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Awesome! Along these lines, today was the first time I was able to completely share my lunch with Calex (he's 10 months old). We had chinook and avocado on a bagel, with a smoothie made from fruit I (mostly) foraged myself. I really got a kick out of it...does that make me a healthy eating nerd?

NERD!!

Naw, that's awesome. The little fella likes the salmon? Man, that surprises me, although what do I know about those things? I bet you've been making all kinds of stuff. One thing I've always thought would be a great project to get kids involved in is the whole berry planting, picking, preserving cycle. All of it is fun, but making jams and jellies is really fun, and it seems like it would just blow a kids mind to see the berries turn into that stuff in the jar. I dunno, maybe not if they grew up with it, but I remember making PB and J's out of that disgusting swirled together PB and jelly. I don't think I had any idea berries were involved. Come to think of it, they probably weren't. Do you guys do any canning?

He does like salmon, he actually likes all food. I don't know if kids become picky eaters as they get older or what, but for now he will eat anything I put in front of him. It's really important to me that he likes real food- I don't want one of those kids that will only eat cheese pizza (aka my sister, who is now 24 and still has the palette of a toddler).

Yes, the fruit cycle! That is the plan for this year. I have some potted blueberries that will be going in the ground, then grapes and some other stuff will follow. He'll be old enough to help pick when they're ripe, and watch me do some canning. I've only made applesauce so far, and am a total noob on the canning front. This will be a good topic to bring up later, as I'll be needing your expert opinion on the subject.

What other things have people done to get their kids or grandkids involved in gardening, or nature, or permiculture, or out door activitys, or out door sports, or hunting, or fishing or peresurving food, or carpentry or anything that we as adults feel might be important for them to know later on in life. So many kids today just sit in front of the TV and play video games. Mindless activitys that don't teach many life skills. Spending time with them is a key element as far as I am concerned, quality time where you talk with them one on one as a real live person, not a child to be talked down to, but a real person with feelings. They really do pick up on the difference. My oldest Grandson has wanted to plant seeds for the last several years. His Mother is not a gardener but lets him plant his seeds. The results have been poor because they do not know what is a plant and what is a weed. But he seems to have an interest in planting things in the ground and watching them grow. I want to encourage him in this effort but I am not there to show him personally, they live 2 hours away from me. I have let them have things in my garden. Each Grandkid got to pick a pumpkin and watch it grow through the summer. In Oct they got their pumpkin to carve as a Jack-O-Lantern of their own. I guess because they are not here as much as I would like I feel that I am not able to do my job as Pap Pap. Any sugestions of how to bridge that gap?

Currently my living arrangements include (my BIL's) niece and her 12 year old son. He is helpful in all things outdoor already, so I'm spending some one on one time by taking him to the grocery store with me. That gives us plenty of time (away from mom) to talk about things that kids can't / don't talk over with their parents. He often sits here at the computer with me, watching videos on various permaculture / building / energy type things.

Guy, how old is that grandson who lives two hours away? I know that is too far to travel for the bi-weekly "Kids Build It" at Lowe's (a favorite of mine for the younger kids). But is he old enough to check out links you might send him at his own email address? Then you could compare notes with a phone call, and help fill in the blanks in his understanding. Of course, if he's only five or so, that may be a bit premature.

The oldest is 7 now. He does not have email yet. The next boy is almost 5, the 2 little girls are about 2 1/2 and the baby is 10 months. They are from 2 different familys, my 2 oldest sons. So they are all pretty young yet. The oldest boy has been trying to plant seeds for 2 years, but I want to give him some success this year. I was thinking about giving him a tomato plant that I would grow from seed that he could plant in their flower garden. Maybe a sun gold cherry tomato that produces early and plentifully and is sweet enough to eat right out of the garden. It might give him some pride when they have HIS tomatos in something for supper. His Mom is a great cook and I am sure she can whip something up useing them. Maybe a 2nd tomato plant that grows Big Beef Steak type tomatos too. I guess size does matter in some things.

That sounds like a wonderful idea, Guy. Cherry tomatoes usually produce fruit sooner than the slicing tomatoes, don't they? Maybe you could slip in a package of mixed lettuce that he can sprinkle in the space between the tomato plants. My eight year old g'daughter loves salads. Your g'son might too, especially if HE grows it.

I am told that the best thing to start kids out on is radishes, they take minimal amount of time before a child actually sees things happening. Makes sense to me. I was bored most of my life with gardening.

The sun flower room worked out so well last year that I planted it again this year. Turns out that alot of sun flowers volunteered around the space. I moved and transplanted where I needed more and planted some seeds to fill in the rest. I added 2 stooles that I made from a cross cut of a log and added 3 legs so that they will always sit level. The stools make it much easier for Pap Pap to join them up there and enjoy the fun. It was much less work this year since the ground was already prepared and improved from last year. The stalks are already higher than my head. This year it is a secert hidding place instead of a fort or a house,

I'll bet the kids love having the private space to share with you, Guy.