I was raised in a small town on a larger-than-usual allotment. As children my brothers and I had ample room to play on the 4-5 acre property and often got into mischief; Stories for another time. We also had to pitch in with the chores etc. You get the idea. It was a wholesome upbringing surround by our parents and maternal grand-parents.
We grew much of what we consumed: Corn, tomatoes, pumpkin, beetroot, zucchini, capsicum, carrots, cucumbers, cabbage, green beans, broccoli, lettuce, herbs etc. and of course chickens which meant eggs. I can recall days in the vegetable garden toiling away preparing soil, spreading manure, tying-back, trimming, and harvesting. It was a family event and was enjoyable. The harvest was the most exciting although I can remember checking on the seeds I planted every hour or so to see if they were up yet...Boring, but exciting when they popped up days later.
The produce, although I didn't know it at the time, tasted better. Looking back I wish I could tell my young-self to live it up as those days were numbered. Produce has become bland and tasteless through the drive for greater profits. I have to say now that I yearn for those days, those simple times with my family around doing family things. Chopping wood, watching my mum baking bread, eating meals together (minus the TV), getting help with homework or playing Lego...generally just doing family stuff. Gardening was a big part of that for me.
I think being a part of the process of preparing soil, planting, growing and harvesting a lot of what we ate made us appreciate eating it more and certainly the time spent together with the family has left an indelible mark on me. I understand times are different but we can still find a similar experience in today's world. Take your family to a farmers market each week for instance, come home and cook together. Eat your meals with the television off and spend some time after dinner conversing. Make the effort to spend a little more time with each other. Your children will appreciate it now and later in life.
Ok. That's it.
I hope you enjoy reading my posts.
Image source's: plantation.org & pcwallart.com
Thank you for this post. This is the life we are living with our sons (3 and 6) right now and I sometimes wonder if they will appreciate it when older.
Kids just don't get this kind of upbringing anymore, is it just me who thinks that? I enjoyed my childhood we didn't have much but what we did have was respect. I see a lot of kids these days with no stability, no values and then we wonder why they turn out to have issues in later life. I have a friend who's child stays in his room 16 hours a day playing PlayStation and wont eat vegetables! How has this happened? What ever happened to good old family values? Perhaps i'm being a little cynical and there is still this kind of up bringing out there and im just not seeing it. Great Post Galen
You're right mate, but I'm at a loss also. I don't how it go to this. It's a combination of many things I suppose. Consumerism, MTV, materialism, higher wages and the Kardashians? I don't know. What I do know is there's a lot of ill-mannered people out there, kids and adults. I think that's the sad result of the loss of family values. Just my opinion. Maybe also people don't think they have the time for manners. I mean, who has the time to say thank you, or please. And to smile at the checkout operator at the supermarket? Wow, that smile would take a whole millisecond out of a person's life.
People are so caught up in their own lives. Too interested in what the Kardashian's are doing to engage with their own life. Kids see it and copy it from a young age. Parents giving their kids phones to keep the quiet etc. Pathetic.
Your friend's kid on the playstation? I've heard the same before. I don't have the answers though. I'm not a parent unfortunately. All I can say is that my kids would know how to light a fire, snare a rabbit, shoot a gun, kayak, navigate off map and compass and a myriad of other things. They'd also respect their elders and have manners. It's how I was brought up. (Well, I wasn't taught all the outdoorsy stuff, I learned that later, but the appetite for it certainly started as a child.)
Thanks for your comment man.
Wow, you are a great writer. Resteemed, voted up, and am already following. Also, thanks for the resteem you gave earlier to my article. Cheers.
It's hard to get back to those simple days in today's world. It does feel great to put the computer down sometimes and go out to the garden. Good garden and produce pictures.
Thanks @garden-to-eat, yes such good days to recall. I wish life was so simple now. Yeah, I dug those images up on the net. If my wife had a garden like that I think she'd be on cloud nine! :) Thanks for commenting and reading. Much obliged
I have a garden like that and love it. It's been my passion for over 30 years. Check out my posts if you're thinking about starting one. You may find some useful tips.
Will check your posts for sure, right...Now. :)
Betting on this being another winning post for you Galen so 100% upvoted and resteemed. Reads like you had a productive childhood. Sure beats sitting round playing video games IMO. SK.
Hey @sirknight, thanks again for the UPV and RS. It was a great childhood really. We were outside more than inside and we made our fun, literally. My grandfather had an extensively kitted-out woodworking shed so we had a never-ending supply of materials. We went on "camps" (on our own property) spending all day getting set up and then staying up all night poking the campfire. We'd take off on our bikes on the weekends and come home just in time for dinner...It was pretty cool. No video games in sight. We'd play games inside at night with our parents or read. We had Lego, drew and painted and also played music. (I started playing piano as a 5 year old.) It was a pretty balanced childhood. Oh, we got in trouble too, but generally we were good lads. I'm going to see if I can dig up some old photos for a post some day. Problem is they'll all be printed in black and white. Being 47 has its disadvantages. Thanks again for your kind RS mate, much appreciated.
I was similar - on an acreage too - would be outside playing all day only to come home when Dad would whistle - signalling get your butts home for dinner. Good times.
The best times. Simple. Just the way I like it. I miss those days.
A family that spends time together will share a stronger bond and good family values passed on to the children will always live with them. Thanks for sharing this @galenkp
and pls ..do keep in touch
Hey there @mcekworo, I really appreciate you reading my post and for your comment also. I'm a product of many things, my upbringing, my experiences as a child, teen and adult and society too I guess. I can't complain about my upbringing. I learned respect and manners at an early age. Thanks again for commenting. All the best. @galenkp
If only I had a green thumb. My most recent victim, eggplant seedlings that my 9 year old had grown at school. One week in my care and they all committed suicide😬
Bwahaha...Well, it happens I guess. I hope they left a suicide note.
Nope, just curled up and died. Poor little things. I had such high hopes for the meals I was going to make.
:)
Wow ... Nice post @galenkp
Great article!
Thank you for sharing your story! I love growing food but didn't start my first garden until about 6 years ago. I can only imagine how amazing it would be to grow up planting seeds and picking fresh veggies regularly. There's something so magical about growing your own food. Excited to follow you! Thanks again for sharing. :)
I love this post. We garden at home and I really enjoy it. We live in a city but still have some backyard space to work with our hands and enjoy the fruits of our labor. It's nice to see people like you who enjoy gardening and sharing time with your family.
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