Mumsnet users discuss getting their children to understand where food comes from with innocent

[JustineBMumsnet]

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Getting your DC’s to learn about and understand where their food comes from, can be a great way to ensure they are engaged with what they are eating...particularly healthier foods such as veggies and fruit. innocent would love to hear about your own growing experiences, and/or any barriers you may face growing your own food at home.

Here is what innocent has to say: “With 9 out of 10 young people not getting their 5-a-day, we’re on a mission to get kids growing and eating their own veg. Growing at home doesn’t have to be complicated. You just need seeds, soil and a windowsill. In such a fast-moving, instant gratification world, growing their own food also teaches kids the value of patience, and gives them an understanding of where their food comes from. More time getting their hands dirty, less time glued to screens.”

Did you ever grow food with your parents when you were younger? Do you grow your own fruit and/or veg with your children so they can see where it comes from? If you do grow your own food, tell us what works and what doesn’t – and your tips and tricks for growing! Do you grow in the garden, or indoors? Or perhaps you would love to grow your own food but you feel you don’t have enough space?

Whatever your experiences and methods comment on the thread below to be entered into a prize draw where one MNer will win a £300 voucher of their choice (from a list).

Thanks and good luck!

MNHQ

Standard Insight T&Cs Apply

I do try with my DS6 but with mixed success. We have a couple of apple trees and he loves apples straight from the trees - it certainly helps him to learn about delayed gratification, since he wants to eat them all summer lol.
We tried tomatoes and strawberries last year but in Scotland without a greenhouse it's just too cold. We keep trying to germinate apple seeds on the windowsill (I remember doing this as a kid myself) but it hasn't ever worked.

We've grown salad and fruits over the years. Its very satisfying eating homegrown knowing nothing has been sprayed on it. Wish we had more time to spend doing this.

PS The same 3 year old who carefully carried the hen upstairs and asked his DM to cook her has now already planted his potatoes!

we took the plunge and got an allotment last year - its been a great experience. There is a whole community there with so much wisdom to pass on. There are also chickens and pigs on other people's plots so we saw other bits of the food chain too.

My favourite moment was my son's fascination with the fact we put potatoes in the ground. He really puzzled over what we were doing. He seemed to get planting a seed and watching it grow into a plant that produced a fruit, but he thought we were mad when we put the potatoes in. When we decided it was time to dig them up he was delighted and kept counting them all.

My mum has always grown veg. We have been growing tomatoes carrots leeks and my dc have been helping planting it all and picking it all. They love it. Doesn't mean they eat all the produce though!

Certainly not from anything near an innocent product. Sugar levels in them are crazy.

We used to grow herbs, and eventually as I got older my dad gave the responsibility of the herb patch to me, felt v important!, and loved it when we used to have dinner and I could say that my herbs were in it

Think it’s good to get dc interested in where food comes from at an early age. Too much food these days comes in sterile plastic packaging, they have no idea

I would love to grow my own potatoes, however, the soil round here is full of stones! However, I did see a potato growing kit for sale in the back of the TV guide that's got me interested. I will have a think on that.

I grew up on a farm and my auntie has a veg patch on it - we used to go and steal the pea pots and eat the peas there and then!
I plant seeds with my 4 year old DS and he enjoys watching them grow. Actually yesterday we built one of those cheap green house things with plastic cover and talked about why we use them to grow things

Did I grow food with my parents? Yes all the time. We were fortunate to have a big garden so my dad grew lots of fruit and veg in an allotment at the back as well as a green house. We grew potatoes, tomatoes, runner beans, pumpkins, courgettes, chillis, herbs, strawberries, grapes, apples, lettuce, rhubarb .. the list goes on. My dad let me have my own tiny patch and I grew some potatoes and a tomato plant.

Do I grow food with my children? We have only just moved into a property with a garden so was very excited about this. I currently have tomatoes and strawberries growing. I also have some chilli plants and herbs which my son helped plant and we are growing Sunflowers. I love the thrill of seeing a new plant grow and hope my child feels the same way.

We have a very shady garden and have found that vegetables really don't grow very well, but we grow a lot of fruit, especially berries and everyone enjoys picking and eating that.

My parents have always grown bits and bobs in their garden. My mum's father is a farmer and has some great stories about planting during WW2 and feeding the nation. This must have rubbed off as it's a key activity with our respite foster kids they love to come back weeks or months later and see what they have grown. DD is only 3 months old so she has a while to wait for her turn. She won't escape though as with a dad who now works in farming education she'll no doubt be evangelised and used as a guinea pig at every opportunity!

My dad used to have a vegetable patch until he couldn't manage it anymore. We were always being sent out to pick mint or runner beans.

I am a useless gardener. I tried one year to grow some veg with the kids. I bought some tubs and we planted carrots. But the slugs got on them and I have a slug phobia. I asked the kids to get the slugs off but they wouldn't so we left the carrots to the slugs. We live in a rural area though and only yesterday went past fields of cabbages, potatoes and cauliflowers so I'm not too worried about it.

Did you ever grow food with your parents when you were younger?

We had an apple tree and some blackberry bushes, we had an attempt to grow tomatoes but without success.

Do you grow your own fruit and/or veg with your children so they can see where it comes from?

We grew potatoes a couple of years ago, but it took up too much of the garden and the crop was not great, so we opted to try the 'easier' foods which takes up less room, so we grow peas, broad beans and runner beans, and peppers.

If you do grow your own food, tell us what works and what doesn’t – and your tips and tricks for growing!
The peas, and beans are simple, as long as you put canes, with cotton across to help them climb, and remember to water them, and cover them with a netting to protect from birds. The peppers were not as successful, probably due to lack of sunlight, so we are trying them indoors this year.

Do you grow in the garden, or indoors?
Both this year, peppers in the windowsill and beans in troughs in the back garden.

Or perhaps you would love to grow your own food but you feel you don’t have enough space?

I would love to grow more potatoes, new particularly but don't have the garden space or correct soils type. I would love to grow carrots but have heard they are really hard to grow, and again need a soil which drains well, mine is too dense.

Never really grew any fruit or veg as l was growing up. We had a small apple tree in our suburban garden and my parents grew shallots for pickling although I can't remember ever eating these pickled onions

My husband's keen on 'grow your own' so we now have veg beds in our garden and and allotment. We waited 5 years for our allotment and finally got given one when I was 39 weeks pregnant!

Growing up, we had various veg in our garden. My parents grew tomatoes, runner beans, lettuce, spinach, radish and mint. We used to love helping to plant them and pick them.
We don’t grow much in our garden but we do have an apple tree.
Last year, dh repaired and painted an old pallet and fixed it up so we can grow some herbs in it as soon as the weather gets a bit better. We re going to try to grow parsley, coriander, basil, and thyme.
I also got a chilli plant as a gift and the kids have loved watching that grow. It’s in a pot indoors.
We do go to a pick your own farm from time to time and we ve picked strawberries, spinach and corn. We also pick blackberries from the nearby woods. The kids love it.

We are part of a community allotment. My children get to see every aspect of growing food. And are involved to the potting. Growing an harvesting crops. From a wide variety of products. They enjoy being involved. And try different foods we wouldn't normal have.

We have a veg patch that DD1 (5) has always shown an interest in. She's a fussy eater but will try fruit /raw veg that she has picked herself when she's in the right mood This year we're talking about creating a raised bed that is just for her and letting her choose what to grow. It will be her responsibility to look after it.

Did you ever grow food with your parents when you were younger?
No not really

Do you grow your own fruit and/or veg with your children so they can see where it comes from?
Yes, we grow to encorage them to eat more fruit and veg too.

If you do grow your own food, tell us what works and what doesn’t – and your tips and tricks for growing!

I found plum tomatoes work better than beef and I tend to grow mange tout or french beans as you get more crops. Beetroot and herbs are great too. I tend to steer away from peppers, peas and brocolli as they are rarely successful.

Do you grow in the garden, or indoors?

I grow the seeds in pots indoors / in the green house and then transfer into the garden.

We decided to let the DC grow some vegetables. They picked cabbages which weren't exactly successful.

However we do cook a lot from scratch and they love to help.

I used to help my grandad grow veg in his garden (although I'm sad to say it didn't encourage me to eat it )

Yes, definitely growing our own veg, fruit and herbs was not only fun but made great inroads into finding out where food comes from. As mine got older they continued with this, both indoors and out. Not only great satisfaction but lovely fresh produce. Herbs in window boxes was a particular favourite as quick to grow :)

We grow rocket and herbs (mint, rosemary, sage and chives) in the garden. My daughter isn’t keen on rocket but likes the herbs. We often go to farm shops and talk about where food comes from.

We grow veg in the garden and have a few fruit bushes and grow strawberries in hanging baskets. Both sets of grandparents have allotments so their used to going there and helping!
They've also discovered Masterchef USA kids so we've had some interesting chats about meat and what animal it comes from!

I didn't at home but my granddad had loads in his back garden! It was great to pick your own and see where they came from.

We had a go ourselves a few years ago and had a very successful go at growing runner beans and courgettes! Kids loved being involved x

My mum and dad are both keen gardeners and as a child my dad grew lots of vegetables and encouraged us to get involved, which was lovely. We each had an area of the garden that was ours to choose what to grow in and to look after. The nice thing is that they now plant vegetables with my son.