Gardening has many benefits. It provides healthful food and exercise for the family, plus kids who help grow vegetables are more likely to eat them.

When beginning a gardening project, consider the space and time you have available. Do you have a flower bed that could become a "vegetable bed"? Lettuce and radishes grow fairly quickly. String beans also pop up quickly and are fun for kids to harvest.

If you do not have a garden plot near by, you could try growing vegetables in containers. Some cherry tomatoes and bell peppers plants growing in a large flower pot can be fun for your children to tend throughout the summer.

In North Dakota, most plants are best planted in May. The NDSU Extension Service has many resources at www.ag.ndsu.edu/horticulture to help you learn how to grow your own food. To learn about square foot gardening and container gardening, see the Gardening Delights for All (PDF). Visit with your Extension agent/assistant to learn about classes, handouts, and helpful videos and websites.

Did you know SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) can help people grow their own food? SNAP participants can use their benefits to buy seeds and edible plants at SNAP retailers. For every dollar spent on seeds, home gardeners can grow an average of $25 worth of produce.

Julie Garden-Robinson, Food and Nutrition Specialist, NDSU Extension Service

Featured in Food Wise April 2014 newsletter (PDF)