Why All Children Should Learn How To Grow Food
As a child, I would watch each year as my mother planted seeds - she would poke holes into the soil and place them into the earth. I accepted the process without question when vegetables ended up on my plate - it wasn’t until I planted the seeds myself that it clicked. I learnt that food is not meant to be a pre-packaged product that never expires. I saw first-hand how the simple action of planting and nurturing food can inspire and, both physically and mentally, aid us.
When we plant a seed we instantly become part of a cycle of growth and regeneration - we intertwine with the elements to foster the development of foods that have sustained humankind for millennia. In doing so we not only give our time and energy over to this process but equally gain a wealth of knowledge in return. The soil can teach us lessons that we cannot learn anywhere else.
This is why it’s so important that children are exposed to growing food from a young age. Whatever their background, social circumstances or economic status - access to an outdoor growing space should be a basic right, especially for children. Through the act of growing food, children can learn how to take responsibility for a life, nurture a seed from planting to harvest day and actively participate in the food system.
Through this simple action, children are offered a direct connection to a powerful life force in the form of soil. One tablespoon of soil contains more organisms in it than there are people on earth. While it may just seem like a bit of dirt on your shoe, there’s an entire world in a piece of mud. And while there are many types of soil for different uses, if we ran out of soil tomorrow the stability of our world would very quickly collapse [2].
As a child, it was only through experiencing how food ended up on my plate that I came to value the process - by reconnecting with our food in this way we can begin to understand its value. This value not only extends to the quality of our food but also to the actual content. When children have the opportunity to taste, touch and experience the food that they have grown themselves they will start to see all other food in a different way and themselves in a different way too. Children are our future leaders, pioneers and changemakers - showing them the importance of growing food in a way that benefits both people and the planet will empower them with the knowledge to make choices for a better world in the long run.