ups would wash and sort them for use in the kitchen or for sale at the local marketplace .
I did not have to imagine very hard , because on my small family farm in northern New Mexico , the participation of children in many important aspects of farming has always been and still is an inextricable part of our way of life . On our minimally or entirely non-mechanized farms , children , even at a very young age , are encouraged to assimilate the values and knowhow of this old , nature-centered way of life .
The help that they provide on such occasions is much appreciated and makes a real difference in the overall functioning of the farm . It also prepares them for the rigors of life ahead . In turn , their participation at whatever level usually becomes the source of immense satisfaction , joy and even pride in their accomplishments . Additionally , the healthy interaction with others that this way of life entails , helps equip children with a sound , working knowledge of human nature , all the while stressing clear communication , respect and cooperation .
Perhaps this level of wholehearted participation in nature ’ s intricate and awe-inspiring web of life is what helps root children in a profound and unshakable appreciation and identification with the energy that we call the Tree of Life , the Life Force , or The Great All . So immense and powerful is the world that envelops and sustains us that we are frequently at a loss to find the language by which we might address this sublime reality , which we unconditionally ought to love , cherish and protect as children instinctively do .
Growing up on our family farm , one of our most cherished tasks was picking a variety of fruit from our orchards so that our mother and sisters could put up huge quantities of food for the winter . It was an enormous challenge to reach the reddest and ripest cherries in the high tree branches , and although we might have fallen , we thankfully never did . At first it seemed that the few , tiny fruits we were gathering would never amount to much , but as we continued , we managed to fill buckets , pans and even bushels . In the process , we learned patience and persistence as well as some amazing balancing and coordination skills ! Not only was eating as much of the sweet fruit as we wanted a powerful incentive and source of satisfaction , but the opportunity to be with other children and adults in the process became the “ cherry on top ,” so to speak . In truth , such simple and delicious tasks in the great outdoors utterly blurred the boundaries between work and play .
My mother , intent on providing for her numerous children , was quick to teach us how to identify and pick wild or semi-wild edible plants that grew in the garden or in our vast apple orchard . My brothers and I did not disappoint her when we brought home enormous bags full of wild spinach , asparagus and purslane . Gathering the free edibles was as much of a pleasure for us as receiving the bountiful stash was for her . It provided us with all that we needed at the time , including a sense of adventure , a real life challenge and tons of excitement as we wandered about the farm ’ s many micro-environments examining each plant carefully and testing our knowledge against the specimens that we found .
From these humble preagrarian beginnings as committed foragers and gatherers , my brothers and I were eventually schooled by our father in the civilized arts of planting , irrigating , weeding and harvesting a huge variety of crops . These included corn , squash , peas , beans , melons , cucumbers and chili . Over time , we learned about each of the plants ’ biological traits and the inner clockwork that governed their lifespan from germination to fruition and their eventual demise . We were taught to always support and enhance the lives of plants as well as to salvage every last bit of fruit as if it were the ultimate , precious gift of the universe , which indeed it is . Some of what we produced was sold but the majority we kept , stored , canned or dried . From our father we also learned animal husbandry , but our education did not stop there , because in addition to being a farmer , he was also a carpenter and house builder .
In short , from an early age , my brothers and I were heirs to much of our ancestors ’ accumulated knowledge and skills of hundreds of years of living on the land . As a result , we all became adults who could capably execute almost any kind of work and have retained a powerful tie to the land , the cultivation of crops , the preservation of food stuffs , the preparation of homemade meals and the organization of communal celebrations , among many other time-honored practices that give strength and purpose to our and successive generations .
40 plenty I autumn Harvest 2023