One of our neighbors, Berkley Plantation claims to be the site of the very first Thanksgiving feast between Native Americans and some most thankful settlers. Jamestown is about 20 miles downriver; needless to say our farm is located in a historical area, even before English settlers arrived, the banks of this river were heavily populated. It is a wide and fertile river valley with plenty of good soil for growing; and so has attracted farmers for thousands of years. We are here now, and so have plenty to be thankful for.
Being familiar with local history, and being neighbors, we have always believed Berkley as the sight of the first American Thanksgiving. The Pilgrims and their Native benefactors must have had a mighty fine feast also, just a few years after the one here in Charles City. The tradition still burns strong here, because every Thanksgiving, all our family members return to the farm for a few days of just appreciating being here together. Even the teenagers make every effort to be here, so it must be good!
Thanksgiving is the greatest holiday; gathering for a feast is a custom as old as humankind itself. Maybe because under all the hoopla and running around of our everyday lives, instinctively we know that all we need is food, family and a chance to enjoy both. Who had the first Thanksgiving feast? I wouldn’t know for sure, but what seems important is that the tradition lives on.
So, things will be crowded here on the farm, but that’s what we all came for! We at The Growers Exchange wish everyone a happy and thoughtful Thanksgiving. After all a lot of that feast came from the garden!
