As I was mixing ingredients for a pumpkin pie, my five-year-old daughter asked how the pumpkin got in the can. Yes, I buy canned pumpkins, even though I know how to make fresh pumpkin puree. Thank goodness, I could save a few steps by grabbing what I needed at the grocery store. Modern day food production makes life fairly simple to the home cook.
We talked about the farmers that grow pumpkins, how they are processed, put into cans, and delivered to the grocery store, all so that we can enjoy pumpkin pie. It is quite a process and maybe a little too much for my daughter to comprehend, however still important for her to know where food comes from.
With the aroma of pumpkin pie, the trees in full color, and my mums in bloom, I think of the blessings of fall. Being a farmer’s daughter, fall has always been a busy and important time of year. If you take a drive to the countryside, you will no doubt see farm equipment rumbling from field to field, harvesting this year’s crop. From sun up to sun down, farm families like mine are busy harvesting grain. Grain that will be processed into foods and products that will fill your pantry.
My dad has managed the soil with scientific analysis and an environmental conscious; used the newest plant genetics; applied the precise amount of fertilizer; controlled weeds, insects, and disease. He does this for one grand finale: harvest. Only then does he learn whether or not his planning and hard work yielded a profitable crop. Not only does a good year benefit him, it provides the base to our nation’s food supply.
Even though the current farm report may not be within your scope of concern, there are farmers and agriculturalists working to keep pumpkin pie (in the can) and other goods in your pantry. Enjoy this fall and take a drive to see farmers at work.
Happy Harvest.
