It is finally fall and farmers all around the northeastern United States are getting ready to harvest the bounty of summers labor. For many fall is a favorite season, maybe for the change in temperature leading to cozy boots and sweater weather. Why not because of the beautiful colors of the landscape that we experience in the Northeast? It may be simply the crisp smell of the dried up leaves in the cool air for some. Though, I’m sure if you asked any farmer why they like fall, aside from no longer tending to their crops or animals in the sweltering sun, it most definitely will be because of the amazing flavors in food that the fall bounty brings us.
When you hear the words ‘fall bounty” you might be picturing one of those strange looking cone things that look somewhat like a giant Bugle chip or a croissant….oh yeah, a Cornucopia! Most all of us remember this from elementary school, every year the teachers would decorate classrooms with those cheesy cutouts for each upcoming holiday and after Halloween there would be turkeys, “pilgrims”, and cornucopia’s plastered everywhere. Corniness aside, (pun intended) this fall icon is symbolic of plentyness and bounty. Traditional the ‘croissant’ looking piece is a basket woven into the shape of a goats horn. It is thought that the Cornucopia comes from several greek mythologies having to do with harvest, prosperity and spiritual abundance.
Today the cornucopia symbolizes a holiday celebrated in the United States, Thanksgiving. And it sure does have to do with abundance. People anticipate this day for months, planning trips to visit loved ones and bringing family together to “celebrate the bounty of fall” or what many American families do, watch football and see how much mashed potatoes and stuffing you can eat until you actually fall asleep.
Growing up in the mid-west this was a thanksgiving tradition that my family and I became very accustomed to. However as my family moved from state to state experiencing new ways of living and my brothers and sisters got older and moved out tradition began to change. Not to mention, living on a farm in the middle of no where made everything different. Though, it wasn’t all bad, these changes made my family appreciate the more important aspects in life like friendship, family, food and health.
Thanksgiving was no longer about beer, football and a butterball turkey. It became about the change in season and taking a step back to appreciate growth, change, accomplishments and the things we are grateful to have everyday in our lives. Living in a rural community life can be hard, you work the land everyday with your body, mind and soul which can be exhausting. Unlike a city life mentality there is little “work hard, play hard” feeling toward the everyday grind its more like “work hard, eat, sleep so you can work hard again tomorrow”. And this happens all summer long. It’s no surprise that we are excited to celebrate the bounty of our hard and draining work.
Flora Farmer 