Since our Ancestors first realized that they could take an active role in planting and propagating edible plants, humankind has engaged the Holy Powers in that process through rituals and offerings in hopes of maximizing the ultimate yield. Anyone who gardens knows that the results are unpredictable and that farming is, at best, an on-going experiment. In cultures where people lacked the capacity to test and balance such factors as soil nutrients and were ever at the mercy of random late freezes, droughts and hail storms, the propitiation of the Gods and spirits governing agriculture was critical. Rarely was sufficient food stored and preserved to last for more than a single year; in northern climates, the challenge was to simply survive the long and often brutal winters.
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