What Does “Autumn” Mean to You?

It’s fall! Do you know what this time of year traditionally represents? Learn about the word used to describe this season and how America’s Grow-a-Row is reminding us of its meaning.

Leaves are changing, apples are being harvested and gleaned, and the air is crisp. It’s autumn! The word “autumn” comes from the root word “autu-” which denotes the passing of the year. It became commonplace to call this time of year autumn by around the 16th century, when communities were moving away from working the land and toward living in towns. However, before the 16th century the season was referred to in various languages simply as “harvest” (Dutch herfst, German herbst and Scots hairst). It’s no surprise to us that the harvest was such a huge part of life that an entire season was named for it.

Today, while all people require food to sustain their lives, agriculture is far from the center of our culture. Fall has become known as a time for flannel shirts, fancy coffee drinks, and scary movies – all of which can be quite fun and festive but are far from what the season used to represent. Here at America’s Grow-a-Row we’re hoping to reintroduce the harvest as a fall tradition.

One way for us to revisit our agricultural history and help folks get in touch with the land and where their food comes from is by having them literally take part in the harvesting process. We’re dedicated to harvesting 100% of our crops by hand, and each and every piece of produce touched by a volunteer will end up on the plate of one of our neighbors in need. It’s very exciting to be a part of the harvesting process. Many schools, corporate teams, and community groups have chosen to make a trip to the America’s Grow-a-Row farm an annual fall tradition where they have fun in the fields while team building and giving back. We’ve had some amazing success stories in the fields during our fall harvest season this year, including a new record of 127,000 pounds of produce being harvested in just one morning!

We are also dedicated to educating people of all walks of life about agriculture, and the harvest is a big part of that. We work to educate folks about seasonality, how their food grows, and all of the behind the scenes effort that goes into producing food. Recently a corporate group from an urban area came out to our farm to harvest. At the end of the event a volunteer walked up to me and said, “You know, I’m a city girl. I was hesitant to come out. Then, when you told us we’d be harvesting sweet potatoes and I saw all the dirt and the worms, I was terrified. But, I went out there and tried to be a team player…. After about five minutes, I didn’t even have to try anymore. I was truly enjoying myself out there getting dirty and making a difference!” We love moments like these. We make sure we explain to the volunteers why the plants look the way they do and why the technique they are using to harvest is appropriate for each crop. We speak about the parts of the plants, how flowers become fruit, and which crops are related. It’s amazing to see people of all ages light up and walk away saying, “I learned something.” Hopefully when next autumn comes around the first thing that comes to mind for our volunteers is “harvest.”

[Etymology of “Autumn” source]