Kids dig in
By D. Baratta, Local CorrespondentFri, Aug 21 2009 at 9:45 PM EST
Tell me and I will forget.
Show me and I may remember.
Involve me and I will eat vegetables.
Okay, not traditionally how the saying goes. But for some Chicago parents, the philosophy has worked wonders.
By involving their kids in the Edible Gardens program, parents have not only watched their little ones learn to grow, weed, compost and harvest their very own garden. They've seen them eating its fruits and veggies, too.
Planted and maintained by Jeanne Pinsof Nolan, organic gardener for Chicago's Green City Market, and located in Lincoln Park Zoo's Farm-in-the-Zoo presented by John Deere, the Edible Gardens program gives kids a hands-on education about where their food comes from and introduces them to sustainable farming practices.
"Most of our young visitors have never experienced a working garden and are participating in the actual growing process for the first time," says Lyle Allen, executive director of Green City Market.
Now in its fifth year, the garden program attracts 25,000 visitors annually. Allen adds that it serves as a model and teaching tool for Chicago students, teachers and families as well.With wheelchair-friendly paths and special raised beds, the garden is accessible to everyone and stays open from about mid-March through mid-November. Public hours, weather permitting, are Wednesdays and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
For more on the Edible Gardens at Lincoln Park Zoo and how you can start your own, check out Nolan's site The Organic Gardener.
You can also get the dish on Green City Market, Chicago's only year-round farmers market promoting sustainable food (and brilliant chefs), by clicking on its logo at right.
The Edible Gardens project was inspired by Alice Waters' Berkeley-based Edible Schoolyard.
Photos: (Edible Gardens) Green City Market
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