Ask most kids where food comes from, and they’ll reply, “The grocery store.” While that’s not incorrect, parents know that’s only one of the many stops it takes to get delicious, nutritious food from the ground to hungry mouths.

So how can we get kids to understand and appreciate where food comes from and the work it takes to get it from farm to table? No surprise here: get them involved.

Colorado-based nonprofit Big Green connects kids to food through outdoor classrooms. The organization developed a concept called Learning Gardens, which are modular raised beds where children can practice growing fruits and vegetables. The Gardens first popped up at schools around Boulder and have since grown to more than 600 schools across the U.S.

In their annual report, Big Green shares that through their Learning Gardens initiative, fifty-five percent of students said their appreciation for different types of vegetables increased, and forty- four percent showed improvements in understanding how healthy eating connects to a healthy self.

For students not enrolled at a Learning Gardens school, Big Green offers at-home lessons and support like garden planning, reading seed packets, and choosing the correct seeds. See BigGreenAtHome.org.

For a more immersive experience for the whole family, Worldwide Opportunities on Organic Farms (WWOOF) links visitor- volunteers with organic farmers around the world. Many host farms welcome kids and know strategies to get them involved in group projects. On WWOOF’s website, one parent shares, “Our kids frequently helped out in the garden for harvest days. They took great pride in working alongside us and the other WWOOFers … it made them feel like valued members a team.” A WWOOF stay commonly provides free room and board, so it’s also a cost-effective way to travel and get kids involved in projects of various sizes.

Over in Routt County, farm-to-table is now an official part of the curriculum for two school districts. An article from the Colorado Sun titled “A Colorado school district wants its students to know where their food comes from — and how to scramble an egg” explains that the school district won a $1 million grant from the state Department of Education and opted to use it on agricultural lessons from preschool to senior year.

Elementary kids plant and harvest gardens, middle schoolers grow sprouts and bake bread, and high schoolers butcher meat or study horticulture in a greenhouse and sell produce at a farm stand. The goal is to get Routt County back to its roots and to make sure every student knows where their food came from.

But you don’t have to spend hours toiling in the garden or enroll your child in a particular school to provide a valuable lesson. Nederland’s every-other-Sunday farmers market is now in full swing and gives you an in-person connection with the people who grow, raise, process, and cook local produce and meat. In addition to seasonal goodies from vendors like Switch Gears Farms in Longmont and our own Nederland Victory Gardens, kids can also peruse eggs from Miller Farms, dairy products from Five Freedoms Dairy, beef from Magnolia Grassfed, honey from AA Honey, and salmon from Epick Seafoods. And unlike the grocery store cashier, the incredibly experienced and knowledgeable folks running the booths can answer any question kids might have.

Once your child’s harvest basket is full, whether from your home garden or the farmers’ market, the next enriching activity is to cook with the bounty. A dish could be as simple as slicing and sauteing vegetables in a sprinkle of favorite herbs and spices, or you take on a full recipe. Check out the Nederland Farmers Market website (NederlandFarmersMarket.org) for easy recipes you and your kiddos can whip up using your haul. Try the strawberry-rhubarb galette, a hands-on dessert that calls for a sweet tooth-friendly dollop of whipped cream.

Once the food is ready to eat, you can continue to foster a connection and gratitude by asking them exploratory questions like: How does the dish smell? How does the first bite taste? Is it crunchy? Can you taste the flavors of the different ingredients? What was your favorite part of the harvesting/buying/ prepping/cooking process? Often, to develop an appreciation for something, you simply need to slow down and give it some thought and attention.

Hopefully, the next time you quiz your kid about where that green bean came from, they’ll be able to give you the farm- to-table story without so much as a second thought about the grocery store.