It's intuitive that planting , tending, and harvesting a garden helps kids understand this world's life cycles and wonders, and now there is a recent study that proved gardening has long lasting benefits for kids. September 19, 2016, an article written by Brad Buck was published on the University of Florida's website about a study performed by Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences and University of Florida. The study sought to understand the connection between gardening as a kid and eating habits later in life. The study was part of a USDA-funded 4-H collaborative project among several American universities called, “Get Fruved,” an acronym for “Get Your Fruits and Vegetables.” Basically, the finding of the study is that college students who had gardened as children consumed about 15 percent more fruits and vegetables than those who hadn’t! You can read the entire article at https://news.ifas.ufl.edu/2016/09/gardening-as-a-child-may-lead-college-students-to-eat-more-veggies/.
So all you parents, grandparents, aunts, and uncles who garden, let your little ones pick out a package of seeds and help them plant and harvest something fresh and healthy to eat. Even if it is only one pot on a window sill, you can help the new generation in your family learn to grow good food and develop healthy eating habits for their lifetimes.