So, when the inevitable question came during the party, the Kiddo took a moment and thought hard. “Berries,” she said. “Strawberries, blackberries and blueberries.”

It would have been easy enough to go buy them (imported) at the grocery store. And, likely I will do just that. But, I also ordered her the plants for her own “teaching” garden. Perhaps not the usual gift for a three-year-old, but I have a feeling she will love it. She already helps water and plant herbs. This season, we will grow plants from seeds indoors as well.

Teaching gardens are one of the more innovative approaches to hands-on learning and getting kids to embrace real foods again. Personally, I think it would be great if such a tool were a mandatory part of public education, just like PE. But, waiting for schools to catch up and do something innovative in a “No Child Left Behind” system could be a long wait. The teaching garden will have to be our backyard.

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However, programs that bring gardening to schools are launching all over the country. Children of all ages are making a connection between what they eat and where it comes from, teaching them about ecological principals, fostering environmental stewardship, exposing them to fresh fruits and vegetables, and encouraging them to eat lower on the food chain.

The Edible Schoolyard at Martin Luther King, Jr. Middle School in Berkeley, California, is one of the pioneer programs of school gardening. Founded in 1994 by school faculty and renowned chef Alice Waters, students in grades 6-8 are involved in every stage of gardening, and the garden is seamlessly integrated into the curriculum across disciplines.

At the Maplewood-Richmond Heights Early Childhood Center in Maplewood, Missouri, preschoolers are participating in a program called "Seed to Table", part of the school's Reggio Emilia approach to education. Students help prepare garden beds, plant seeds, tend crops, harvest produce, and prepare the food into meals they eat in their child-sized kitchen. "The children love the school garden and want to help in every way. They are so enthusiastic and capable," said Debi Gibson, nutritionist at the school. "We planted a flower, herb, and vegetable garden this year, including carrots, peas, eggplants, cabbage, lettuce, tomatoes, broccoli, and squash." The students also practice composting, completing the cycle of food.

Programs such as these help students realize at a young age that good food is simple, and comes from the earth that we all have a responsibility to nurture and protect. For more information, check out The Edible Schoolyard's resource site or KidsGardening.org.