The importance Of School Gardens.

When I was growing up in rural Humboldt County all of our neighbors had a garden. Now 70 years later none of our neighbors in Alhambra Valley Ranch have a garden, although a few grow tomato plants in pots on their decks or patios during the summer. Today, most people buy their produce at the local food market or, if they are lucky enough to have one, at a local farmer's market. I also sell my home grown organic vegetables at a farmer's market and my customers invariably seem to be amazed at how much better things taste if they are raised in a local garden rather than in a large commercial enterprise hundreds, if not thousands, of miles away. I always ask them if they have a garden and if not, why not? While some reply that they live in apartments or condominiums that do not provide the space for a garden, the majority seem to believe that gardening either is too time consuming or difficult. Some report that they have tried gardening on a small scale but have been unsuccessful in their attempts to grow their own fruits and vegetables. Many of these unfortunates seem to have concluded that only those with a green thumb can garden successfully. I hope this book puts that myth to rest once and for all! Anyone can become a successful gardener if they have the will to do it, anyone! In any case, the people of my generation were taught to garden by their parents. As I recall, it was much more fun to plant a seed and watch the resulting seedling spring from the soil and grow than it was to learn the math tables or attempt to master spelling, something I was incapable of doing. I believe that people who do not garden are missing out on one of most satisfying things life has to offer. I know those of you who garden will agree with me on this point. As an aside, I also believe that today's children would be better off if they spent more time in a garden and less time playing video games on their computers, but that is subject matter for another time. In my opinion, schools are for teaching a wide range of skills, not just the three R's, music, sports, sex education and political correctness as so often is the case today. Just as a students in our better schools today can learn to play the violin, act in a Shakespeare play or play football, they should have the opportunity to learn how to garden. Only a tiny fraction of those who learn to play the violin will become professional violinists and ever fewer of those who play high school football will play in the National Football League. However, the vast majority of those who are exposed to gardening in their formative years will continue to garden for as long as they are physically capable of doing so. Some of these fortunate young people also will discover their true passion and end up in agricultural related careers. More importantly, children who learn how to garden will be less dependent on others for the food they eat. Furthermore, those lucky enough to learn how to garden organically will live longer and healthier lives than those who are dependent on the produce produced by large agriculture enterprises which rely heavily on potentially toxic chemical fertilizers to grow the fruits and vegetables they sell to the masses. Finally, those that grow their own fruits and vegetables will be consuming produce that is far more flavorful and tasty than that sold at the local food store. When all is said and done, those lucky enough to have well versed in the skills of organic gardening will lead healthier, happier and more fulfilling lives than those who grow up with no gardening skills. It also is possible that the knowledge of gardening fundamentals may be the difference between living and dying of starvation for those who are alive 60 to 70 years from now. If the proponents of climate change are correct, this world will be a far different place by the end of the twenty first century. If so, those who know how to grow their own fruits and vegetables, and are less dependent on the government and agribusiness for their food, will have a significant advantage over those who do not have basic gardening skills. Although it may be impractical for large inner city schools to provide the space for even a school garden of modest size, such is not the case in schools located in the suburbs wherein there usually is abundant space for gardens of any size. Although the children participating in school gardening projects may require some teacher supervision, there is little or no reason for such gardening projects to be a financial burden for the schools who elect to foster them. Members of local garden clubs and other retired persons in the community are eager to share their gardening skills with young people who want to experience the joy of gardening.