More Than a Day on the Farm: Planting the Seeds for Adventurous Eating

I need to take take a minute to talk about how amazing the Crunchy Culture Talking Farm event was

Seriously… my kids have not stopped talking about it, and I honestly can’t stop smiling every time I think about the day. It was one of those experiences that just sticks with you.

A little while back, I connected with Jane, the owner of Crunchy Culture, and as we talked about our missions it quickly became obvious that we looked at food and children in such similar ways, so when she invited Green Light Speech Therapy to sponsor the Talking Farm event, I was so excited because it felt like such a perfect fit.

If you’ve been around Green Light for a while, you know I’m always saying that feeding therapy is about so much more than getting kids to eat.

Yes, we help children develop the oral motor, sensory, and swallowing skills they need to safely eat a wider variety of foods. But just as importantly, we help families rediscover joy, curiosity, and confidence around food. So many of the families we work with have been through really hard feeding experiences. Mealtimes can become stressful, exhausting, and emotional. Sometimes everyone forgets that food can actually be fun.

That’s why this event made me so happy.

Nobody was asking kids to take a bite. Nobody was counting how many vegetables they ate. Instead, they were digging in the dirt, pulling vegetables out of the ground, smelling herbs, asking questions, making observations, and getting genuinely excited about food.

And the joy was everywhere.

One of my favorite parts was listening to kids and their grown ups wonder out loud together. “What’s this?” “Can you smell this?” “I didn’t know carrots grew like that!” It wasn’t about eating. It was about exploring.

And that’s such an important part of building a healthy relationship with food.

Every interaction matters.

Touching food matters.

Growing it matters.

Harvesting it matters.

Smelling it matters.

Talking about it matters.

When children get to know food without pressure, they become familiar with it. And when something feels familiar, it’s a whole lot easier to become curious about it. That curiosity often becomes the first step toward trying it naturally.

Will every child leave a farm suddenly loving kale? Of course not.

But will experiences like this help children see food as interesting instead of intimidating? Absolutely. And that’s something worth celebrating.

Jane, thank you for creating such a thoughtful experience and for inviting Green Light to be part of it. We were so grateful to be included.

I already know my family will be back. Until then, I’ll just keep smiling every time my kids bring up “the farm.” 💚🌱