I want my children to know where food comes from.
I want them to have a positive, interactive relationship with food. I want my children to eat seasonally, ethically and sustainably. I want them to understand that the choices that they make at the market or grocery store have consequences, both for themselves and for those that produce, promote and sell food.
I want. I want. It sounds all so self-centred and self-righteous, doesn’t it? It’s all about me, not them.
But I want my children to recognise and respect the cyclical nature of life. I want to share with them the warm glow of satisfaction gained by planting, tending and picking your own fruit and vegetables, and the thrill of catching your own food.
We grow lots of herbs and some fruits and vegetables at home but our backyard is not ideal for a vegie patch (not enough free space and not enough sun). So I look for other opportunities to teach my children about food. Last summer we caught crabs and cockles (pipis) with them and went strawberry and cherry picking, too.
A couple of weekends ago, my parents invited us to go apple picking with some friends.
