Fall Harvest Time

Going green — By Stephanie on October 7, 2008 at 9:36 am

Grain ready for the fall harvest

Just a few days ago, the calendar turned to the 10th month of the year: October. This is one of my favorite times of year. Crisp cool mornings, gently warm afternoons and leaves starting to turn golden hues. I don’t even mind the rain showers yet. In many cities and towns this time of year, fall harvest festivals are held. Children run through corn mazes and parents heave oversized pumpkins (and sometimes children) into wagons.

Harvesting children!

Fall is a time to prepare for the cold, lean months ahead. Decades ago, the fall harvest’s bounty was carefully preserved so that fruits and vegetables could be eaten through winter and families did not starve or fall ill. With today’s abundance, you can now buy a peach in February.

But think about how that peach got to your supermarket. If it was not grown locally, it was picked well before it was ripe and shipped hundreds (if not thousands) of miles. The impact on the environment of these practices is not often considered. Fuel costs and greenhouse gas emissions raise the costs directly and indirectly of purchasing food that is not grown locally. Not only does locally grown food taste better and is healthier, it also helps boost the local economy. Win-win-win for everyone!

Homemade jam

If you grow your own fruits and vegetables, or if your community has farmers’ markets at which you can purchase locally grown food, you may want to consider canning or pickling to preserve the nutrients and save money on your winter food supply. Growing up, I helped my grandmother harvest a bounty of food from her 1/4 acre garden. We pickled green beans and canned pears and apples. Because she grew up in the Great Depression, she preserved every scrap of food from her land. We had great times making homemade jellies and jams together too.

Are you ready to head into the kitchen with your fall harvest? Food preservation is easy and economic. Great recipes and how-to tips can be found at PickYourOwn. Now get out and enjoy the change and taste of the seasons!