youtube youtube twitter rss rss googleplus linkedin
  • About
  • The Wheel
  • Souls@Work
  • Toolbox
  • Classes
  • Blog

Harvesting abundance

July 24, 2012 By brittandreatta

I love this time of year, when fruit and vegetables burst forth from the earth. One of my favorite things to do is to capture the rich flavors in homemade jams and sauces. I only learned to can a few years ago from a dear woman, Hanne Sonquist.

Ever since Hanne took the time to teach me (it’s really quite simple – check out this video), it is an annual tradition in our house to make jam from our apricots and persimmons. Our neighbor’s tree is more prolific than our aging one so I trade with them – I get their apricots and give them half the jam.

There are also some awesome berry farms nearby so my family will join me on berry picking adventures throughout the summer. It is one of my favorite things to do with my daughter. We stand there, surrounded by the abundant richness of the earth, as we pick ripe fruit. She gets to learn about where our food comes from and what it takes to grow it — so many children today think that food just materializes in grocery stores!

We share the space with the honeybees who are busy doing their work of pollinizing our food supply. Did you know that at least one third of the food you eat every day involves the pollinating work of the honeybee? We tell them “thank you” while we pick the fruits of their labor.

Of course, we sample as we go and then spend the week eating various fresh berry dishes. We make our own artisanal jams from all organic ingredients, which become our holiday gifts for friends and family. This year, we got fancy and made strawberry marsala thyme jam – yummy! It truly is a wonderful experience that is deeply satisfying.

If you have not yet created a similar summer tradition, I encourage you to consider it. There is nothing like connecting with nature in this way, and it will give you a whole new appreciation for your food.

If you don’t have any of your own fruit trees, you can find folks in your area who have plenty to share or swap, and there are probably organic farms closer than you think as well as farmer’s markets – check out these websites for more information:

  • www.neighborhoodfruit.com
  • www.localharvest.org
  • www.michaelpollan.com/resources/
  • 10 things you can do to help the honeybees

Sign up for the Soul School mailing list to receive goodies and announcements.

SGRPodcast
wheel of wellness badge
harnessing your soulmate
TEDex badge
toolbox badge
lynda.com badge
souls at work

"Britt is a gifted facilitator, period. Whether in a large group setting or one-to-one, she guides in a way that keeps focus and structure while allowing for and encouraging spontaneous discovery. She knows the power that lies in the process itself, and creates an environment that encourages personal insight to emerge. I have benefitted greatly from some deep discoveries that have occurred in one-to-one and small group settings with Britt."

—Teresa Fanucchi


"Facilitating change, transformation and the realization of our authentic selves is clearly one of Britt’s many gifts and callings. Britt consistently brings kindness, compassion and a tireless commitment to supporting people in going for their dreams. She is a talented group facilitator, an empowering life coach, and an inspiring public speaker and teacher. It has been a priceless gift having Britt’s support in my life."

—Monica Lenches

© Britt Andreatta - Soul School Online 2015. Site Design by Allie Creative. Web Development by Leah Young.