Local youth learn importance of gardening
Kent Luetzen
Farmer Amy Harvey helps Carla Baker, Dante Baltz, Arlonna Christopher, and Kalven Christopher make shish-kebobs at one of the stations of the garden dinner.
Kent Luetzen
shish-kebobs
Kent Luetzen
Kent Luetzen
Kids made Power Kale Salad with kale, carrots, beets, sunflower seeds and dressing.
Kent Luetzen
Kent Luetzen
Kent Luetzen
Kent Luetzen
Kent Luetzen
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PABLO – Learning to garden connects children to their community, the food they eat, and encourages a healthier lifestyle, according to Salish Kootenai College Community Health and Development Coordinator Mike Tryon.
SKC earned a grant from the United States Department of Agriculture that led to a collaboration with the University of Montana to improve healthy eating among children on the Flathead Indian Reservation. One component of the grant was a summer-long program designed to encourage area youth to grow their own food.
“We had kids in our garden once a week for about an hour-long session,” Tryon said. “We tried to make it as fun as possible. I think we even got kids to enjoy weeding by making it a competition.”
The SKC summer youth program and the SKC Extension, in partnership with the U of M and Garden City Harvest hosted “Dinner in the Garden” for the families of those who worked with the project. The event took place on Tuesday, Aug. 16, when children reaped the benefits of their harvest.
“I think it’s really important for these kids to see where their food comes from because we are realizing how important self-sufficiency is and buying locally,” Garden Educator Melissa Lafontaine said. “We also want kids to feel healthier and hopefully pass these habits onto their parents.”
The dinner was an interactive, educational meal event featuring vegetable- based dishes using fresh foods from the SKC garden. Attendees of all ages participated in meal preparation at a variety of stations. Kids made shish-kebobs with pineapple and meat, grated carrots for a kale salad, and shredded cabbage to make wraps.
“Part of the effort here is to engage the community in the fun activities of healthy cooking,” Extension Director Virgil Dupuis said.
Along with cooking skills, families learned about the history of gardening and agriculture on the reservation.
“There is an obesity issue on the reservation and this is helping; hopefully, teaching them healthier choices,” Lafontaine said. “These kids learned how to plant seeds, they got to pick their own vegetables and see something from start to finish, which is rare in a world where we can just press a button and not know where our food comes from.”
Lafontaine said she is concerned with the “ethical and social ramifications” of kids growing up with instant gratification. “Farming is a huge component of our livelihoods and community,” Lafontaine said. “We are hoping to prepare kids for their future.”
