Globetrotters September Monthly Challenge — The Harvest and The Food
Food is grown, then it is eaten!
Hello Globetrotters!
We hope that you are enjoying life and are getting ready for the changing of the seasons wherever you are in the world. Unless, of course, you find yourself at the Equator, where not much changes, ever.
For those of us in the Northern Hemisphere, September marks the transition into fall, and is a season of food!
Whether it is the farmers that are plowing their fields and starting the long process of bringing in the crops, the orchards that are clearing their trees and pruning them for winter, or the home gardeners who are busily picking food, then canning and processing it to store their goods for the winter, it is a VERY busy time for food production.
My partner, Chris, and I had a large food garden back in Canada before we left, and we were always exhausted with this season. It is the big push to get a lot done before the winter approaches and threatens to freeze everything!
Those who live in the Southern Hemisphere may never understand this season and how it affects many of us northerners. Many down there can grow and garden year-round, unless, of course, you live in Antarctica!
To celebrate this season of abundance, we editors at Globetrotters wanted to make harvesting and food the September writing prompt.
We are looking for stories from around the world that speak to the beauty of growing food and then eating it. BUT, your story doesn’t necessarily have to do with the harvesting of food, or anything to do with growing it. Even if it is just about the food that you ate, let us hear about it.
This writing topic can go in many directions. Here are some ideas that were brainstormed:
- Volunteering to work on farms or organic gardens.
- Canning, preserving, and getting food ready for winter storage.
- Eating good food, anywhere, any time.
- Times where food was a highlight of your trip.
- Maybe you took special note of how food was grown somewhere.
- Noticing locations where growing certain food is their specialty.
- Learning about how a specific food is made.
- Learning new farming techniques.
- Important cultural aspects that revolve around food.
I have recently signed up for a platform called Helpx. Maybe some of you have heard of it. It is similar to Wwoof — Worldwide Opportunities on Organic Farms. On both of these platforms, you can volunteer to help people with their gardens and farms. It is a great way to learn more about a culture and to contribute to their society as you travel around.
We will be helping at an organic farm in Bulgaria in September/October, and we are very excited about this opportunity. You get free accommodation and food in exchange for your labor. In the past we did Wwoofing, and it was a great experience. We look forward to learning about how Bulgarians grow food, and I’m sure I will have much to write about when we do:)
A few things to keep in mind:
- The challenge will run from September 1st to September 29th. We reserve the last day of the month to post the results from the challenge.
- Tag your post with Monthly Challenge so it can be put into the appropriate section in the publication home page.
- No stories more than 10 minutes.
- Make sure that travel is still a focus of your story.
- Use your discretion on the number of stories that you submit and remember that there are many other contributors as well. (On a side note, I own a publication called Sharing Food, which you can submit too as well if you have lots of stories.)
- ALWAYS credit your images!
For more clarification on submissions, visit the Globetrotters submissions guidelines.
Gerald, Anne, JoAnn, Adrienne, and I (Jillian) want to thank all of you who continue to add so much color to the publication. We know that like past challenges, you will rise up and bring us amazing stories from around the world!
Anne Bonfert has started us off with this article that highlights her food-growing experiences. Maybe it will inspire you:)
Have fun, enjoy the food, and keep on writing!
