We usually end up having at least three Thanksgivings at Fox Hill Bruderhof. The first few are not written onto the calendar, but by September, as the last of the garden bounty rolls in, celebration is in the air. There are communal games and hayrides in the afternoon; anyone who wants to wear out his or her arms can have a go at cider pressing. For dinner, there may be roasted chicken and roasted vegetables, and buttery golden corn on the cob and fresh salads with the last of the vine-ripe tomatoes.

It’s rather reminiscent of a Redwall feast.