There are so many benefits to gardening for people of all ages.  In the past few years, there has been a huge desire from families to create and maintain home gardens as a way of not only supplementing their food supply but making healthier choices at the same time.  According to Michigan State Extension, “gardening with young children helps them with skills to help their development (locomotor, literacy, intellectual, sensory stimulation, and togetherness time).”   Gardening encourages time spent together which results in building bonds and creating memories for a life time.  “Today there are quick ways to get growing, grow in bags and self-watering containers are great for balconies and decks.  Putting in a raised bed allows you to situate your garden in the location with optimal sun exposure.  It is best to start small with only a few containers or a small bed so that your first venture into gardening is easy to manage.  With little work, good soil, and a few seeds, you can enjoy these gardening benefits” states Elizabeth Takakjian, Program Educator with Cornell Cooperative Extension of Suffolk County’s Family Health and Wellness Program, as well as a Master Gardener.  These are the skills that Terri Turner, Horticulture Technician with the Campbell County Cooperative Extension Service, teaches to families as part of the Mommy & Me…in the Garden and Kitchen Program.  One small step activity taught to the Mommy & Me Program children and their parents is “Growing Your Own Salad.”  Growing Your Own Salad is basically where each child (6-8 years of age and their parent/s) uses a single container to plant lettuce and greens.   Terri assists the families each of the 8 months with how to plant, nurture and harvest such vegetables as lettuce/greens, tomatoes, potatoes, onions, peppers and herbs (basil and cilantro).   When too rainy to garden, Terri helps the families with table centerpieces which is a nice confidence builder for the kids. Terri uses the University of Kentucky Horticulture publication focusing on ID-128 Home Vegetable Gardening in Kentucky along with other gardening publications from U.K. Extension.   

Ronda Rex, Agent Family & Consumer Sciences Education at the Campbell County Cooperative Extension Service, has conducted and taught the Mommy & Me…in the Garden and Kitchen Program since 2008.   The program has proven to be a huge success with Campbell County families.  Families with multiple children continue to participate in and graduate from the program so is becomes an easier task to measure long range success during the evaluation process.  Ronda teaches the families cooking and nutrition skills as they prepare recipes from the University of Kentucky’s curriculums:  Cook Together Eat Together, Plate It Up: Kentucky Proud project and recipes, the Nutrition Education Program recipes and Oregon Extension Service’s Food Hero recipes.  The University of Kentucky Initiatives and other curriculum utilized include:   Making Healthy Lifestyle Choices, Nurturing Families, Faithful Families, Family Mealtime, Got Vegetables, Super Star Chef, Super Star Chef Goes to Farmer’s Market and Baking components, Accessing Nutritious Foods, Managing Money in Tough Times Bits and Tips and components of the Texas A&M Learn, Grow, Eat, Go Program.  As always, each class focuses on the My Plate food model, at least 2 recipes, serving sizes and portion control, pantry staples, fix it fast/fix it right food preparation, planning ahead with menus, savvy shopping/how to stretch the food dollar, adapting recipes and the importance of eating meals at home.   

 Of course, the Mommy & Me Program also focuses on and assists the children and their parents with confidence with cooking and math skills, trying new foods, spending quality time together, and making better food choices.  Popular recipes such as the Plate It Up’s Easy Cheesy Eggplant recipe, the Chop Chop Magazine’s Spinach Eggs/Frittatas Pesto, Hummus and Quesadilla recipes, and the Nutrition Education Program’s Chicken Pot Pie recipe are all a very popular with the Mommy & Me participants.   And campfire potatoes (aka Potato Nachos) is a new recipe from Oregon Extension Food Hero Monthly and utilizes the Extension garden’s purple potatoes.  

End of the 8 month program evaluation revealed that 93 percent of the 14 families that graduated the program both reported that the program helped them spend much needed time together with their child and encouraged their children to try new foods like eggplant, purple potatoes, avocados, strawberries squash and edamame.  Seventy-nine percent of the families stated that they now eat more nutritious foods as a result of the program.  

End of the 8 month program evaluation also revealed that 71 percent of the 14 families now have a garden at home growing vegetables, fruits and herbs (cucumbers, tomatoes, lettuce, squash, basil, and fruit trees).  When asked about how much money was saved by families over the 8 months long program, one family reported saving $200.00--/$300.00/week and another family saved $75.00--$100.00/week through gardening and eating meals at home as opposed to eating out.  This was an accumulative savings range of $8,800--$12,800 for both families for the 8 months. 

Testimonials included:  As a result of the Mommy & Me…in the Garden and Kitchen Program...

1. “My kids ask for salads nearly every day.”   
2. “Eggplant was the most surprising thing my son found that he liked during this program.”
3. “Loved the floral arrangement class.  Really built my child’s confidence.  We had the piece displayed proudly on the counter.”
4. “We absolutely loved this program.  My other son can’t wait to be old enough to participate!!  My son is more confident with knife skills and cooking.  I encourage him to help in the kitchen more now.  We quote Ms. Ronda all the time about trying new foods. J We also spend more time gardening and learning about taking care of plants.   It’s awesome!  Thanks!”
5. “We are a family of almost 6.  To go out to eat—it can range from $35.00 at fast food or closer to $80.00 or $100.00 at sit down restaurants.  We’ve cut back to eating out to once a week and our groceries now cost ~$120.00/week.”
6. “This has made my child more interested in cooking family meals and desserts.  He loves to help me come up with a menu for the week and find ways to make his favorites (i.e. tacos) healthier.”

https://www.canr.msu.edu/news/gardening_with_young_children_helps_their_development 

https://blogs.cornell.edu/ccesuffolkfhw/2015/06/01/benefits-of-home-gardening/