Tasty organic garden –alternative education for the youngest
Young children aged 3-6 have grown tasty organic vegetables in their kindergarten’s backyard in Sofia. They took priceless classes in ecology, organic farming, healthy diet and teamwork. The tasty biogarden appeared thanks to the initiative of ZAEDNO - Communication for Support and Development Foundation, with the financial support of Eco Community Foundation and Charles Stewart Mott Foundation.
“The idea to develop such a garden was born after we launched a project to promote what is known in Europe as community supporting agriculture.”, says Elena Anastasova from Zaedno Foundation. “We’ve called it solidarity-based agriculture. The people from big cities, who can't produce their food, can subscribe to the nearest organic farms in the region and buy bio food directly from the producers. This is how they not only provide quality food for their families, but also pay a good price to the farmers. Usually, once on the wholesale market, producers are forced to sell their production at an exceptionally low price. Within the framework of the solidarity-based agriculture project, we organised a campaign encouraging the people subscribed to a certain farm to help its farmers. Many families joined the initiative and worked on farms at weekends. Many parents shared with us that it had been a unique experience to show their kids where cows live and where food comes from. Their kids had a valuable lesson they wouldn't possibly learn in the big city, they said further. This is how we decided to make an organic garden in Sofia. We chose a kindergarten to protect the bio garden better and attract more children to food growing. In fact, such gardens have been growing worldwide for many years. In the past, Bulgaria used to have proving grounds where all schools grew fruit and vegetables. These initiatives are known worldwide as Gardens of Learning.”
The project was launched in May. The kids' first lesson was building the garden.
“Together with the parents and their kids, we cleared and dug over the soil, forming the flower beds and making the paths between them, that is, the children saw how an unusable ground became a garden”, continues Elena Anastasova. “Then we prepared the soil. We bought bio-humus from red Californian worms. One of our first lessons focused on where plants get nourishment from. We also gave all kids seeds from different vegetables. Each child had to grow a seedling at home, observing how its seeds sprout. Then we all transplanted the seedlings into the garden. We put straw around the plants to keep moisture close to the surface, that is, we tried using the principles of biodynamic agriculture. We drew up a guide book, which is already available on the project's site. In August, the children picked the tomatoes they had grown. They also dared to taste arugula. At first, some of them didn't want to try it because it's slightly bitter, but since they had grown it themselves, their attitude to food and vegetables was different. We also got them magnifying glasses so that they could observe closely the leaves of the vegetables and follow how quickly they grow. The kids got to know more about water, the circle of life, worms and why they are useful to the soil, bees and their role in pollination, etc. We'd like to keep expanding their knowledge”, Elena Anastasova told Radio Bulgaria.
With the help of parents and volunteers, the kids from Slaveiche Kindergarten grew tomatoes, cucumbers, pumpkins, squashes, corn, lettuce, carrots, beetroot and many herbs. The children learnt to be tolerant and work in a team. They cultivated patience and love for nature. “The kids knew that if they argued, the plants wouldn't like it and wouldn’t grow. Therefore, in our organic garden we had to sing and be joyful. Every lesson would start and finish with games”, Elena Anastasova commented. The tasty bio-garden became a favourite place for children and parents alike.
“It's very important that parents take part in this process. We tried to create a space in the kindergarten where parents can feel welcome", Elena Anastasova goes on to say. "The thing is that we, parents, are a busy bunch of people who usually take our kids to the garden and then forget about its existence. We only remember it when we have to pick up our kids. We believe that parents should spend more time with their children. They should spend quality time together, sharing experience, knowledge and emotions by making something beautiful and useful instead of simply going to the movies, eating out or watching TV together. We worked on the garden in the late afternoon hours so that parents could make it. The end result was a community of kids and parents who loved spending their time together. This is another added value of the project- parents spent quality time with their kids, doing something so meaningful and useful”.
The organic garden has attracted state-run and private kindergartens. It will probably become a favourite place for even more children.
English version: Vyara Popova
