ON Sunday, May 5, we celebrate Rogation Sunday. This is the day when we give thanks for the fruitfulness of creation, pray for our farming community, and ask God’s blessing on the land and all it produces.

Rogationtide is also a tangible reminder of where our food comes from and is a way of allowing ourselves to be reminded of God's bounteous provision to us. 

The word “rogation” comes from a Latin word which means “to ask”.

Historically, the Rogation Days (the three days before Ascension Day) were a period of fasting and abstinence, asking for God’s blessing on the crops for a good harvest.

Few of us today derive our livelihood from farming, yet it is good to be reminded of our dependence upon those who do and our stewardship of the land.

Traditionally a common feature of Rogation days was the ceremony of beating the bounds, in which a procession of parishioners would proceed around the boundary of their parish and pray for its protection in the forthcoming year.

As it is often no longer practical to follow exact boundaries (some of them run down the middle of roads and some follow railway lines) services are sometimes held that have a focus on specific elements of creation such as livestock, fields, allotments and gardens.

It is also a tangible reminder of where our food comes from and a way of allowing ourselves to be reminded of God's bounteous provision to us. 

It troubles me when we lose the link between what we consume and those who produce it. UK farmers are often assailed by rain, floods, and uncertainty as they work to keep food on the nation’s tables. 

We live in an area in which agriculture plays a significant role.

There will be many in our local area who are farmers or who know someone who is working in some form of farming.

We are therefore in a privileged position to make the connection between our food and its producers. And it is especially important for us, who are in a position to make that connection, to support our local farmers wherever possible.

One of the great joys of living in this part of the world is being able to shop locally, with a range of food retailers including butchers, farm shops and other local shops on our doorstep.

By buying locally produced food, we know that we are not only buying fresh and traceable produce, but also playing an active part in supporting local farmers and sustaining the economic viability of the rural community. 

So... on May 5 especially, let's pause to pray and ask God to bless the livestock, the fields, the allotments and the gardens.

Let's give thanks to God for the land and its produce, for farmers and for all those involved in producing our food and let's pray for God's blessing for a bountiful harvest later in the year.

The Rev Preb Matthew Tregenza

Rector of Holy Cross, Crediton