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    Essential Reading

    Program Overview

    The broad strokes of the Edible Learning Lab Program.

    Teachers Primer

    A guide to help teachers visualize their edible education program.

    Farmers Primer

    Learn how to turn your farm into an edible classroom.

    Organizations Primer

    Discover how you can bring edible education into your community.

    Grants & Funding

    There are numerous grants and funding sources to get you started.

    Equipment Recommendations

    Buy the same equipment we use in our flagship Lab.

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    Not sure where to start? We can help guide you each step of the process.

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    We created a private Facebook Group for educators using our Edible Learning Lab Curriculum. Share stories, ask questions, get advice. It's the perfect place to collaborate.
  • Lessons

    Review the Quick Start Guide

    Take a few minutes to walk through this Quick Start Guide and get your bearings. Then jump in and explore the curriculum.

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    Beginner Lessons

    The Beginner Lessons form the foundation with a sound overview of the core concepts of food production.

    Intermediate Lessons

    The Intermediate Lessons allow students to experiment and prove the core concepts.

    Advanced Lessons

    The Advanced Lessons give students an opportunity to apply what they've learned in the previous levels.

    Lessons By Station

    Seed Starting Curriculum

    Soil Management Curriculum

    Vermiculture Curriculum

    Hydroponics Curriculum

    Composting Curriculum

    Water Management Curriculum

    Seed Saving Curriculum

    Teaching Kitchen Curriculum

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    Our Core Values

    We believe that all Modern Steaders thrive on hard work, strive for self-reliance, constantly develop craft skills, have a thirst for knowledge, respect their connection to the land, use resources efficiently, and support their local community.

    Changing the Conversation

    What we at Modern Steader are working toward isn’t just food education, or a gardening program, or a nutrition program. This is about food awareness and an exploration of the process to cultivate, harvest, and transform real food as ingredients into a healthy diet and lifestyle.

    Our Top Posts

    What is a Food Desert?

    Gain insight into food deserts, the communities they impact, and how edible education may offer a solution.

    The Difference Between Rainwater and Tap Water

    Not all water is created equal especially when we're talking about the health and development of plants and people.

    Why Rain is Important

    Rain or the lack of an adequate supply can have profound effects on farming and the communities that rely on the harvest.

    Anatomy of a Seed

    It all begins with a seed and this article dives deep into the 5 primary parts of the seed that make it all possible.

Why Grow Our Own Food?

Why Grow Our Own Food?

Establishing a Personal Connection to the Food We Eat
Lesson: 2.1
Level:
Beginner
Station: Soil Management
Format: Class Discussion
Rating:
Lesson 2.1 Why Grow Your Own Food

Lesson Overview

Edible education belongs not just to the school but students will also take ownership over their program and the plants that they cultivate. This lesson begins that process, encouraging students to define why edible education and learning about food production is important to them.

Goals

  • Identify reasons to grow food themselves
  • Convey the importance of fresh, organically grown fruits and vegetables

Outcomes

Students will engage in a discussion with their peers about growing food in order to establish a common purpose for the Edible Learning Lab.

Teaching Primer

homegrown pepper harvest

There is nothing more empowering, more liberating, or more important than growing your own food. Food, water, and shelter are our most pressing needs as a species and being able to provide those for yourself is the foundation of self-reliance.

But there is more to it than just being able to grow food. The joy of eating and the personal connection to what you grow and why you grow it in some substantial way defines who you are. Food is more than just sustenance. It can be a way to express yourself in the kitchen or garden. It can be a therapeutic practice. And it can be a unifying force for friends, neighbors, and family.

Food has the ability to shape our lives in a number of ways so why would we want to universally outsource that to someone else? Why would we not want to understand food on a deeper level and explore the ways that it can teach us about life, nature, and ourselves?

This lesson is intended not to provide the answer or define the future for every Student but rather start the conversation about food. Many children and even young adults are unaware of where their food comes from or how it was raised. This lesson aims to start their conversation about food and perhaps put them on a path of self-discovery.

Growing your own food

Teach the Teacher

  • 10 Reasons to Grow Your Own Food
  • Why You Should Grow Your Own Food….NOW!

Tools & Materials

  • Chalkboard or SMART Board

Vocabulary

  • Locavore
  • Organically-grown
  • Conventionally-grown

Method

Introduction (10 minutes)

Begin the lesson by asking the Class how many of them grow some of their own food. A show of hands will likely result in just a few Students having any experience with the growing process. Then ask the Students to offer up reasons why it might be important to grow some food for themselves.

Activity (20 minutes)

Using the examples from the 10 Reasons to Grow Your Own Food article, create a list as a group of the reasons why it’s important. Explore each one as you go along. The list can be as broad or as specific as the Students can make it.

Discussion (10 minutes)

How will our Edible Learning Lab impact each of you? What impact will this Lab have on our community? How do you think growing food here will change things in your lives?

Assessment (5 minutes)

Use the following questions to assess the Students before and after the lesson. Tally the responses of the group in the Assessment Tracking Log for comparison:

  • By a show of hands, how many of you grow some of your own food at home?
  • Now that you understand the importance of growing some of your own food, how many of you want to grow a garden at home this year?

Related Lessons

Give the Intermediate or Advanced lessons a try now that you’ve completed the Beginner Lesson!

This lesson, and all other lessons on this website, are intended for use by teachers in the classroom. These lessons are protected by US and International copyright laws. Reproduction or distribution of lesson content, supporting materials, or digital creative is prohibited with written permission from Modern Steader LLC.

« Lights, Camera, Action! » Raise the Roots!

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HQ: 307-278-9793

Modern Steader is dedicated to bringing edible education to all students K-12. How can we help you bring edible education into your classroom?

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Tim Miner, Co-Founder

Tim is Modern Steader's Lab Strategist, working tirelessly to bring future Edible Learning Labs to life. Under his direct leadership, the flagship Lab in Buffalo, WY has given more than 400 students the opportunity to explore the soil to table process.

At home, he is a passionate locavore, and doting husband and father, living in the Bighorns of northern Wyoming.

Read about Tim's journey >>>

Dave Creech, Co-Founder

Dave is a husband, foodie and entrepreneur striving to live healthier and happier through better food and outdoor living. He started his urban garden in early 2013 in an effort to grow as much of his own food as possible. Dave is continually learning to live more simply, waste less, be more efficient and generally build a better skill set.

Read about Dave's journey >>>

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