Harvest since time immemorial was understood in ritual terms as the principal duty in humanity’s relationship with Mother Earth for the perpetuation of life. This was essentially the purpose of existence…. —J. Katarzyna Dadak-Kozicka
Harvest… the “purpose of existence.” These are stirring words from Polish anthropologist Katarzyna Dadak-Kozicka who has devoted many years to studying the traditions, music, and labors of those who gathered the earth’s bounty for the benefit of consumers worldwide. Today one hears of many “purposes of existence” with a glance at news headlines suggesting GDP growth, political influence, material comforts, and even entertainment. But these lines above sagely observe that benefits individuals enjoy in various realms as well as the prosperity of nations rest on our stewardship of Mother Earth’s resources.
The recent harvest of heritage grains on our Palouse Colony Farm and fields of our neighbors and partners Joe DeLong and Neil Appel was among the latest in memory. Late season seeding, equipment repairs, and other obligations conspired to push harvest from the weeks of August well into September. But the good news is that the work was completed and the unusually hot spate of weather in July that we feared might damage the crop seems to have little effect as the yields were among the best we’ve ever had. So as we move now to fall tillage and seeding this post will be more visual than verbal with images of our small part of “humanity’s principal duty.”
