5 Easy Ways To Teach Kids Where Their Food Comes From
Sometimes I take for granted that I grew up on a farm. Most of today’s youth haven’t even visited a farm. In fact, according to Farm Bureau, most Americans are two to three generations removed from the farm. Farm and ranch families make up less than two percent of the American population. With this disconnect between the farm the food is grown on and the table the food is served on, we have to do better on educating our youth on the source of their food.
It’s a simple question really: Where does your food come from? I’ve asked this question of many kids throughout my career, and the first time I ask it, I usually get the following answers: Walmart, the store, my kitchen. I mean, they’re not wrong, but it starts way before that, and that information is what is being lost between generations. Our food comes from a farm.
In America, we have a surplus of safe food. That fact alone separates us from so many other countries. Vegetables, fruits, grains, dairy, and proteins – all grown or raised on a farm. Today, one U.S. farmer feeds 165 people. By the year 2050, our farmers are expected to have to feed a population of 9 billion. This will require producing 70% more than they currently grow, with fewer resources than ever before.
Educating youth about agriculture is my passion. So how can you help? Start by educating your own kids, your nieces and nephews, your grandkids, even your best friend’s kids…the possibilities are endless. Here are five ways to accomplish your goal:
Talking
Of course you can just tell your kids, “Hey, your food comes from a farm!” But let’s get real, I don’t even have kids of my own, and I know telling them doesn’t always (or even usually) work. Have a discussion with them; ask them what they already know; ask them if they’ve talked about agriculture or food in school. Point out farms you pass on the road, ask them if they know what that farm is growing (even if you don’t!) This leads me to my next tip…
Listening
Kids are smart. They probably already know a little about agriculture, even if they don’t know what the word “agriculture” means. Listen when they tell you what they know or what they’ve heard. Reinforce their truthful knowledge, and gently correct any misinformation they may have come across. Honestly, the misinformation out there will be the biggest battle you face in education your children. And that doesn’t just apply to agriculture.
Reading
I’m a big advocate of reading, period. Read to your child, have them read to you, read it together, whatever you need to do. American Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture provides recommended publications for Ag Literacy, including what they refer to as Accurate Ag Books. They even recognize a Book of the Year every year. One of my personal favorites is “The Cow in Patrick O’Shanahan’s Kitchen.”
Shopping
Hear me out before you cover your ears and start saying “lalalala.” Take your kids shopping with you. Okay, okay, before I lose you – it really can be a GREAT learning experience. As you’re picking out the beef you are going to cook next week, as them if they know where beef comes from. Don’t just assume they know. If you have older kids, talk about food labels and marketing gimmicks. “Antibiotic-free and Hormone-free” chicken shouldn’t even be a label, since all chicken is antibiotic free, and it’s illegal to use added hormones. There are only 10 available Genetically Modified crops available in the United States, and they are tested an approved by the USDA, the EPA, and the FDA, so is the “Non-GMO Project” even necessary? Did you know that “Organic” does not mean “pesticide-free?”
Cooking
Yes, I know that they will make a mess. Yes, I know you can totally do it faster by yourself. But do you know what else I know? One of my first memories is standing on a chair in my Poppie’s kitchen as he taught me how to make scrambled eggs. It was a tradition with his grandkids. I still remember him every time I make scrambled eggs, even at 30 years old. Every. Single. Time. So let your kids help. There are so many things they can learn in the kitchen, and have no idea they are learning. Teach them how to measure ingredients. Talk about where their ingredients come from. Don’t know how something is grown? Google it! Kids love an excuse to use an iPad, give them a purpose.
Homemade Pizza is a great food to teach with. You can have every food group covered if you are one of those weirdos that like pineapple on your pizza (I am not!), or you can count the tomatoes in the pizza sauce as your fruit. I’ll give you another tip: using a pizza to teach fractions is probably one of the best ways to help kids understand!
