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"Now that I’m a parent, I’m wondering how
to share my enjoyment of gardening with my daughter as she grows up.
Vegetable gardening has a certain cachet for families these days. It’s
become cool to take your kids to the farmers market and teach them about
buying locally and seasonally." continues Philipstown.info.
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| Even a baby can have a good time in a garden. Photo: Philipstown.info |
In both the Haldane and Garrison school
districts, students spend time in greenhouses and learn about growing
and preparing vegetables. There is increasing awareness of the value of
vegetable gardens and recognition that it can help instill good eating
habits in childhood.
Carolyn Llewellyn, a farm and nature
educator who works with Glynwood, Manitou School and the Haldane “Farmer
in the Classroom” program, and Dianne Olsen, who led the “Families
Growing Together” program for the Cornell Cooperative Extension in
Putnam County for many years, shared ways that parents can get kids off
the iPad and into the garden. The most important part is to make it fun,
they both emphasized...
“The garden is one of the best classrooms for children (adults, too).
Kids learn science in the garden: math by measuring, engineering by
planning, biology by learning how plants grow, ecology by learning about
the interaction of plants, air, water, insects, and pollinators,” said
Olsen. “It isn’t just concrete skills, though. Olsen said: “Kids learn
patience. They have to wait for seeds to sprout and for vegetables to
ripen. When kids work together in a garden, they learn cooperation,
teamwork, acceptance and respect. They learn how awesome and talented
and creative they are.”
Source: Philipstown.info
