There was a time when grandparents and parents could take children out to the farm or to the backyard garden so the young ones could learn more about where their fruits and vegetables come from. It's not so easy anymore for children in the city.
Youngsters at the Jubilee Heritage Family Resources in Sudbury are able to learn through the Little Farmers program, which is part of the Sudbury Shared Harvest (SSH) organization.
SSH has been creating garden beds at several child care centres to allow children to learn about planting seeds, growing and nurturing the plants and harvesting the vegetables.
Sudbury MP Viviane Lapointe attended the centre Wednesday and announced a funding grant through the federal New Horizons for Seniors Program.
Lapointe said the funding would be more than $15,000 for New Horizons to help support Sudbury Shared Harvest and the Little Farmers.
Lapointe said the idea of seniors teaching children about gardening brought back memories.
"Right before we started the session today, some of us talked about how we learned our love for gardening,” she said. “And for me it was from my grandmother and my grandfather. I remember going to their house, and if she was making a soup, she would send me out in the garden to pick the carrots and the onions for her soup base. And most of all, I remember picking the fresh raspberries from their backyard.”
Lapointe congratulated the group for what she called "an incredible partnership."
Sudbury Shared Harvest describes itself as a charitable organization with a mission to cultivate community health by connecting people, the food they eat and the land it comes from.
"We support people in gaining the knowledge, skills and resources they need to access or grow their own food in a way that enhances our urban environment," said the website.
Jessica Blaauw, the chair of the organization, said over the past eight years, SSH had led many community projects aimed at providing food security in Sudbury. She said the Little Farmers Program is a good example of allowing the youngsters to learn the importance of food security, especially in urban settings.
"This program is a connection for seniors; volunteer opportunities for seniors, to work with children in urban daycare centres, to pass on information about how to grow foods, how to get children excited about growing food, how to continue to take those skills on into the future and learn how to grow your own food and your own gardens," she said.
Blaauw said the shared harvest organization was proud and excited to see the program grow.
The world has changed over the years, and it is not so easy for youngsters to know about gardening anymore, she added.
"Yes, that's true,” she said. “Many people; many of these kids may come from apartment buildings where there is no garden in the backyard, and there's no access to growing your own food and your own personal space. So being able to do that in an educational environment is so beneficial.”
Len Gillis is a reporter with Sudbury.com.
