One regular in our after-school Garden Club is really squeamish about little critters that growers regularly encounter. That is to say that she shrieks with real dismay when something flies near her. And don’t even suggest that she touch the soil.
Another regular declines every opportunity to taste things that we grow. He says with great certainty, “I don’t like to eat things that are green.”
So what should we make of these students? We could indignantly tell the first, “Clearly, you’re not cut out to be a gardener. Maybe you should join some other club.” We might similarly scold the second about his eating ways.
We don’t say any such thing, however. We welcome these great kids and think that a positive experience is the best way to bring them around to the pleasures of getting hands dirty and eating greens. These kids are a long-term investment.
—Bill Stoneman
