Fall bounty

My deck is kind of messy with fallen leaves and twigs accumulating after each rain and wind storm. I took down the wind chime which was battering my ears during all this. But the other day I happened to notice the lovely red and yellow of the fruit that I've gathered from the trees, the pear being a wild tree that seeded itself in at one time I imagine and the apple being a Macintosh that truly Canadian apple. planted by the former owners of my wee church.

I don't spray, trying to keep my fruit and veggies as organic as possible, so some of the apples were a tad beaten up with scab from the spring rains. But these macs are fresh and have been great for eating. The pears too though some of them are a bit dry-tasting.

It made me realize how lucky I am to have been able to collect these baskets of fruit. And also made me think about those who live in cities now growing their own food...some even have chickens where they've fought bylaws outlawing them. One of the things I've become increasingly aware of, is the need to return to local farming. In Canada there is a huge movement - The Hundred Mile Diet - supporting, buying and eating food grown within a hundred miles of your home, rather than buying imports that come from so far away and use oil and other fossil fuels to transport it to market.

This is not to say that I don't love avocados, grapes, bananas, oranges and all the other tasty items from around the world. I appreciate the progress that has been made to bring the world into our supermarkets, but I believe strongly that we should also be supporting our own.

While I don't eat meat, I support our local farmers who have farms of cattle, sheep and pigs - especially when they are raised naturally. Factory farming just can't be good for us with all those hormones and anti-biotics that are needed to keep the animals healthy in a confined space. And the stress of living in confined quarters?

But that's a long argument. It's enough for me to say that I feel blessed to have property on which to grow my own fruit and vegetables and can get organic eggs, fish and fowl nearby. I hope that you are also able to enjoy good healthy food wherever you live and that it is plentiful. Where it's not I hope that others who have much can help supply you with food and also teach the ability to grow your own and make it possible.

Surely ("The 99 percent" activities of late tells us this is true:) we as a world population can grow enough so everyone can eat? What do you think? I'd love to know.