Immediately following a holiday focused on gratitude and giving thanks, we either continue that sense by thinking of what treats we can give our friends and family or as some see it shop till we drop in an overly commercial approach to the holidays.
In recent years, other efforts have come forth, the National Day of Listening and now, Giving Tuesday, a movement to create a national day of philanthropy to kick off the giving season. What a nice idea!
This season always helps me remember and refocus on what I am grateful for – certainly we feel fortunate to have not only adequate food, but nutritious, sustainable food recognizing both that not all folks do and that in raising food sustainably we are also a part of giving back to our community.
And I am grateful for the people and organizations that enable small farmers to learn, grow and thrive, such as Highfields Center for Composting, NOFA- VT, VT Grass Farmers Association and Center for Sustainable Agriculture as well as helping all Vermonters connect with high quality local food.
This year, we are starting our giving season off with shared stories with the young, middle aged and old in our family and with some gifts to some of our favorite philanthropies, we hope you will too.