Local Produce

A common theme of all of my schools, from kindergarten to the junior high, is the incorporation of gardening. It shouldn't come as much of a surprise, since this town has so much farmland and proudly boasts an abundance of persimmons and strawberries. After graduating from the junior high, a fair share of students elect to go to the high school that is focused on agricultural technology. I think it's appropriate to say it all comes with the territory. Some students may elect a different path when high school rolls around, so it's nice that they all gain some knowledge in the dirt, regardless of their path.
A dozen individual pots are lined up at the edge of the playground, each with a cherry tomato plant and name stick. A barrier between the classrooms and the playground, they are visible to every kindergartener who takes a walk down the hallway. These are seeds the kids have planted, watered, and watched grow day after day, week after week. Seeing them finally enjoy the ripened fruits of their labor this morning was certainly something special. It's an art project for them, maybe a logical exercise, and certainly a lesson in patience. Perhaps more importantly, it's an introduction to life.
My first day at one of my elementary schools coincided with an assembly introducing some space pumpkin seeds. These were regular pumpkin seeds that had been taken to outer space, brought back to earth, and eventually into our principal's hands. As you may expect, they boiled up a lot of attention. Will they look just like any other pumpkin? Will they taste any different? It's safe to say that most of us have never eaten anything that has been into outer space, so that will at least be a thought-provoking aspect. Maybe this was a method of creating a fun, academic, and involved interest in agriculture as these kids grow up. In this ever-changing world of technology and innovation, agriculture is of course no exception. Maybe all of this was our principal's subtle metaphor, demonstrating to the students how far a few seeds can go.
From my recollection, the best two onions I have ever had came from the special needs kids at my other elementary school. Wrapped in newspaper, with a sliced green vine and bits of dirt for authenticity, these onions were big and still very alive. They were strong with an almost sweet taste, something I'd associate with both how fresh they were and how carefully or organically they were grown. As recommended by others in the staff room, I added half of one into my curry and rice that evening. Perhaps a testament to how fresh or organic the onions were, they seemed to change states exceptionally well that evening, disappearing into thin air.
As a way of wrapping up my few words on local produce, I have one local example of agriculture using technology very well. Here it is:

If you have not guessed quite yet, your last chance is now. It's a strawberry vending machine! It's refrigerated, reasonably priced, and the strawberries come from the fields right across the street! They were sold out the first two times I stopped there, and the farmers apologized from across the street. The popularity of this machine not only speaks for its convenience, but also for how fresh and delicious the strawberries are. The fact that it seems sold out so often also assures you that nothing is staying in there too long.