Pumpkin Patch

The air feels crisp, and leaves in hues of reds and yellows flutter to the ground. Today is the day you’ve been waiting for: the pumpkin harvest.

All summer long, you’ve watched seeds saved from last years crop breach the soil and stretch into vines. First came the wide, sheltering leaves, then golden flowers, and finally, the heavy orange squash.

As you pick a particular heavy one, you think about how long ago the ancestors of our lands grew these alongside corn and beans, the trifecta of vegetables known as The Three Sisters. Pumpkins helped nourish families through long winters. Every part of the plant was utilized: their vines protected the soil, their flesh fed the village, and their seeds provided oil and medicine.

Every part has a purpose, and every harvest was sacred.