Harvest Time

I guess you just can't take the farm out of the girl! I grew up on a wheat farm in central South Dakota. I am so thankful for the way I was raised. My parents taught us to work hard. We made our living by the fruits of our labors. We had to plow, plant, cultivate and harvest. We had to keep machinery maintained, grain bins cleaned, the shop organized, and tractors fueled. There was always something to do from sun up to sun down every single day. I wonder how I will instill this drive to work hard in my children. Raising them away from the farm presents it's challenges. There just are not the same opportunities for teaching this work ethic. Doug was raised similarly to me. He grew up on a ranch in Sanpete County, Utah. It's comical, at our house we almost fight over who gets to mow the lawn. We all love to work outside. It's much better than folding laundry for the millionth time, if you ask me. If you want to mow at our house, you have to sneak out at 6:00 am to get your turn.

So, when we purchased our lot 7 years ago, we were so excited to have a 1/2 acre lot. We figured we'd have a place to have our little farm (garden) out back. We grow tomatoes, peppers, onions, green beans, summer squash, zucchini, beets, corn, peas, lettuce, spinich, etc. We also planted 8 fruit trees. We have peaches, pears, apples, and nectarines. My husband works very hard taking care of the garden. He gets most of the credit in this department.

Well, it's harvest time, now. This is the best time of the year. On the farm, it meant that the grain was gathered in and safely put in a bin or sold in town. It was a real sense of accomplishment knowing that the harvest was complete. It made my family feel satisfied. In our little garden we try to preserve as much of the food as we can for the winter. I love knowing that what I am feeding my children is organic and I know what goes in the bottle. We've frozen corn, pickled beets, canned beans, and tomatoes. This year I tried spaghetti sauce and pickled green beans, too. I also freeze squash and peppers. I love the feeling this process gives me. And, I hope in some way it helps my children learn to work hard and enjoy the fruits of their labors. I guess it's just a little part of the farm girl in me shining through.