Winter’s Blanket

Agraria fields in mid-October. Photo by Dennie Eagleson

Originally published in the BIPOC Farming Network monthly newsletter.

By Omope Carter Daboiku

As Winter approached, my Grandpa Ellis always checked his almanac for precipitation forecasts. He said that snow was “winter rain”, refilling underground aquifers and storing water in the soil to ensure bountiful summers. School never closed because of snow; we walked in the morning, went home for lunch and then back.  Despite the discomfort of being layered with woolen pants called “leggings” under our dresses and doubled mittens, we did our best to not complain.  Grandpa taught that adversity builds character and that snow was essential for the planet’s rejuvenation.  Without it, our agricultural county could face drought and crops would be stunted or fail altogether, resulting in scarcity and high prices.

When he passed away, it was Momma who checked the almanac and she made it personal — no rain, no deliciously sweet Silver Queen corn! Agraria Fellow Gregory Muhammad gifted me some this summer from Oasis, his urban farm. Stewed with okra from Edgemont and tomatoes from Agraria, I relished the ancestral moment of eating my mother’s favorite breakfast. In Appalachia, corn was a major part of our diet; we always grew enough to eat fresh and freeze for winter consumption. Thanks be to our Indigenous American relatives for sharing this holy plant, which like humans, needs sufficient water to thrive.  

This morning as frost covers my windshield -- a sure sign of Winter’s approach, I salute all those who labored to make affordable, fresh vegetables ever-present in my fridge. I know that each of the farmers I support had to lug supplemental water to their fields. Their labor is a gift of love; the kind of love that sustains and inspires.

So, in the name of Farmers, Corn and all the Plant People who sacrifice to nourish us, let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!  

*The writer is a Storyteller and Media Specialist at Agraria.

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