I worked on an organic farm part-time for a year during a sabbatical from NASA, and will never forget, while buying OSHA-certified steel-tipped boots (mandatory for the farm), talking to the sales gal and discovering she didn't know where "wheat flour" came from. The look of confusion on her face has stayed with me these many years and I've often wondered how many people have no sense of connection to or awareness of the process of growing food. The junk so many willfully consume is so artificial and processed as to be alien to me, and I can't fathom why they'd want to put it into their bodies. Personally, I eat little that comes out of cans or boxes.
Flash forward: my nieces came up to the property last weekend, and had a chance to see a full-blown vegetable garden (tomatoes, okra, winter/summer squash, beets, gourds, beans, horseradish, snowpeas, carrots, peppers, rainbow chard, kale, broccoli rabe, lettuces, corn, basils, parsley, dill, sage, rosemary, oregano, and more).
One of the little darlings screamed with delight when she saw, for the first time in the ground, carrots! I forked out a bunch, handed them to her, and took a picture. It's not great technically, but the look on Eden's face, and this life-changing experience for her, will live with me forever. (click on the photo for larger version)
I LOVE this photo! The look on her face is priceless. I wish all kids had the chance to garden or to at least visit one from time to time.
Posted by: SusanV | 2007.10.19 at 10:45