Inspiration In Abundance at Harvest Time
Harvest is the season of mellow fruitfulness, of warm sunny days and evenings spent in storytelling around the fire. A season of rich colours, laden hedgerows and golden, stubbled fields. It’s a season of heartfelt gratitude, where rural communities traditionally flocked together to give thanks for a harvest safely gathered in, to raise church rafters with well-loved hymns and feast their eyes on the abundance of fruit, vegetables and harvest loaves which bedecked the pews and walkways.
Here in the U.K., we don’t have a set day to celebrate harvest. Depending on what crops are grown, the gathering usually begins in August and is finished by late September or early October. It is very weather-dependent and even in these days of much technology, can be held back due to inclement conditions. The harvesting season is hard work for any farmer today, but in decades past the whole community was involved. So much so, that our first universities, Oxford and Cambridge, set a long summer break in their studies to allow students to go home and help with the harvest. Once the crops, fruit, vegetables and foraged foods were gathered safely in, it was time to celebrate. This usually coincided with the Harvest Moon, the full moon nearest to the autumn equinox, around 21-23 September. Many stories and paintings have been inspired by the harvest moon, and it is fun to look out for it each September. It looks bigger than normal and has an orange tinge. This is because it is nearer to the horizon than in other months, not because it is larger. When you see a beautiful harvest moon and the stars alongside it in our night sky, it feels good to be reminded that, in our seemingly increasingly unstable world, there are still some comfortingly constant things.
Most harvest celebrations take place towards the end of September or into October. In previous centuries these were often raucous affairs with an abundance of food, freely flowing ale or cider (depending on the region), folk music, dancing and a lot of celebrating. Surviving the cold, barren winter was dependent on a good harvest and the work of sowing, growing and harvesting was arduous, so celebrations were truly earned. Churches held special harvest festival services; the school children were often involved in decorating the buildings, making corn dollies to hang at the end of each pew, and the womenfolk used their creative flair to arrange flowers and produce on every windowsill, nook and cranny. A harvest loaf was often made, in the shape of a wheat sheaf. This hearkens back to the days when most of the grain harvest was done using scythes and the wheat was bound together in sheaves.
Today, many rural communities host an annual Harvest Home supper. Traditional folk music is being revived in many areas and these are great times of celebration for the whole community. Children and young people from the local school, guiding and scouting groups are often involved and again this is a steady anchor in the rural year.
The timings and customs of celebrations vary across the country, depending on the crops grown. In Kent, for example, the hop harvest provided an opportunity for families to leave London for a few weeks to “go hopping”. It was hard work and living conditions were basic, but it may have been the only time when the children were able to run freely in green space, breathe unpolluted air and enjoy the variety of farm animals. In the South West, apples were, and still are, harvested and the local cider made from the orchards added to the celebrations (and still does).
The colours, textures, smells and sheer abundance of harvest have inspired many artists, poets and crafters over the years. Monet’s “Haystacks” and VanGough’s “The Harvest” both offer us a glimpse of harvest in previous times. More recently, quilters have told the story of local harvests with their needles and textile and ceramic crafters have produced a glorious array of harvest-themed, unique and gorgeous products.
Apples and pumpkins, as well as wheat sheaves, vegetables and the bounty of the hedgerows all make for wonderful motifs on throws, cushions and blankets, cute hats for children, deliciously scented candles and stunning wood-turned decorations. If you are creating your harvest of products, you will be looking for craft insurance cover. Wherever you are selling, whether online or at markets and fairs, you will need to consider both product and public liability craft insurance cover. Most craft fair organisers will ask that you have public liability craft insurance cover, and it is well worth considering both of these for online selling too. As a family business ourselves, we know the relationship we have with our customers is foundational. We communicate with you, so if you are new to the world of selling your crafts, pick up the phone or drop us a line and either Naomi or Sam will talk you through the most appropriate craft insurance cover for your unique business.
These days we are not dependent on bringing in a good harvest, and for those living within our large towns or cities, the concept of harvest may seem far away. However, there are always themes those of us living in an urban environment can glean from this ancient tradition which is still celebrated in rural areas. Maybe you could look for your nearest Harvest Home supper or Harvest festival service and make it a source of inspiration every year. Or, maybe you could take a walk in the beautiful autumn countryside and gather some berries, nuts, and leaves with which to decorate your own home and even boil up some blackberry jam to enjoy in those long winter months. Whatever you decide, we hope you will be able to celebrate the goodness and abundance of our bountiful earth in some way this autumn.