The little ones at the Learning Tree Preschool in Cardiff, California were excited to get in on the composting craze. With the foresight and insight of parents Steve and Jayshree Gherkins and teacher Anita Hoban, a lovely vegetable garden was installed for the kids, where they can began to learn the fundamentals of gardening. And what is a vegetable garden without a compost bin? So Swami bruce, worm wrangler and Master of Compost Technology swooped in with a City subsidized compost bin and a bucket of worms to start the process.
Working with preschoolers is a challenge, to say the least. They are so adorable and funny, you cannot help but be charmed. But then again, it is like herding cats! And when 10 little sets of little hands all want to hold a "wum" all at the same time, punctuated by a few high decibel shrieks when said worms start to wiggle, well, I realized that preschool teachers are not paid nearly enough!
I was able to explain to the kids that worms are our friends, that they like it dark and moist, and that they eat the food scraps that we throw away. I showed them what the finished compost would look like, dark and rich and full of worms. Every child was then encouraged to bring food scraps from home to feed the worms. When I went back for a follow-up visit, they were already harvesting summer squash for lunch; and when kids grow vegetables, they usually will eat them! I also met the lovely Susan Finklestein, who is writing a children's book about the garden, including a character named "Swami bruce, the worm man."
I hope that the seeds of a love of gardening will take root with these nascent gardeners. And may their garden grow and produce much good edibles for the students and teachers alike.
Now get out there and grow something.
Peace,
Swami bruce
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