Thanks for Niagara Bounty

God of Grace,
everywhere we look in Niagara, there is bounty.
Orchards brimming with red cherries.
Vineyards heavy with purple grapes.
Fields carpeted in golden grain.
Green vegetables, row on row,
and bushes laden with blueberries.
And the good earth
hiding its white potatoes till harvest.
A feast for the eye and body,
all gifts from your hands.

Thank you, God, for land.
Thank you for rich topsoil,
and for this region’s temperate climate.
Thank you for the regular rains
and for the many rivers and lakes
that make it possible to irrigate.

Thank you for indigenous peoples
the Haudenosaunee and Anishnaabe,
who farmed here for countless centuries
growing the three sister plants: corn, squash and beans.
Help us learn from them and remember
that this territory is covered by the Upper Canada Treaties
and the Dish with One Spoon Wampum agreement.
Help us live into the spirit of those obligations.

Thank you for farmers,
who work long hours to plow and plant and prune and pick,
who steward the land, and bring their produce to market.
We ask for fair prices and fair wages for those who work.
Thank you for food with all its textures and flavours,
its variety and richness.

Thank you for cooks who create marvellous dishes
and winemakers who bring delight to our palate.
Thank you for life and breath,
and health to enjoy all this bounty,
and for the people here today around the table
who enjoy it with us.  Amen.