As I sit down to write this I look out my window over apple trees laden with ripening fruit, and tomato and pepper plants flecked with red, purple, yellow and green vegetables. The house smells of roasted Romas and chocolate zucchini cake. I think to myself, “We live in a land of plenty.”
This weekend is Canada’s 124th Labour Day. How does your family spend the long weekend - with one last summer getaway or watching the Labour Day Classic CFL games? As the last long weekend of the summer it is nice to have a day off work to spend leisure time with family and friends. This is certainly not how Labour Day began! 145 years ago Canada was growing rapidly and working conditions were poor. Machines were beginning to replace people, unions were illegal, and “workers rights” didn’t really exist. In the spring of 1872 the workers at Toronto Printing decided to band together to do something about their situation. Even though it was not permissible, they went on strike and paraded through the streets of Toronto, starting out as a group of 2000 people and arriving at their destination as a group of 10,000! This strike did not produce immediate relief from underpay and long work days, but it did demonstrate that the working class, when banded together, could get the attention of the public, employers and political leaders. In 1894, Prime Minister Sir John Thompson declared Labour Day a national holiday.
Things weren’t easy when my ancestors landed in Canada either. 84 years ago, when this land began being farmed by the Davison family I don’t think that they sat by the window and thought about a land of plenty. Things were tough and food was scarce. I hear stories told by my grandparents about their childhood when they would come inside at lunchtime and be sent back out to play with empty bellies because there simply was no food to eat. I hear Grandpa Bob talk about the early years of this farm when his uncle didn’t have the money to buy the land so the local packing house gave it to him and he paid them back as he could with apples over the years.
I am thankful to my ancestors and Canada’s pioneers who worked hard to give us what we have today. When we are in a position where we have everything we need, from worker’s rights to plenty of food, it is easy to begin to take things for granted. So, as we celebrate Labour Day and enjoy the bounty of harvest this year, let us not forget to be thankful to the One who has blessed us with abundance. Let’s continue to work hard and let’s share with others the things that we have. Let’s teach our children to appreciate their food, their freedom and their families. And let us rejoice, because we live in a land of plenty.
Sincerely,
Rachel
4th Generation Farmer's Wife
September is Apple Festival month. We take the whole month to celebrate this delicious tree fruit that gave Davison Orchards it's start!
Every weekend we have family friendly u-pick apple tours. You'll learn about our orchard and one of our farmers will show you the correct way to pick apples. Find the tree you like and pick the apples that catch your eye.
Make a mini pie with Nana Davison (2pm-3pm), free apple tastings, fresh pressed apple juice, mulled apple cider and amazing apple treats!
ents about their childhood when they would come inside at lunchtime and be sent back out to play with empty bellies because there simply was no food to eat. I hear Grandpa Bob talk about the early years of this farm when his uncle didn’t have the money to buy the land so the local packing house gave it to him and he paid them back as he could with apples over the years. 
