Gratitude for Our Food System

​It is 'Thanksgiving' today. Thanksgiving is an annual holiday in North American which began as a commemoration of and thanks for the annual harvest. So it seems fitting to spotlight giving thanks for our food system today, this week and beyond! And to give thanks for EVERYTHING.

Most of us eat three meals a day (or more) and plenty of snacks and drinks too. I don't know about you, but I often do not stop to think about where my food comes from and all those anonymous people and elements who are responsible for it! It can be mind boggling and certainly good for our minds to think about being grateful for all those involved. 

If you trace even a food element like milk back to its original source and express gratitude fro each step of the way it would be like this...

• The cow that produced the milk
• The seeds, crops, soil and weather that provided the grass that fed the cow 
• The workers on the farm and the farmer who cared for the cow and milked it at some ungodly hour.
• The truck driver who transported the milk 
• The workers in the diary that processed the milk 
• The factory workers who produced the packaging for the milk 
• The truck drivers who transported it to the shop
•  The grocery shop and workers that stock, and sell the milk 
• The check out assistant who smiles and helps you with the milk 
• You, who purchased the milk and prepares food with love and gratitude 

As you can see there is plenty to be grateful for! This is a beautiful illustration of interdependence and how everything is so wonderfully connected - we just have to be mindful to notice and be grateful!

Here are some ways we can remember this beautiful connection and to practice gratitude. 

• Take a moment before every meal to express gratitude for the food on your plate 
• Shop locally at farmers's markets or local businesses 
• Visit a local farm or contemplate how food is grown.
• Have a go at growing your own vegetables - it is such fun. 
• Include those anonymous kind people we don't know who do so much to make our amazing lives possible, especially those who work so hard to produce the food to sustain us. 

Have a great week. Thank you all. 
Kind Regards and Best Wishes, 
Maree xx ​