This year my son planted green beans, picked the beans and prepped the beans for cooking.

Tonight we had green beans with supper that my son planted, picked and prepped for cooking. Additionally we were able to put three bags in the freezer. This is a success, because before this year, I hadn't taught my son very much about where food comes from.

Brilliant. I think you have planted a seed that will bear fruit for a lifetime.

A lot of young folks have figured out that the system is sort of gamed against them. Some seem to grow bitter and give up, wallowing in mutually reinforced defeatism. Others clue into the hands-on examples they have been shown and realize they are only defeated if they accept defeat.

I love the image of green beans as a radical revolutionary statement. Grow enough green beans, and we will change the world!

What fun!  What do you feel he will plant next?

Just curious, how old is you son for what age group is he in?

Thank you for this post, the stirring of memory from long ago events,  my daughters in the garden, planting peas!  And later eating them out of the shells!

And planting Zinnias for the flower and bee gardens.


Peace

Anne Miller wrote:What fun!  What do you feel he will plant next?

Well, I think I have him hooked on growing food, so the sky is the limit. I have a very long list of things to plant on a new plot of land we bought this year, which is currently a blank slate. I'll have him help plant the fruit and nut producing trees, as well as with the berry bushes. When he sees those come back year after year knowing he helped plant them, he will really be hooked for life!  He already has a good attitude towards all the things we grow, as he sees that some of it can be eaten and some of it can be used as medicine.  He is 13 now.

When I was a kid I dabbled in growing things, even though I wasn't consistant in it, I didn't plant and grow things every year, just when I wanted to, since my family wasn't really super into it/promoting it.  But obviously that changed, so even if its fits and starts with him, it is indeed planting seeds for good grownup habbits now.  I think if my parents had involved me more and encouraged it more I would have taken to it more fully and consistantly much sooner.

I used the lessons I learned in school when we bought our homestead to plant my seeds.

I cherish the memories of planting those first seeds ...

I’m not crazy about radishes but we always plant them so the kids get a quick win. They are super easy and ready in about 30days. The last two years we’ve had lots of issues (pests,reduced yield,etc) in the garden so honestly they are a good win for me too. Luckily we always plant extras so it’s not the end of the world if something doesn’t do great.

Literally every other year in my life everything always worked. So I now always put a guarantee in case something doesn’t work well.

I learned from my dad and had my first personal garden at 5. These are lessons that never go away. No matter how bad things get I can get food and it gives a peace I can’t get elsewhere. Kudos to you for “planting the seed”