Growing a Greener World

MALE ANNOUNCER: Growing a Greener World is made possible in part by-- FEMALE ANNOUNCER: The Subaru Crosstrek, designed with adventure in mind, built in a zero landfill plant, so you can roam the earth with a lighter footprint.

Subaru-- proud sponsor of Growing a Greener World.

MALE ANNOUNCER: And the following-- the US Composting Council, Milorganite, and Rain Bird.

[gentle instrumental music] JOE LAMP'L [voice-over]: I'm Joe Lamp'l.

For 10 years, Growing a Greener World has told the stories of the people and the places who are making a difference in the health of our environment and the sustainability of our global community.

But as we embarked on our 11th season, life changed overnight.

So many things we took for granted would never be the same again.

Now it's up to each of us to take a more active role in not just saving our planet, but making it better, feeding our families with organically grown food, conserving vital resources, protecting natural habitats, starting in our own backyards.

Growing a Greener World-- it's still our mission, and it's more important than ever.

JOE LAMP'L: Think back to when you were a kid.

Were you told that you could be anything you wanted to be when you grew up?

I sure was.

And for most boys and girls, at least during my day, there was no shortage of future astronauts or firefighters or veterinarians.

But for most people there comes a moment where some other calling finds them, seemingly at random.

For me it happened when I was 8.

I was playing outside and accidentally broke a branch off a treasured and off-limits plant in my yard.

Well I got scared.

And I jammed that branch into the ground in the hopes the no one would notice.

And I wouldn't get in trouble.

Much to my surprise, that broken branch took root and grew.

And my lifelong fascination with plants was born.

So in a world of wannabe pop stars and pro athletes, where does the next generation of farmers and botanist and horticulturalists come from?

Well just like everything else in the garden, they're grown.

And for all the professionals who spend their lives with their hands in the dirt, tomorrow's gardeners are the most important crop of them all.

BRIE ARTHUR: This generation deserves to grow up being better land stewards than every generation prior.

Gardening when you're a kid will lead you to be a better land steward as an adult.

I'm living proof.

JOE LAMP'L [voice-over]: Brie Arthur is a gardening rock star.

In addition to being a regular correspondent on Growing a Greener World, she's also an award-winning horticulturist, recognized expert in plant propagation, and the best-selling author of the Foodscape Revolution.

It's an impressive gardening resume, and one she started building very early.

BRIE ARTHUR: I was lucky enough to be introduced to horticulture the traditional way through my grandparents and parents, but also through 4H.

I grew up in southeastern Michigan.

And 4H was a really important part of my childhood.

And it was because of the hardworking and very dedicated extension agents that influenced me to even learn that horticulture was something that existed, that I knew that I could go to college and study this and have a career in this.

And so I've always believed that my childhood experiences are what set me up to be where I am now.

And I think the same is true, that I can extend that forward and engage kids, so that they'll understand when they grow up that growing plants is important.

JOE LAMP'L [voice-over]: And while presentations and talks at various schools allowed Brie to introduce glimpses of gardening here and there to children all over the country, her desire to be a hands-on teacher to young gardeners was about to hit home in a whole new way.

BRIE ARTHUR: So I'm so lucky to have Aden and Abby living next to me.

They moved in, gosh, six years ago.

I saw Aden outside.

And I said, hey, what's your favorite thing to eat?

And he declared that it was French fries.

And actually to this day, it's still French fries.

And I was just about to plant potatoes.

So I invited him over to help me plant these potatoes so that he could understand where French fries came from.

And at that time, he was playing a video game that had a mattock or a pickaxe in it.

And so when I gave him that tool to use in real life, he was really excited.

He dug a trench along a 60-foot-long border.

It was 15 to 18 inches deep.

He did it in no time because he had his favorite tool that he had only used virtually until this moment.

And then we went along.

And every 8 to 12 inches, we put a little piece of potato that had started sprouting on the countertop in the kitchen.

And so every Saturday he would come, and he would check that 60-foot-long property border.

And when they started to sprout, it was a really exciting day.

And I was explaining to him how when plants become mature, they start to die back from the tips.

And one day-- a hot day like right now-- early July or early June-- he came over and he said, Miss Brie, the potato foliage is senescing.

It's time to harvest the potatoes [laughs]..

I had to pay $30,000 and go to college to learn what the word senesce meant.

So the fact that he picked this up just out of me randomly talking was so remarkable.

And we went out that day.

And we harvested 80 pounds of potatoes from that 60-foot-long border.

JOE LAMP'L [voice-over]: What started as a couple of kids doing a gardening project with a neighbor lady has turned into a unique relationship, with all three very dedicated to pushing each other to always learn more and try more in their shared suburban foodscape.

BRIE ARTHUR: For me I was so excited that Aden and Abby kept coming over.

And on Saturday mornings, we would turn on bossa nova music really loud.

So they would know that it was time to come over and start gardening.

And I felt like the Pied Piper because when bossa nova came out, the children just came over.

And then it was time to get the day started.

And what was so amazing is the observations that they would make.

Like one time we were all standing out here in the front yard.

And in that bed right behind me, Abby said, why are the tulip shaking?

And in 15 minutes, the voles had come in.

And they ate 500 tulip bulbs.

And it was that moment that inspired us to start really coming up with better solutions for dealing with voles.

And that was when Aden was like, well they don't seem to be eating the beds that have garlic planted.

And a light bulb went off.

And that's why we started planning garlic all over the edges of our landscapes, because that is a really practical way to keep the voles from eating.

But I wouldn't even noticed the voles if Abby hadn't said, what's happening to these tulips?

They're shaking.

The observations that kids make are so amazing.

I only speak botanical Latin.

So if you visit me, you're going to learn Latin.

For Aden and Abby, they've only known the botanical name of plants.

And I try to teach them that the botanical name will actually give you some indication of how it's grown or where it's from or the purpose that that plant provides because it's all in the etymology of the Latin.

And I think there's just so many opportunities to use the garden as a teaching tool.

So from simple exercises-- just reading the label on a fertilizer bottle-- to Aden getting really involved in the hydroponics systems and understanding which nutrient solutions need to be added when a plant has purple foliage-- and recognizing that as a magnesium deficiency-- these are all things that you can actively teach in this living laboratory that is your home landscape.

Everybody should be doing this because we can all learn a chemistry lesson or two, no matter how old you are.

JOE LAMP'L: So here we are in the gardeners' foodscape garden.

And it is lush and beautiful.

Congratulations.

You have so many beautiful plants in here.

I see broccoli.

Are you broccoli fans?

ABBY DELGADO: Yes.

JOE LAMP'L: Good.

That's really good for you.

I love broccoli.

And this is-- is this crimson clover?

ADEN DELGADO: Yes.

JOE LAMP'L: Now I know why this is here.

But you tell me why this is here.

ADEN DELGADO: That's to add nutrients to the ground.

JOE LAMP'L: Very smart.

Nitrogen.

It fixes nitrogen in the soil.

That's great.

And then what's this right here?

Who knows what that is?

You know, right?

ABBY DELGADO: It's buckwheat.

JOE LAMP'L: Buckwheat.

ABBY DELGADO: So then we don't have to add BT.

And it also attracts good insects.

JOE LAMP'L: [laughs] Yeah, exactly.

That is so impressive.

I'm proud of you for that.

JOE LAMP'L [voice-over]: In the stay-at-home environment of 2020, Aden, Abby, and Brie took their garden learnings beyond the borders of the front yard and into their larger community.

BRIE ARTHUR: COVID has had a massive influence on our society in general, but especially with kids who are no longer going to school.

And within the first week of school basically being paused, Aden and Abby said, Miss Brie, let's start installing foodscapes around the neighborhood.

Let's get to know the people that are all living here.

Let's teach them what we've been doing.

And it was exactly the push that I needed because having my schedule abruptly changed was very depressing.

And it was just the greatest motivation to have a 13 and 10-year-old tell me, hey, let's take advantage of this opportunity.

We're all home.

Let's create a better sense of community.

And let's teach everybody where food comes from.

Oh my god.

Wait, Abby, hold that up to your head.

It's the size of your face.

Ta-da.

And you've got two more than you can harvest as needed.

SPEAKER 8: I know.

This is wonderful.

BRIE ARTHUR: And then look at the most gorgeous-- SPEAKER 8: That is the prettiest flower-- BRIE ARTHUR: --thing in the world [laughs].. SPEAKER 8: --I've ever seen.

It's just so vibrant and beautiful.

BRIE ARTHUR: I feel like people go to a farmer's market and pay $10 for a head of cauliflower that looks like that [laughs].

JOE LAMP'L: Well what's your next big project?

ADEN DELGADO: We're go to another neighbor's house and doing other foodscape.

JOE LAMP'L: So you've got another one to do?

So that's your fourth in this neighborhood?

ADEN DELGADO: Yes.

JOE LAMP'L: Very impressive.

I'm proud of you.

Good job.

Way to go, Aden.

JOE LAMP'L [voice-over]: Whether it's a fully-fenced-in plot or a few herbs and veggies and containers on the porch, a home garden is a great way for kids to get exposure to growing food.

But as every parent knows, sometimes the lessons hit a little differently when it comes from someone other than Mom and Dad.

That's certainly part of what makes Brie's relationship with Aden and Abby work in their neighborhood setting.

But over 10 seasons on Growing a Greener World, we've also visited some amazing schools in every corner of the US that are making gardening and growing food crops an integral part of the formal curriculum, and encouraging both students and teachers to shine outside the classroom.

The Ford school in Acworth, Georgia, just outside of Atlanta, launched over 17 years ago with only $200 and a single gardening bed.

The gardens today cover almost 20 acres and includes several wildlife habitats, nature trails, pollinator gardens, and edible landscapes.

Their extensive science and environmental program teaches nearly 700 students and involves their parents in the process, so that many generations learn environmental life lessons.

Currently every class, from music to math, spends at least some time outdoors.

And they extend those lessons to include a service, an outreach component that includes the community around them.

JOE LAMP'L: So here at the school, the teachers and the volunteers spend so much time making sure they fully integrate all the various age groups with the curriculum around all these gardens scattered around the school.

Now the first graders, they're learning about the different parts of the plant.

So they'll plant these beds out starting with seeds.

The second graders are learning about the various stages of wildlife, like the birds and the butterflies.

And because so many of these plants are natives, it does a great job of attracting the honeybees.

And the honeybees are really important at boosting the production of the vegetables, which are very important for the math and the nutrition class.

So you see how all this works together.

But the beauty of it is all the students get to spend time in this amazing environment in these outdoor classrooms.

And it doesn't take very long to realize just how much all the students love learning outside.

How's it going, everybody?

SPEAKER 9: Good.

JOE LAMP'L: Good.

What are you planting?

SPEAKER 9: Cabbage.

JOE LAMP'L: Perfect.

Nice soil.

Very good.

JOE LAMP'L [voice-over]: Started in 1991, is the brainchild of local chef and restaurateur Alice Waters, the Edible Schoolyard at Berkeley California's, Martin Luther King Junior Middle School had simple goals, to get the children outdoors where they could study core lessons and in the process learn about fresh food and nutrition.

But as the program took off, this 1-acre garden classroom and its adjoining kitchen classroom far exceeded expectations.

BENJAMIN EICHORN: See what we're doing right now is we're working with the biology of a flower.

In the seventh grade we're connecting to what they're learning about botany, structure, and function in the classroom out here by looking at flowers in the spring garden very closely.

So each student is going out into the garden, collecting a flower of their choice, and then bringing it back, drawing it, labeling the different parts that they can identify, and then actually dissecting and opening it up, finding that teeny, tiny ovule that will become the fertile seeds, and really taking botany to the next level.

And it really comes alive for them.

From my own experience in this type of education growing up, I know that this is what really sticks.

And these kids will remember it forever.

[chatter] JOE LAMP'L [voice-over]: Students accompany their humanities teacher to the Edible Schoolyard kitchen, where they experience culture, history, language, ecology, and math through the preparation of food.

Students cook together with freshly-harvested produce from the garden and eat a freshly-prepared dish, sharing the fruits of their labor around a communal table.

MARSHA GUERRERO: Children at this age are really into socialization.

And they don't necessarily expand outside their little group of comfort.

And when they come to the garden, and they come to the kitchen, they need to work alongside other student, students who they wouldn't necessarily hang out with on the playground or go home with after school.

They learn that in order to accomplish tasks, they have to work as a team.

And they really get to know each other in an intimate way.

Everything that we prepare in the kitchen is grown in the garden.

And we teach them about how to prepare and eat-- the most important thing is they get to eat it-- the food that they grow.

And we've learned-- it's almost a cliche around here-- but we've learned that if they grow it, they care for it, they prepare it, they'll eat it.

SPEAKER 11: I sometimes take a recipe or two home and try it with my family.

One thing I love to make is fruit salad.

SPEAKER 12: And when we go and pick some stuff for a kitchen, it's different stuff.

And when it comes from the garden, it really tastes good.

SPEAKER 13: So I'm really into making food.

JOE LAMP'L: You're really into making food?

SPEAKER 13: Yeah.

JOE LAMP'L: Do you love coming to this class and learning new things every day?

SPEAKER 13: It opens up a whole new world.

JOE LAMP'L: In the heart of New York City, there's a public school with a very unusual story that parents and educators of the Manhattan School for Children want to provide their students with an environmental perspective around the concerns of growing up in a big city.

And they felt that providing a science-based hands-on experience around sustainability and conservation would help them make better environmental choices in the future.

And they felt the best way to do that was with a science lab that connected their city kids with nature-- a pretty tall order.

JOE LAMP'L [voice-over]: Here within a 1,400-square-foot greenhouse the students use hydroponics-- growing food without soil-- and aquaponics-- growing food in a closed system with fish-- as well as other urban agricultural principles to learn all their core subjects.

MANUELA ZOMORA: But it's not really about the plants or about growing lettuces and tomatoes.

This is really about the science behind it.

It's about major concepts that connect to what is sustainability.

The students come here and learn, yes, to use the systems.

But through the lens of urban farming, they are really learning about food production, but also about pollution, contamination, conservation, biodiversity, and of course all connects to climate change, which is the major problem they will have to be facing in the future.

SHAKIRA CASTRONOVO: And every grade across all of elementary looks at a certain system.

They look at certain cycles.

And they learn all about the greenhouse, all about the tools that we use, and how that relates to the greenhouse and to the rest of the world.

SPEAKER 16: I like coming up here because we do a lot of things.

Sometimes we go in our classroom, but we're not with the plants and stuff.

When you're in the greenhouse, you're just with the plants and helping them out.

[chatter] SPEAKER 17: I love being up here because we learn about science and plants, which I think is really interesting and fun.

[chatter] SPEAKER 18: I work in the aquaponics tank.

And the aquaponics tank is just like a fish tank.

But on the top there are plants.

And the plants put nutrients in the water from the fish.

And the fish reproduce the water for the plants.

And it keeps going on and on and on.

It's like a cycle.

I like it.

I like working in the aquaponics tank because there are so many job you can do involving the fish and the plants, that it's just really fun.

JOE LAMP'L [voice-over]: We've talked to lots of kids over the years.

And the word we hear used most often when it comes to learning how to garden is, fun.

Gardening is fun.

It's why so many adults do it as a hobby.

But harnessing a child's limitless energy and imagination to show them how fun and functional gardening is while they're still growing and developing their sense of self and the world around them, that makes an impression that last a lifetime.

And sometimes in the process, it's the students who provide the teacher with a powerful lesson.

BRIE ARTHUR: Gardening with greens is obviously a passion of mine.

But I would have never followed through that first season to actually harvest the seed if it weren't for the interest that Aden and Abby expressed.

And I remember them saying, but you grew it.

We have to harvest it.

And I was like, but I don't know how to harvest wheat.

I don't have a combine.

I don't know what to do with it.

I don't know what threshing is.

I'm a lady in the suburbs of Raleigh.

And so Aden was determined.

And he helped to engineer this system that we have now created.

Based on the interests of Aden and Abby, we now take the grains that we grow and we go full circle, yard to table.

So we hand harvest all of these grains.

And then we leave the stocks in place because Aden and Abby take turns mowing those down, which has organic matter, improving our soil naturally.

Once we've harvested all the seed heads, we put them into a big bucket.

And with a modified drill bit, they get beaten up.

That's the threshing process.

Once they've been appropriately threshed, we winnow, using a box fan.

And all winnowing is is blowing away the chaffs so that what you're left with is raw seed.

Once you have raw seed, you can then grind that down into flour and bake bread.

JOE LAMP'L: So you like gardening a lot.

And it probably doesn't hurt that you're doing it with the best gardener ever, Miss Brie.

But if you were trying to get your friends to like gardening too, how would you make that happen?

What would you say?

ABBY DELGADO: I would say, what's your favorite food?

And what do you want to grow in your garden?

And then get the seed and put it.

And they can harvest it from their own house.

JOE LAMP'L: And you think that will hook them, right?

ABBY DELGADO: Mm-hmm.

JOE LAMP'L: That story sounds familiar.

Isn't that what Miss Brie said to you?

ABBY DELGADO: Mm-hmm.

JOE LAMP'L: And look at you today.

You've been gardening all this time.

That's a great idea.

BRIE ARTHUR: And I think everybody has the opportunity to introduce kids to the joy of gardening because there's so many facets of it that will offer them wonder and joy and excitement and then relevant information.

I think there's also a level of confidence that every child deserves to have when they've grown something and they get to harvest it.

Whether that's a vegetable or a flower or a peach pit that germinates in a container, suddenly you feel like, wow, I've done something.

I've made something come to life.

And there is an unexplainable level of confidence that you get from having that experience.

It actually starts from a seed in the soil.

And you have to cultivate that land and improve our land stewardship, so that we will have a generation that respects our environment more.

Gardening teaches all of that.

It's an endless array of opportunities.

JOE LAMP'L: Whether it's the Edible Schoolyard in Berkeley or the Ford School in Acworth or the Heart of Manhattan or Brie's front yard garden in Raleigh, or my garden at the garden farm with my own daughter, Amy, everywhere we go when we get to watch a group of kids get their hands in the dirt, I see that spark-- the same spark that I had the moment I stuck that broken branch into the ground and it took root and grew.

Gardening really is magic.

And there is no one that believes in magic quite like that of a child.

Gardening with kids always reminds me of that.

And I hope that today we inspired you to share your attraction to gardening with that special young person in your life too.

And if you'd like to learn more about what you saw today, we'll have that information on our website under the show notes for this episode.

The website address, that's the same as our show name.

It's growingagreenerworld.com.

Thanks for watching, everybody.

I'm Joe Lamp'l.

And we'll see you back here next time for more Growing a Greener World.

MALE ANNOUNCER: Growing a Greener World is made possible in part by-- FEMALE ANNOUNCER: The Subaru Crosstrek, designed with adventure in mind, built in a zero landfill plant, so you can roam the earth with a lighter footprint.

Subaru-- proud sponsor of Growing a Greener World.

MALE ANNOUNCER: And the following-- the US Composting Council, Milorganite, and Rain Bird.

MALE ANNOUNCER: Continue the garden learning from the program you just watched, Growing a Greener World.

Program host, Joe Lamp'l's Online Gardening Academy offers classes designed to teach gardeners of all levels, from the fundamentals to master skills.

Classes are on demand any time.

Plus, opportunities to ask Joe questions about your specific garden in real time.

Courses are available online.

For more information or to enroll, go to growingagreenerworld.com/learn.

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