Thanksgiving on the Farm: A Harvest of Gratitude

We may earn money or products from the companies mentioned in this post.

We celebrate Thanksgiving on our farm with open hearts and grateful spirits. Thanksgiving is a time of warmth, traditions, and bountiful moments and on this farm it is a cherished occasion.

It starts in the morning with coffee and continues all through the day. We graze and then we feast. My mother-in-law makes Monkey Bread that morning (usually) she has been known to forget and has yet to hear the end of it. We all sip coffee, and mimosas and break our fast with monkey bread and some of our farm pork breakfast sausage.

Preparing for Turkey Day

We plan our menu and guest list out a few weeks in advance to ensure we have all the ingredients we need and we don’t leave out anyone’s favorite dishes. It also helps us to make sure we have enough to feed everyone and what size turkey and ham we might need. The night before is spent cooking and prepping. I love to decorate with natural elements whenever we can so I have the guys cut me down tree stumps, logs for candles and I use fallen leaves, acorns when I can. Pampas grass, linen and red checkered tablecloths make my little heart happy. 

I use the food as part of the décor whenever I can too. Carving out peppers for dips, fluffing the veggie tray up with kale and using the bread bowl as a holder are all things I’ve done out here before. You can even use dishes shaped like veggies if that is more your style. The more you prepare ahead of time the less stress you will feel the day of and you will be able to relax and enjoy your guests while they are there. 

Harvesting the Bounty

Green beans for the casserole, pumpkin for the pie, beets for the salad, potatoes from the garden are just a few ways we incorporate the summer and fall veggies from the garden. All thanks to Terry and Sandy who spend all summer dedicated to the task. It’s a labor of love from them all summer but it is one we all enjoy at the Thanksgiving feast.

At many of our dinners we do happy moments for the day and Thanksgiving is no different. Each person shares something they are thankful for, or a happy moment. It is a time of appreciation for the simple joys of farm life.

Farm-to-Table Feast

The centerpiece of our Thanksgiving celebration is a farm-to-table feast. Our menu showcases the season’s finest ingredients many of them grown or raised right here on the farm. It features a perfectly smoked turkey that will knock your socks off (we use every part … turkey neck makes the gravy and then carcass is used to make and can bone broth), homemade cranberry sauce, green bean casserole, broccoli casserole, mashed potatoes, homemade bread, cornbread dressing, hominy casserole (New Mexico tradition for the in-laws), and what I always called “good stuff” at my grandmother’s, here they call it orange fluff. You can plan your own menu and print it out for your guests, get your fully editable copy here. 

Give Me All The Pie

I don’t about you, but I love the pies! All of them. All the time. At the same time. I really love pie. We have no shortage here on Thanksgiving. Apple, Pumpkin and Pecan all make the cut. I did a poll on Instagram and Pecan won by a landslide! Can you believe that? I didn’t predict that but I can’t say I’m mad about it. I love them and would never be able to pick just one.

Thanksgiving on the farm is a time to remember the history of this country of ours,  honor the land, the harvest, and the bonds of family and community.

It’s a day when we count our blessings and thank the Lord for all he provides and there are many. We are grateful for each of you, thanks for the beauty of rural life. I say it all the time… farm life, best life.

Happy Thanksgiving! 🍁🦃🌽