Meals in the Field

One of my best memories growing up was taking meals to the field during harvest for my dad and uncles.  We would cook a full hot meal, box it up in the pots and take it to the field for the men.  If we were lucky we would get to do a few rounds in the combine or truck.  Then we would sit in the back of the half ton and eat with all of the men.  When they were finished we would head back home, and do all of the dishes - no eating off of paper plates!  Then around 11:00 we would go back out to the field with tea and cinnamon toast.  Those were the days when the wife's were there to run to town for parts, look after the children and make sure the men were fed.  Now a days the women are doing all of those things along with running a combine, swather or truck part time.  That doesn't leave a lot time for cooking.

There is a new program being sponsored by one of the local banks in Alberta and a meat company called Meals in the Field.  The concept is similar to Meals on Wheels for older people that have difficulty cooking for themselves, but it is for farmers.  You can nominate a farmer and if they are selected the volunteers from the radio station, bank and meat company show up at your field with a BBQ, and all of the fixings for a meal for 15 people.  This is going to happen once a week throughout September. 

This got me to thinking.  Maybe our urban friends or acreage neighbors would like to adopt a farm family for harvest.  You could arrange a night to cook for the harvest crew and take the meal out to them.  It would be a great time to learn about the crops and how the harvest is coming along.  I know that it would be appreciated.  Good luck to everyone with harvest.  Let's hope there is a Indian Summer for us this year.