With Thanks

Our local grocery chain celebrates Thanksgiving

For those of you who aren't aware it's Canadian Thanksgiving today.  We like to get our turkey on a little earlier than most folks.  There's been a lot of talk this past week about pumpkin pies, mashed potatoes, turkey and cranberries and it got me to thinking about the food we consume on a daily basis.  We are so lucky to be able to experience such largess, sitting down to a meal with family and friends and eating until we cannot eat any more.  This year I have grown much of my own food in my little vegetable plot and our freezer is full of items like apple pie, carrot soup, and tomato sauce.  But I know that when my stockpile runs out mid-winter I only need to drive to the grocery store to get whatever I need.  Who supplies that food?  Farmers.

I do not grow my own meat.  I have no chickens or cows roaming my yard.  I don't grow wheat for bread or the straw that I use as my mulch.  Without farmers my table would be quite empty despite my vegetable garden.  And yet how often do we thank these people that contribute so much?  Unlike my 9 - 5 job, farming requires you to be in the fields from sun up to sun down and as evidenced at this time of year when potatoes are being collected, into the wee hours of the night with only a spotlight to guide you.  It's also a dangerous job with numerous injuries and fatalities each year.  It's a difficult job that many of us would never consider doing yet we expect our food to look good, taste good and cost us very little.  For all that they do, for the food they provide us, I'd like to say thank you.