Preschoolers at the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff Child Development Center (CDC) have been getting their hands in the dirt and reaping the benefits of growing fresh produce in raised beds. The latest project, funded by an Evans-Allen grant, is titled “Implementing Healthy Eating Habits While Combatting Obesity in Preschool Settings.”
Dr. Marilyn Bailey, interim chair of the UAPB Department of Human Sciences, said the centerpiece of the project is a demonstration garden site where preschoolers plant seeds, monitor vegetable growth and eventually harvest the fruits of their labor – everything from greens and tomatoes to blackberries and herbs such as rosemary.
The program is not limited to Jefferson County. Preschoolers in Bradley, Drew and Chicot are also learning to eat healthy thanks to the initiative. During lessons in the classroom, teachers ask the children about their observations and expectations relating to the gardens.
“It is important to engage preschoolers with questions about the world around them,” Dr. Bailey said. “From infancy, children learn through all their senses – touch, sight, hearing, smell and taste. When you give them the opportunity to use these senses – in the garden, for instance – and then pose questions about their experience, it lights up their mind and gets them thinking in new ways.”
Dr. Bailey said her demonstration garden was inspired by a conversation she had with a child. One day while walking through a pre-K classroom, she asked a student if he knew where his French fries came from. He responded, “You know where fries come from, Dr. Bailey. They come from McDonalds.”
Considering the growing phenomenon of food deserts, it is essential that children and their parents be taught where food actually comes from, as well as the importance of eating nutritious food, Dr. Bailey said.
“It is rewarding to see our young students expressing delight in harvesting their garden – for example, to see the realization on their face that sweet potatoes grow under the dirt and that they will have to dig them up,” she said. “We must remember that oftentimes our youngest generations have not had the chance to be outside and touch the soil as much as previous generations. This gardening project provides that missing link, allowing children to better understand how to nurture their bodies through healthy eating.”
Low-income families may also have to increasingly rely on growing their own food in the future. That is why the demonstration garden is open to the young program participants and their parents.
Learning to provide healthy and nutritious food for one’s family does not happen overnight, Dr. Bailey said. To ensure this knowledge “sticks,” parent participants complete pre- and post-evaluations. The goal is to ensure that over time parents and their children will start adopting healthy eating habits and perhaps even begin gardening at home.
“The other part of this program consists of our ‘Nutrition Café’ sessions during which children and their parents, learn about healthy eating options and how to prepare healthy snacks from fresh produce,” Dr. Bailey said.
During the most recent Nutrition Café session, Dr. Kimberly Haynie, UAPB associate professor of food and nutrition science, presented on the difference between good and bad fats. Then, Dr. W. Jinnings Burruss Jr., UAPB assistant professor of food service and restaurant management, taught participants how to make hummus.
“Children are more likely to eat fruits and vegetables once they have been a part of the process, taking part in planting and harvesting produce and preparing meals from scratch,” Dr. Bailey said. “This is the change we are hoping to make at UAPB and across Arkansas communities. We are planning to keep this impactful project going for years to come.”
Pursuant to 7 CFR Section 15.3, the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff and the School of Agriculture, Fisheries and Human Sciences, 1890 Research and Extension Programs, offers all its Extension and Research programs and services (including employment) without regard to race, color, sex, national origin, religion, age, disability, marital or veteran status, genetic information, sexual preference, pregnancy, or any other legally protected status, and is an equal opportunity institution.