets, berries, tomatoes, peaches, you name it.

Early in the summer I bought some apples at the local grocery store and happened to look at the little UPC sticker on one of them. The apples were from New Zealand. I was a bit stunned and had to chuckle to my self. Really? New Zealand? How on earth do we get 'fresh' apples all the way across the globe so I can enjoy a juicy apple in Lititz when it came from the other side of the world? Frankly, I don't need to know the logistics, but it reinforces my conviction to shop and buy locally whenever I can.

So take one last crack at filling your power pantry with some of nature's local produce, before fall and winter set in. Maybe you will enjoy some seasonal fruits and veggies while they're fresh and available, and possibly even put some away for the coming months. I think when we grow closer to the land and interact with it more intentionally, it not only keeps us grounded to our food supply and the necessity of good agriculture, but our pantry and healthy eating choices benefit, too.

By the Way

We love fresh fruit around our home. Early summer is berry time, and then watermelon, and eventually peaches (which are just about 'done'), pears and apples. The early apple harvest, which started several weeks ago, brings in some unique ones like Lodi and Rambo apples. Just this past week I got some local Gala apples... boy are they good. And in the coming weeks there will be a dozen or more kinds of wonderful, sweet, crunchy, juicy apples to enjoy as part of our pantry. I can't wait...