The pilgrims knew what was up. They had the locavore movement dialed way before it hit the streets of Boulder. When they sat down to dinner at Plymouth Plantation, they were giving thanks for the food they were able to grow on their rocky scrap of the New England coast.

That's what Thanksgiving is all about: appreciating the fact that everything you eat, Pop Tarts aside, came out of the ground at one point. At its heart, it's about giving thanks for another year of sustenance and survival.

That may seem pretty far removed from your life right now. Sometimes it's hard to equate the cleanly sliced turkey or frozen corn you buy at the grocery store with where it came from.

But Thanksgiving is the perfect time to think about where your food comes from, and appreciate how much there is around you. We're pretty lucky here in Boulder -- we have access to local foods for much of the year. Keep that in mind when you're planning your meal next Thursday.

Think about the traditional Thanksgiving dinner: potatoes, squash and pumpkins are all in season around the end of November. It's the original fresh, seasonal meal. Granted, the first Thanksgiving probably looked pretty different from a modern spread, but they were eating food they had just harvested. The idea remains the same

Even today, Thanksgiving meals tend to incorporate some local flavors. Think about your family dinner -- it's probably a little bit different than your friends and neighbors, especially if they grew up in another part of the country.

At my parents' house in Massachusetts, fresh cranberries are a standby. I celebrated last Thanksgiving in New Mexico, where the cranberries came out of a can, but green chiles showed up in everything from the stuffing to the salad. Seemed weird, but it made sense.

Local foods, whether you realize it or not, make their way into traditional and holiday meals, especially when they are holidays based around the harvest

When you're planning your dinner next week, even if you're not the head cook, keep that in mind. No matter where you are, there are ways to incorporate local foods into the meal, and realistically the work may have already been done that for you.

There is a reason why apple pie is popular in the North and Midwest. Even stuffing has local ties. Southerners tend to make theirs with cornbread, while on the East Coast, oysters are often part of the mix.

Check the local farmers market -- Boulder is having a special one on Saturday -- to see what is in season around you. Chances are it won't be far off from what you're used to seeing on the table.

And, although it might be hokey and sentimental, appreciate the meal. Food, which is easy to take for granted, is something to be truly thankful for.

Heather Hansman is communication coordinator for the CU Environmental Center.