Metro Detroit kids get hands-on experience learning where food comes from

GROSSE POINTE, Mich. – As it is time to start growing flowers and vegetables, it is also a great time to teach kids where food comes from.

Sometimes there can be a disconnect between kids and where they think their food grows.

Luke, a student at Monteith Elementary School in Grosse Pointe Woods, says he’s never had a garden before. But, he says he knows his favorite bird is a blackbird.

Kids are smart. They know stuff, and when you know stuff you can grow stuff!

The founder of Gro-town says it is a multimedia children’s endeavor.

“Through original music and original videos and community gardening initiatives we are seeking to instill a sense of gratitude and wonderment for the world outside our windows and the communities in which we reside,” says Danielle Carlomusto, Founder of Gro-Town.

Carlomusto comes from farm folk and on much of her own time, she develops programming for public libraries, schools and basically anyone who’s interested in literally planting the kinds of seeds that yield big bounties beyond the obvious.

With her Gro-Town project, each child can take home a packet of seeds to help start their own gardens. With the help of parents, kids can find their own power to grow while they grow.

Gro-Town stations are all over Metro Detroit. You can find Gro-Town in all libraries in Detroit, Warren, Livonia and Brilliant Detroit Community Centers.

Here are some related stories for those that have a green thumb:

• Ann Arbor gardening organization celebrates 50 years of community
• Let’s talk about Michigan’s invasive herbs: How to identify them and the threat they pose
• Peony Garden in Ann Arbor to celebrate 100 years in June