Christmas on the farm...

It's that time of year again, when Christmas day is nearly upon us and the season of giving sends last minute shoppers into a frenzy to try and find the right presents for their family and friends. The need for those extra boxes of biscuits or chocolates just in case a neighbour pops around with a card and present. Along with the final supermarket dash for the Christmas dinner vegetables to ensure they are as fresh as possible for the Christmas feast.

Growing up on the family farm, back when the business was well known for its market gardening enterprise, I always remember the chaos of making sure enough bags of potatoes were packed in the shed on pallets ready to deliver to the local greengrocers and corner shops. The rush of ensuring all the vegetable orders were boxed up, labelled correctly and ready for collection from our own farm shop customers. The heat from the farmhouse kitchen where my grandmother would be making another batch of mince pies to keep all the farm workers fuelled for the final hours of the hectic season. And in more recent years the dark early mornings and late night shed feeds for the livestock who were housed within them.

Christmas has always felt like a strange time of year for me. Especially in the past several years as I have got older and observed the changes in our society as to how and why they celebrate Christmas. For our family growing up Christmas time was always about the food. Whether that was the food we as a farming family were producing for other households to serve on Christmas day, or the traditional plates of food we ourselves as a family insisted on having every year. Roasted parsnips and overcooked sprouts were always a must. The two types of vegetables I least favour.

This season of giving always makes me question what other family traditions there are in other households. Who's head chef? What's the meal of choice? How many are gathered around the table? I'm always curious to know if other farming families are the same as ours, or have they in recent years followed the generational trends of changing their priorities of purchasing the materialistic, on-trend presents over the food served at their dinning tables?

I'm even more curious to learn what traditions other farming families have with regard to thanking their employees and team members who spend their days all year around giving the livestock, businesses and families who employ them their time and energy to help produce the food they do whilst also looking after the landscape in which they work? Are there traditions of a works Christmas party? Or are there certain presents which are given as a thank you for their hard work? Is there an extra few days holiday provided for all to enjoy the festivities?

Looking back at the 2024 agricultural year I'm sure you'll agree with me when I say it will be a year that won't be forgotten too soon. As an individual I feel proud of the passion and empathy shown not only from our farmers and agricultural workers within the industry, but also from the communities that still support and encourage the work that we do. To see the vegetable prices on supermarket shelves this week slashed to a couple of pence still highlights to me the continued importance of voicing our concerns about the food security of our country along with the importance of safeguarding the future of our food producing sector.

We no longer have employees on the family farm to thank at Christmas time for their hard work throughout the year. However, I wanted to write this post as a THANK YOU to all of the farmers who have worked tirelessly long hours in the run up to this festive holiday period. We understand the hours needed to work and the weather conditions to battle and as a family we try our best to support those around us who are still producing locally grown produce in order for us to continue the Christmas food traditions that we as a family have gathered. I hope that a small gift has been provided by Santa also as a thank you for all your hard work.

In recent years I have tried my best to continue the tradition of making mince pies like my grandmother once did. I've learnt the skills from my father and local farming community about rearing and dressing our own home grown turkeys and always look forward to the new tradition added by my mother of home made cranberry sauce on my plate on Christmas day. I'm not lying when I say it IS the best I have ever tasted. And yes, we still have the tradition of roasted parsnips and overcooked sprouts.

I am very aware that Christmas time can also be a very difficult time of year for some people who may not be able to spend their festive day with loved ones or friends. Some people do not feel the Christmas sparkle like the majority of those they watch on social media or TV screens. I hope you are able to find comfort amongst the chaos of this period and I hope you are able to talk to someone if you are struggling at this time of year. It's OK not to feel OK. I hope the magic of Christmas finds its way to all who need it this year.

To you the person reading this post, may I wish you a very Merry Christmas and a happy 2025.

Until next time.

Hx