Our participants have been blessed with a bountiful harvest this year.   At the close of the summer growing season, many have filled their shelves with the rewards of their work.  I think we can all agree that few things compare with the satisfaction we feel when we look at those beautiful jars of wholesome food for our Family.

Some of us, like me, may not have met our goals of canning all that we had hoped to, but as a true gardener, I am already planning for next year’s bounty. I am rejoicing in the success of our participants and the abundance they have preserved!  As the pictures come in of canners being used and of pantry shelves full of produce, we are reminded of the connection and purpose found when growing our food. It is easy to lose that connection living in a world of stores filled with more items than we could ever hope to try. The planting, working, harvesting and then preserving that harvest, all while remembering who gives the increase, brings a satisfaction hard to describe.  

As the weather is cooling, and we move into the fall then winter months, we will have time to reflect on our successes, and the failures of the season. All gardeners learn that every growing season will see a combination of both.  Relish the wins, learn from the losses, and feast of the bounty.  What more can we ask for?