1. What Are the Advantages of Having a Home Garden? the Disadvantages?

Preassessment

Gardening is Production

DIRECTIONS: Interview at least five students in your class concerning home vegetable gardening. Write the responses on a separate sheet of paper.

1. What are the advantages of having a home garden? The disadvantages?

2. What are the advantages of food storage? The disadvantages?

3. How important is homegrown foods in other nations?

4. Can you think of any local, worldwide, or national events where food storage played an important part in survival?

5. Does your family or do your friends participate in camping or hiking as a recreational activity? If so, what kinds of foods are taken along? Why?

6. What kinds of food processing and preservation are an important preparation for foods carried in backpacks on a hike, camping trip, etc.

7. Why was salt such an important commodity throughout history? (Mountain men sometimes carried only weapons, traps, blankets, and salt. The Bible refers to "the salt of the earth." Medieval explorers searched for new routes to places where salt could be obtained, etc.)

8. Does your family have a home garden? Why or why not?

9. If so, is it a small garden (enough for your family to enjoy fresh vegetables) or a large garden (so much that your family must preserve or give away part of the produce)?

10. What factors influenced your family's decision to have or not have a garden?

11. Who is responsible for caring for the garden?

12. Who is responsible for food storage?

After the interviews are complete, write five statements which describe what you learned about home gardening in your area. Share your findings with the class. Compare the percentage of students you polled with home gardens to a recent national average of 41% of households with vegetable gardens. Do you think home gardening is popular now? Why or why not? List reasons behind your opinion and the values which underlie those reasons.