The upside of a warmer winter season is the impact it’s had on our gardens. Coupled with the extra amount of rain we had around planting time, our Seed gardens have flourished, to say the least. Garden Club has been instrumental in all phases of garden life here at the Seed, from soil embellishment, to planting, and weed management. This week they’ve added a new component. We currently have a small Farmers Market in our office featuring produce from Seed gardens and a few home gardens. Everything is free, and we encourage families to take produce to use at home.
While most of our emphasis in school is on the gardening process itself, there’s so much more to tending a garden. One of the most miraculous benefits is that through gardening, children learn to appreciate how much time and effort it takes to grow a carrot, for example. Through caring for young plants they understand that all the love and attention they are giving their young plants results in something beautiful and delicious. It’s a way for even young children to begin to understand planetary stewardship, one of the Seed’s core values.
An additional benefit of gardening is introducing children to new and nutritious foods. It’s not uncommon for children to try a new vegetable at school because their friends are eating it or because they helped grow it themselves. They often experience great pleasure in eating a carrot that has been freshly pulled from the soil. Green peas eaten right off the plant are often more appealing than eating them cooked alongside other vegetables.
As you come and go from school in the days ahead, we invite you to take some of the produce available in our Seed Farmers Market. In addition to adding nutritious items to your family dishes, you’ll be reinforcing the importance of children learning to grow food, and show them that you value their efforts.