Season's Gleanings: Year two!

My daughter Sierra set me up to start this blog  over a year ago, in support of my venture in creating card designs that will supplement my  income from farm work. Despite the long gap in postings, I feel that those first ones reflect the beginning, the place where all good stories start, so I will leave them for those who want to start there.

I've been blogging in my head since that last entry, thinking that until I got my cards available online , that I wouldn't be able to fully share the purpose and 'going's on' of my Season's Gleanings blog and it's related stories.

I hope you'll join me to celebrate Season's Gleanings second 'birthday' , and come along on the journey with me as I find my way. Check out my first batch of cards on Etsy. They're from my 'heart' collection, in honor of, well, you know that holiday that's coming up.

Solstice approaches...

As the shortest day of the year approaches, my mind is filled with rich memories of the past season, complimented by their taste in the foods grown, stored and preserved from  farm and garden. As I reflect on the bountiful harvest, I am once again filled with gratitude for the land and the many hands that labored , along with our good fortune to live in a place with such abundant diversity of food.

I recently read the book PLENTY- One man, one woman and a raucous year of eating locally, which recounts the authors' entertaining adventures in eating the 100 mile diet. Their stories echo many of my own thoughts and experiences of enjoying the foods grown close to home, and the satisfaction it brings with every bite.

I'm just finishing another book:(yes, now  is the season for catching up on reading!) Wisdom of the Last Farmer -Harvesting Legacies From The Land  by David Mas Masumoto. His writing has carried me back to the central valley of California where we lived for years, as he shares a compelling account of the joys and sorrows of his family's farming story over the generations. Even as winter approaches, the eloquence of this writing evokes the perfume and sweet flavors of the perfectly ripe peach, grown with love and a passion for living with absolute intention. Masumoto's writing is an inspiration, and a reminder as we head into the season of introspection to honor the land and those who grow our food, both the farmers and the farm workers by supporting their continuing livelihood. As often as possible, eat food grown by someone you'd be proud to call friend.