October in the Western Hemisphere is full of wavering hope. Freshly picked squash gets pride of place at the store, people in the neighborhood FB group try to decipher which pumpkin patch is least MAGA, and endless cups of coffee are blessed or marred (depending on your persuasion) by “pumpkin spice.” Much of the year passes in a blur of seasons distorted by rising temperatures and changing weather patterns, but fall has a stronger hold that I find sweet and bitter.

Less than a hundred years ago, in 1930, 21% of the U.S. labor force was in agriculture. Now, only 2% of the U.S. population are farmers or ranchers. So few live intimately connected to the growing seasons, and yet when October rolls around I feel a collective longing for something different. This yearning is good, though, because it can lead to seeking out relationships with local farmers and crops. LocalHarvest is a helpful place to start.

Today’s Art Meal considers the labor and rewards of the harvest. With works from the 1800s through 1984, artists explore the tension of this theme. There is no abundant harvest without a lot of work.

Harvest is the second edition of this monthly feature for paid subscribers to dive into my archives of art about food, art with food as its subject, and food that is art. Any art that references consumption and the labor of it qualifies in my very official reckoning.

Now, get yourself a mug of cider and press play on Neil Young’s album Harvest before scrolling on to your next Art Meal…