Kids Page

As I think about the issue of kids learning about "where food comes from” and the value of fresh organic food ...
I am struck by the number of schools who have used our Growing Domes as a living laboratory for the discovery of nature and health. Our Growing Domes are perfect for schools because they make it possible to grow food in winter, during the school season, on a budget. Our idea about making them as affordable as possible from 1989 on, led to practices now called Socially Responsible for our business model.

In the early days in Snowmass Colorado Rocky Mountain School created a small business, growing seedlings for organic gardeners in their 22 foot Growing Dome. Paonia High School had a large dome for science classes for a decade, and many other schools followed. Bayfield High school had an article on the front page of the Durango Herald in May of 1999, announcing that their “Living Classroom was to be a model for the nation as students in food science classes harvest herbs, vegetables and medicinal plants in their specimen garden.” Many Montessori Schools bought from us before the popularity of organic food created more interest. An article from the New Mexican from March 10, 2003 shows Ecoversity in Santa Fe incorpating our Growing Dome as part of their High Desert Permaculture program. The Blackfoot Community College produces medicinal plants for pharmaceuticals under the direction of Wilbur Fish. Raw Utah and Tree of Life Foundation teach raw food lifestyles, using our Growing Dome. Stonewall Farms and Naropa University recently purchased our greenhouse as a part of their nutrition programs. Now, our association with Global Children's Gardens in Evergreen, Colorado brings the opportunity for donating Growing Domes to schools through a non-profit agency. We have donated or sold to many Native American tribes who are interested in eating healthy and remembering their wisdom in gardening. Fort Lewis College, in Durango and Rio Gallenas School in Las Vegas, New Mexico both gave us studies last year that have added to the curriculum we can offer.

Learning about health and nature is important in our modern world. America’s reliance on fast foods and public ignorance about the effects of genetically modified foods and hormones is big news these days. Our gratitude goes out to First Lady Michelle Obama, in recent weeks for highlighting the gift of healthy organic food both for taste and energy. She recounts in her interview by Oprah, that the family maintained its energy better in the long campaign time by “eating healthy,” and her recent “kitchen garden” introduced to kids from Washington DC modeled the power of healthy food choices for children of all ages.

We, who have made the transition to healthy foods, have learned that it is not impossible and we can even find it less expensive, if we "grow our own". Of course this lifestyle requires the time it takes to garden and read labels, but the rewards are many, especially in tastes and well-being. First time gardeners learn the joy of watching life in action as they are responsible for tending seedlings. Children are a good motivation for the patience one needs when dealing with the natural challenges of greenhouse growing, and learning to live with the seasons, in terms of planting schedules. All these lessons teach a sense of confidence and appreciation for the miracle of life.

-- Puja Dhyan Parsons