The Perfect Recipe
Take one energy-filled
youngster. Provide subject with a cup of seeds and a shovel. Infuse
with dirt and sprinkle on healthy dollops of fresh air and sunshine.
Mix with a shovel. Yield: one happy kid and the beginnings of
a summer-long project for the domestic unit, otherwise known as
the family garden.
Sharing
Traditions
I have fond memories of
gardening as a child; my family shared a large backyard garden
with a neighbor. Each spring, every willing youngster old enough
to hold a spade was assigned a vegetable. Through the spring,
summer and early fall, she was responsible for the weeding, watering,
sowing and distribution of her yield. Over the years, we had a
variety of crops: summer squash, horseradish, leaf lettuce, corn,
beans, eggplant, cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, chives and rhubarb.
As a result, I grew up with an appreciation for the process and
consumption of fresh produce. For me, gardening is a relaxing
escape from the pressures of an urban environment, and I wanted
to pass that tradition on to my children.
Cooperative
Extension : The Mother Lode of Gardening Guidance
After poring over books
on design, composting, and organic gardening, we consulted local
experts. Our first stop was Cornell Cooperative Extension, which
proved to be the mother lode of gardening guidance. Cooperative
extension programs are located throughout the US, and in each
state are affiliated with land-grant universities. They provide
research-based educational resources through a network of educators
and extension offices.
Our local office provides
soil analysis and maintains a hotline staffed by master gardeners
who answer consumer questions. New this year is an online home-gardening
database that provides user-friendly instruction and information,
including vegetable growing guides, fact sheets, and a virtual
visit to a family garden.
According to Cornell Master
Gardener Bob Eller, a soil pH of 6.8-7.0 is ideal for growing
vegetables. "Choose a sunny spot, with well-drained soil
that is compatible with what you want to grow. Almost anything
can be grown if the soil is right," he says. In order to
reap the benefits of the analysis, you must plan in advance! "Don¹t
wait until May to get it tested," advises Bob.
Since we began planning
the garden in early May, we did not have time to send in soil
for analysis. Not knowing what areas of the backyard were most
fertile, we opted for a raised-bed garden. Raised-bed gardens
are an ideal option for both new gardeners and city dwellers without
a lot of space.
Local
Garden Centers
Our next stop was at the
local garden center, where we received advice on starting a vegetable
garden and kid-friendly vegetable varieties. Upstate New York
has an abundance of garden centers, and each has unique offerings
for families. Stores in our area offer everything from free gardening
classes for kids and adults to play areas with jungle gyms and
sandboxes full of oats. Chances are, you will find similar offerings
in your hometown.
Community
Supported Agriculture Projects
Families desiring a garden-growing
experience but lacking space, time or other resources should check
out community supported agriculture (CSA) projects. Besides being
a great place for families to get hands-on gardening experience,
the fruits of your labor are rewarded!
According to information
provided by the University of Massachusetts Extension Service,
here¹s how it works:
Community members sign up
and purchase their shares, either in one lump sum before the seeds
are sown in early spring, or in several installments throughout
the growing season. Production expenses are thereby guaranteed
and the farmer or grower starts receiving income as soon as work
begins.
In return for their investment,
CSA members receive a bag of fresh, locally-grown, typically organic
produce once a week from late spring through early fall, and occasionally
throughout the winter in northern climates
At Peaceworks Organic Farm
in Newark, NJ, a typical week¹s bounty for a full shareholder
is 7-11 types of fresh vegetables, which may include the following:
1 head of lettuce or 2 of leaf lettuce; 1pound of spinach; 1 pound
of carrots; a bunch of greens or herbs; 2 pounds of potatoes;
1 head of broccoli; 6-8 ears of corn; and 1pound of shelling peas.
"Exotic vegetables, such as bok choi, mizuna and komatsuna
are grown for variety, but we emphasize popular ones tomatoes,
peppers, peas, beans, onions, broccoli and lettuce," Farm
Director Elizabeth Henderson explains.
GO TO: Tips for
gardening with kids and resources
Gardening with Kids: A Recipe for Sucess --
continued
April 2003
