harvest celebration

Yesterday the soybeans surrounding our meadow were harvested. Still in a minor drought, you can see just how dusty this job was on a windy day.

Amazing just how many beans can be gathered from a few acres…

The semis couldn't keep up with the two enormous combine harvesters that were working those fields. Jerome investigated the cost of the equipment… staggering. These fields unfortunately are handled commercially, i.e., GMO seed, Monsanto sprays, hurry it up, take what you can and run.
In contrast, Jerome has been helping our neighbor, a young family farmer, to work multiple smaller fields of our neighbors with a goal of best practice, caring for our lands with a reverence for now and for the future.

We take our stewardship very seriously. And we are in good company…
Our first autumn on the ridge, a small group of young families organized what was to be the first of a now annual and growing event. The second Saturday of October, we celebrate the harvest, the good life it allows and focus on our responsibility to give Mother Nature a hand. In an interesting contrast to the commercial harvesting adjacent to our property, our town's 6th annual parade and celebration occurred the same day.

(A quote from the website:
Larger than life puppets, stilt walkers, musicians, and harvest-themed costumed performers of all ages take over Main Street during this annual parade celebrating the harvest. Parade begins at 2pm from the Ark, heads north along Main Street all the way to Eckhardt Park where a family celebration takes place including music, food, and fire dancing at dusk.)
Large puppets, human powered floats, songs celebrating the earth and her gifts, families, families, families. Have you ever seen violins marching in a parade??? And Main Street, the ONLY main route through town is closed for the event. Yesterday's weather couldn't have been better.
Thank you to the organizers, the participants, the hundreds of us gathered to cheer from the curbsides, and to a community that cares.