Thankful For BC Farmers This Thanksgiving

At its core, Thanksgiving is meant to celebrate the season’s harvest and all of the blessings we’ve received over the past year. The tone of the world right now, however, doesn’t lend itself towards a feeling of abundance; in BC, many individuals are facing the demands of life, finances, familial and professional obligations, strange and unpredictable climate and political changes, not to mention the threat of an ongoing recession. 

In short: it feels difficult, at times, to be thankful. 

But that’s what makes this holiday so important—it’s times like this that remind us to come together and share a moment with our loved ones or found family. So let’s use this holiday to reset and remember what matters most, and what better way to embrace this than over a delicious meal with the people we care most about? 

It’s also the perfect time to remember the individuals who provide fresh ingredients and products for our table—not just this holiday, but all year long. 

While the fall can be a hard time for most of us with less daylight and cooler temperatures, harvest is a period of long, gruelling hours for most farmers. All across the province, be it ground crops, tree crops, livestock, even wine—this is the culmination of months of hard work and determination.

Did you know that there are just over 60 registered turkey farmers in our province? Yet our population reaches just above 5 million. Each month turkey farmers work to ensure BC residents all have access to delicious, fresh turkeys—a high demand for only a few dozen farms. 

BC Turkey’s recent campaign, Together At The Table, reminds all of us that it’s small moments put together over time that build a beautiful life, such as daily conversations at the dinner table reflecting on the week or family moments like fighting over who has to load the dishwasher. It can be easy to forget the individuals who make it possible to share a meal together. So let’s remember to thank the farmers, processors, grocers, and suppliers that deliver healthy and high-quality products for our table.  

“We’d be nothing without the people that grow our food,” says Tori Wesszer, a lifestyle blogger, entrepreneur, registered dietician with an online Meal Plan for busy families, and Full Hearts cookbook co-author based in Kelowna. “The farmers are everything,” she says. “When they have a bad year, everyone has a bad year. So we really need to take care of the people who put food on our tables and be thankful for them.”

However, even Wesszer knows that this Thanksgiving feels particularly difficult amidst the current climate. “When times are tough, it can feel really lonely,” she says. “But the best way to combat this is by sitting down with those you care about.”

According to Wesszer, it’s hardwired into human beings to connect over food, which is what makes Thanksgiving such a great holiday. “Sharing meals is such a fundamental part of our culture and wellness, and it’s really underrated,” she says.“Food is love, and what a wonderful time to really embrace that.”

If you’re feeling stressed out about hosting Thanksgiving this year, there are plenty of tips Wesszer has shared to lighten your load. Things like preparing as much as you can ahead of time so you have less tasks on the day, to creating a workback schedule so you know what needs to be done by 2pm, all the way to delegation so that you aren’t in charge of every step. 

“It’s okay to ask for help or to enlist family to bring dishes,” explains Wesszer. This is a lovely way for everyone to contribute, especially if you ask them to bring their own “famous” recipe to the celebration. Not only will it relieve stress for the host—it also makes others feel good. 

“I feel like fall is the new New Year’s Eve,” says Wesszer. It’s the perfect time to reconnect with our values and decide what we want to see more of in our lives. “To do it together over good food is such a beautiful thing.”

And for those who are feeling a little overwhelmed about leftovers—turkey is an economical protein because there are so many ways to repurpose it! Instead of contributing to food waste, we can make the most out of this meal by stretching it out over the week. 

“I’m team soup,” jokes Wesszer. “Honestly everything can go into soup.” But there’s also pot pies, school week sandwiches, freezing some for the future, or boiling the carcass to make your own stock. 

For those who need a bit of help planning out their Thanksgiving menu, you can check out Tori Wesszer’s blog on Fraîche Living for an entire Thanksgiving Dinner feast outline. However, we highly suggest you at least try your hand at her delicious Perfect White Buns recipe.

We certainly hope that all of BC is able to come together with their loved ones this weekend. As hard as it may feel, it’s important to be thankful everyday—not just on Thanksgiving. So perhaps we can use this holiday to reset and remember what’s most important: the people we care most about, and the everyday moments that build a beautiful life. 

However, it wouldn’t be a true Thanksgiving without a turkey recipe! Thankfully, BC Turkey and Canadian television personality and Executive Chef Ned Bell have provided all the ingredients and steps to make his “Perfect Canadian Turkey.” 

For the full recipe, including the instructions, please visit the BC Turkey website. But to get you started with your weekend shopping, here are the ingredients to have on stock:

Brine:

• 18 Ib BC Turkey
• 1 cup kosher salt
• ½ cup apple cider vinegar
• 3 tbsp brown sugar
• 4 bay leaves
• ¼ cup black peppercorns
• 8 sprigs rosemary of thyme
• 5 cloves of garlic
• 4 sprigs sage

Rub:

• ½ Ib butter
• Sage or flat leaf parsley
• Salt 
• Cracked pepper