In Praise of FarmersUp at dawn,
to bed at dusk,
Tending every seed
and husk,
and husk,
In sun, and rain,
and wind, and snow,
and wind, and snow,
It matters not,
for they must go,
for they must go,
Through bugs and beasts
and floods and drought,
and floods and drought,
They cannot stop,
they must not doubt.
they must not doubt.
For the rich, the poor
on them depend,
on them depend,
The war on hunger
they must defend.
And to our tables
they must defend.
And to our tables
comes their bounty,
To every town and
To every town and
state and county,
But those of us who
share their gifts,
Think little of their
daily risks,
daily risks,
The toil and hardship
they must face,
they must face,
To bring the feast that
earns our Grace.
earns our Grace.
So, with each bite you next should savor,
Do not forget the farmer’s labor,
That brought these gifts from farms to stands,
And praise the farmer’s loving hands.
DM
8/2011
Dorothy and Susan: This week let's all acknowledge the great abundance that surrounds us...visit your local Farmers' Market, pick-your-own berries, buy or pick a bunch of flowers and bring them to your neighbor and do what you can to otherwise support your local farmers, to share the harvest and to savor the banquet of life.
(the photos above were snapped at the Boise, ID Farmers' Market - one of the nation's best! Thank you for the opportunity Chris and Kristi)
What a fine tribute to such important members of our communities. I'm so grateful for the work they put in day in and day out that gives us the great bounty we enjoy. Thanks so much for such a wonderful poem Dorothy!
ReplyDeleteThank you for the kind and encouraging words Lisa - you surely know the great efforts our beloved farmers put forth. My poem rose out of my feelings being there at Foothill Farm this summer, with the farmers and all the "temporary" workers I dearly love to share the work, fun and bounty with!
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