This is my Papa, Frank DiMuzio, Sr. He was a vegetable farmer in New Jersey back when farms defined the state’s moniker, the Garden State. For me, it’s the greenhouse that I remember most. And to this day, the smell of warm tomatoes takes me right back to being with him.

He was a softy to his granddaughter, but not someone you wanted to mess with otherwise. Big, calloused hands that he used to crack walnuts after dinner were awfully scratchy on my little face but came in handy for the hard work he did.

And hard work he did. Like all farmers, he was responsible for the lives of all of those plants and the livelihood of his family. Putting food on the table for us and for the people who purchased the produce meant true responsibility–you work even when you don’t feel like it. It meant farming through holidays and weekends. And it meant doing whatever it took to make sure those plants thrived.

At Make Food Not Waste, we’ll celebrate all food–the food that farmers grow, that home cooks make, that chefs create. Because we know the work that goes into it and that it’s too good to go to waste.

This Labor Day weekend, you may be out enjoying meals with others or you may simply stay in and cook for yourself. Either way, take a moment to remember that some of that food likely came from a family farm, hopefully, one right here in Michigan. Give thanks that there are people who are working so hard to bring this delicious food to you. As for me? I’ll be enjoying warm tomatoes from a farmer just like my Papa.