Take the Turkey Day challenge

(picture from JBOrganic.com of our farm box we got this week)

It's coming....and I'm not talking about SANTA!

This year I've been more bothered than ever by the early bombardment of all things commercial Christmas. I personally prefer to not hear a Christmas carol until the day after Thanksgiving. I do not decorate my house with Christmas until then either. Don't get me wrong, Christmas is a very special day of the year around here. And...I LOVE Christmas carols. I just don't want any of that to overshadow another all important day. Thanksgiving. I can't think of a better way to prepare your heart and home for the coming season of celebrating the Lord's ultimate gift to us than first taking a day to pause and be thankful for all the blessings we have. I don't think that day should be interrupted with early black Friday sales online, hanging up Christmas lights, or anything else Christmas. It's sad that we can't for one day rest, be together, and be thankful.

We're doing Thanksgiving here this year. We'll have a few special guests. AND, as I've reflected on what I am thankful for as well as the origins and history of Thanksgiving, we're challenging ourselves in big ways this year. I'd love for you to join me!

Our goal is to have our Thanksgiving meal be 95% or so locally grown and harvested. The original Thanksgiving was a celebration and time of thankfulness over the harvest. I'm pretty confident that said harvest did not include canned goods or plastic packaged goods in part from China. Heck, they weren't even from Texas. I'm also fairly confident that turkeys were not injected with butter and preservatives to ensure they would be huge. Those turkeys also did not have to stand in their own pens in their own poop, never seeing day until they can't stand anymore because the injections have made them too big for their own legs. I'm pretty sure that even at $0.33/lb at HEB you couldn't have asked a pilgrim to buy a turkey treated that way. I'm also guessing that sweet potatoes didn't have marshmallows, stuffing wasn't made with more preservatives than grains, and pies weren't made with canned filling from South America. I'm also pretty sure that they were well fed and thankful for exactly what they were able to eat.

So, why not do the same? You might be surprised by just how much you can get locally. You probably will pay a little more than you would at HEB. However, the cost you do pay will go directly back into your local community, local economy, and hard working farmers that have given up your otherwise cozy life for dirt, bugs, and producing healthy produce for those who still care. Your money will not go to fuel charges, foreign countries, and packaging that will end up in the trash (you won't find cans or plastic wrap at a farmer's market).

I know....I know. The cloth diapering, baby food making, just generally "strange" mom is seemingly going off the deep end. But those who are still with me, will you join me for the challenge? I understand if you must have marshmallows, buttery turkeys, or green bean casserole but could you do 10%? 20% of your meal local? Imagine if everyone bought even one produce item from their local farmers market for thanksgiving! There are shocking statistics that I'm not wise enough to remember or detailed enough to find and quote about the impact that would make on our fuel intake. I know it's not convenient. I know it might be more expensive. I know it probably annoys you that I don't get off my soap boxes. But I also know you'd show some farmers real love by purchasing their produce. I know it would be an extremely fresh and yummy alternative to at least one side dish in your planned meal. I know that it would make me even more thankful to know that I have friends and family who stand by me even when they think I'm crazy. I know it would make a difference in the world. I know it's American, real original thanksgiving style American.

Please. Take the Turkey Day challenge. See what you can get locally. Comment on what you find. Pray that I can satisfy the tummies around my table with the local harvest. I'm thankful you took the time to read about this.