Chicken Little came home from school one day with something he was so exciting to give to me. He handed over a slip of paper covered with little cut out hearts and a poem of sorts penciled in newly learned letters of #2 lead.
It took me awhile to make out what it said but it gradually dawned on me it was about me. It read “Cook Hug Garden. She makes me feel loved.” It was one of those moments where I get all weepy and all I could do was throw my arms around him speechlessly.
If I died tomorrow I would want this on my tombstone. I know he’s only six and a half and his opinion of me will change dramatically over the years but right now this is more than I ever dreamed he would get out of this lifestyle of urban farming and cooking everything from scratch. We constantly talk about food, what the seeds look like, what the plants look like and how you prepare it. Despite that he never seems to tire of it.
It got me thinking about two years ago before we started this experiment and how our relationship with food has completely changed. Before we would go through the grocery store. Anything he would point to and whine about we would stop and read the labels, discuss what was bad in it for his body and put it back. We would drive by McDonald’s and Baskin Robbins, more whining ensued, we would discuss toxins that were sprayed onto McNuggets or the merits of grass fed beef and keep driving. We constantly argued about food with me wielding ultimate power since I had the money.
But I felt awful about it. I felt like I was denying them simple childhood pleasures. At times I felt like I was a terrible mom and he assured me frequently that I was.
Fast forward one year into this buying local or growing all inputs and making everything from scratch. We always have an arsenal of homemade ice cream or pudding or homemade breakfast cookies made from just a few pure ingredients. If they want french fries or potato chips I happily fry them up using local potatoes and pastured lard. I’ll barbecue them grass fed burgers or make homemade jerky till the cows come home…
We don’t argue about food anymore. Now that they know they can have things at home they’ve stopped begging for things and instead talk about why our version is so much healthier. They are beginning to value health because it doesn’t involve giving things up.
They still miss the prizes and the packaging but in time they’ll grow up and leave home. What they remember won’t be those prizes they missed out on. It will be the experience of choosing seeds, planting a garden and eating sun ripened cherry tomatoes, blueberries, raspberries, or strawberries fresh off the bush. They’ll remember wandering through the garden and picking crisp, sweet peas or carrots to eat when they are hungry. And in a few years they will remember climbing up the apple, pear, peach, plum, fig and cherry trees to hide in the branches and eat fruit.
Even though I think of this often, it’s hard for me to fathom how life changing this is in the eyes of a child. How empowering for someone who needs to frequently ask help getting something from a high shelf in the fridge or cupboard or help pouring from a full carton of milk to be able to forage their own food with no restrictions.
This is how so many kids grew up just a few generations ago. And hopefully we’ll recognize some of the health benefits those kids had a few generations ago as well. Longer lives and better health. Stronger family units who grow and eat and cook together. Kids who value food and health and spend time out of doors. Just imagine if this is the wave of the future!
As soon as I wrap up the chicken feed giveaway I’ll be launching a kid’s garden giveaway and am working on a down-loadable gardening plan for fail proof 3 season gardening with selected seeds kids will love. It’s my hope to build the materials into something that schools and home schoolers can use for gardening units so that as many kids as possible can enjoy the experience of gardening. It would even be a good plan for adults new to gardening. I can’t wait!
This is a beautiful entry!
I hope right along with you.
How are you preserving the food you are growing? I grew up in a family where everything was canned. I got away from it and am trying to work my way back. Everything was canned using boiling water canner when I was little. From the reading I’m doing, to do what I want to do, I’ll need a pressure cooker, which I don’t recall me mother or grandmother ever using.
Annette, I don’t have children but I absolutely loved this post (and it made my eyes well up, too). You are doing such an amazing job.
Thanks Emily and Mama Papaya. LeAnn, it depends what it is. The USDA has changed their canning guidelines since the 70′s which may have been when your family was “putting by”. I try to water process as much as possible because the longer things are heated the more nutrients are lost. I do jam and pickle or water process tomatoes with citric acid but spaghetti sauce I pressure can. One other reason I used the pressure canner more last year was because of the multiple rat familes we had move into the tomatoes. I try to lacto-ferment the veggies that I can’t freeze because it doesn’t destroy the nutrients but really we just try to eat seasonally which means I’m not canning as much.
I do also pressure can the meat broth, I’d forgotten about that one. And I denydrate tomatoes and fruit then store them in the freezer because once they are dehydrated you can really pack them in and by freezing you eliminate the chance for mold to move in.
Auburn, thank you. I just hope he always feels this way. :p
I also got teary at that first paragraph. So sweet, heart bustingly so. Sigh.
That is so sweet!
I think it is incredible what you are doing and I am so grateful that you are sharing what you’re learning with all of us.
That is wonderful!!! This journey is much more heart warming with the kids making such strides. You are amazing and I use you for so much go to information, but especially for kid friendly recipes. You have a great way of making recipes that work for kids and making sure they get enough chocolate and pizza that they don’t feel deprived! Great job and I’m sure they will both continue to feel that way, especially when they look back!!
Julia & Stacy – thank you! Sometimes he is just a little devil but he sure knows how to get out of trouble in a hurry. I’m thinking that will be a skill he’ll use his whole life.
Sara, thank you. If it weren’t for the kids there would be a heck of a lot of snacky stuff and a heck of a lot more sleep around here. Plus the parties and vacations…but I’m still trying to block those. I figure while they are too young to be trusted in public places without leashes I’ll just use that vacation budget and build up our garden of eating instead. This last tree buy and the grape and kiwi arbor should be our last foregone vacations thankfully! Instead we go camping and rent trashy mouse ridden cabins at the beach.
don’t mind me, just wiping away a tear…
Angela,
I finally got a picture of it today but need to resize and post it. Maybe tomorrow. It’s so cute with his little kindergarten handwriting!
I love this post too! It made tears well up in my eyes. I don’t have any children yet, but I am so inspired by parents like you. You are such a positive role model for your kids! Thanks for sharing all of this info with us.
Brittney, my kids help put my wackiness into perspective. I frequently use them as an excuse to do something my husband would otherwise question.
I’d like to hear more about your children’s garden design. I am a new teacher and my passion in the world is to bring back and share the magic of gardening with kids. I want them to see where food comes from! So, please tell me more about this garden unit. I’m all ears!
Hi Linda – I have yet to add a freebies page which will make it easier to find. Everything is on this page: http://www.sustainableeats.com/2010/03/06/childs-garden-handouts-and-where-to-start/
I wish you every success in the world – what a marvelous passion to have!