Rememering Heather

One of my brothers in law was outside (more than 6’ away from Mr. Blackburn), yesterday, to help graft buds onto some of the fruit trees in our little orchard. He said it was nice seeing the rich, fertile soil, freshly tilled and planted. It made him a little nostalgic, as he remembered what life was like growing up on this little farm back when its fields yielded more than enough fresh produce for the Blackburn Family. The surplus was taken to town, and was sold door to door by their mother, Maxine, who ran a local produce route. The family farm has become mostly memories in the aging generation of children who grew up in agriculturally rooted families in this area. Most modern families stopped worrying much about having a family garden even before we stopped worrying about sharing an evening meal around the table at home. Americans reportedly eat away from home about six times during the average week (zagat.com 2018 data). Now that this practice has been challenged (we all know how and why), where and what we’re eating has suddenly become more important to many of us. Because of the many societal factors magnified by the novel coronavirus, many of us are returning to the home gardening effort. Home gardening was once considered a necessity of living. In the 1700’s, there were no corner stores or markets like we have today. The plants used for food, seasoning and medicine were all grown outside the front door to the typical home, or outside the kitchen door, where it could easily be protected and tended. Every home had a garden. Somewhere along the line, we took jobs in manufacturing or in other, non-agriculturally oriented positions and many of us came to live in more urban areas. We became accustomed to stopping at the market to pick up what we needed for supper. After that, we became accustomed to stopping at the local diner for supper. As the decades passed, if we gardened, many of us grew mainly flowers or decorative plants. It’s been a long time since President Roosevelt urged every American household to fight food shortages (during WWII), by having a home garden. We haven’t had to be told this time, but we certainly are seeing a surge in the number of people interested in planting and growing food. Even in the city, increasing numbers of people are looking for ways to garden in containers and in small spaces. We’re feeling drawn to our agricultural roots, not simply because we’re nostalgic. Gardening is a wise way to invest both time and energy. I encourage you to get out there, dig in and grow something good. Be well.