by Amy Henderson
The Edible Garden Tour was a huge success, and we're already brainstorming for next year. The Smith family may have set a record for visiting all 15 garden sites! They have two kids, Nolan, 6, and Margot, 4. We're told they were the ones pushing the family to see more, so we had to hear what they thought of the tour.
Q: Hi, Nolan and Margot! What was your favorite thing to see that day?
A: The goats...hands down!
Q: If you could have any farm animal in your backyard, what would you pick and why? What names would you give them?
A: Nolan said that he would want a horse because he could ride it. He would name it Nolan, of course.
Q: Did you try any new vegetables or fruits you've never had before? What did you think of them?
A: Fresh garlic and sage. They were okay but we wouldn't eat them again.
Q: Do you think your parents liked the tour? What do you think was their favorite part?
A: Yes, our parents loved the tour. They liked the chickens the best. The eggs were cool.
We also wanted to ask their parents questions. Like, how did you get such great kids!? But we stuck with questions about the tour.
Q: How did you hear about the Edible Garden Tour?
A: Friends and neighbors. We knew Cheryl Munoz, and that she was involved in the planning of the tour.
Q: How did you think the kids were going to react when you decided to take them on the tour? Did they react how you expected or were you surprised by anything?
A: We knew they would want to go, but were surprised by how much they loved it. We did all 15 gardens on bikes. My son would not even hear of skipping one. They were totally fascinated with the gardens that had animals. They are still talking about them!
Q: What are some things you learned on the tour?
A: We learned a lot more about soil preparation, how to test for lead in the soil, and how to change the soil to accommodate various plants. We were also surprised by how different all the gardens were. We are "tomato and cucumber gardeners" so we were really interested how much you can grow in a small urban space.
Q: Do you have a garden? Are your kids involved at all?
A: We do have a small garden. We grow tomato, peppers, cucumbers and some herbs. They are involved in the whole process: preparing the soil, picking out the plants, and harvesting (their favorite part of course.)
A: The goats...hands down!
Q: If you could have any farm animal in your backyard, what would you pick and why? What names would you give them?
A: Nolan said that he would want a horse because he could ride it. He would name it Nolan, of course.
Q: Did you try any new vegetables or fruits you've never had before? What did you think of them?
A: Fresh garlic and sage. They were okay but we wouldn't eat them again.
Q: Do you think your parents liked the tour? What do you think was their favorite part?
A: Yes, our parents loved the tour. They liked the chickens the best. The eggs were cool.
We also wanted to ask their parents questions. Like, how did you get such great kids!? But we stuck with questions about the tour.
Q: How did you hear about the Edible Garden Tour?
A: Friends and neighbors. We knew Cheryl Munoz, and that she was involved in the planning of the tour.
Q: How did you think the kids were going to react when you decided to take them on the tour? Did they react how you expected or were you surprised by anything?
A: We knew they would want to go, but were surprised by how much they loved it. We did all 15 gardens on bikes. My son would not even hear of skipping one. They were totally fascinated with the gardens that had animals. They are still talking about them!
Q: What are some things you learned on the tour?
A: We learned a lot more about soil preparation, how to test for lead in the soil, and how to change the soil to accommodate various plants. We were also surprised by how different all the gardens were. We are "tomato and cucumber gardeners" so we were really interested how much you can grow in a small urban space.
Q: Do you have a garden? Are your kids involved at all?
A: We do have a small garden. We grow tomato, peppers, cucumbers and some herbs. They are involved in the whole process: preparing the soil, picking out the plants, and harvesting (their favorite part of course.)
Q: How important do you think it is for kids to experience gardening?
A: We think that all kids should experience gardening. They love the process of watching things grow. They need to know where their food comes from. It also gives them a greater appreciation for the earth. Gardening is also a great family activity; we usually involve everyone in the planting process, including grandparents.
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