Growing food for Growing babies

And what about the impact such farming methods have on our fragile environment?  Understandably, we think more about ‘green issues’ once our first child is born and we begin pondering the kind of world he or she will grow up in.  Indeed, as far back as 2002 the BBC reported nearly three-quarters of new parents admitted to being more environmentally aware than before they had children.

On the other hand organic food can be up to 63% more expensive to buy, and there is still the issue of food miles to consider as much of the organic range found in the local supermarket is flown in from abroad.  Growing our own solves these problems whilst ensuring we continue to give our children only the very healthiest and tastiest vegetables we can trust.

And it really couldn’t be simpler as the vegetables suggested for weaning, like carrots, parsnips and potatoes, are amongst the very easiest to grow, whilst even the fussiest older child should be won over by the superior taste of freshly picked beetroots, beans and peas compared to their supermarket counterparts.

Higher levels of vitamins are found in freshly picked organic vegetables, like Vitamin C which is vital for maintaining healthy immune systems, and Vitamin A which is very important for good eyesight, skin and hair, and crucial to the formation of strong teeth and bones.  Many also contain high quantities of Vitamin B6, which has a variety of uses including aiding the body to store energy and helping haemoglobin to form.

Spring is one of the most exciting times of the year for the vegetable grower as the days get longer and (hopefully) warmer and the time has come to sow the seeds for this year’s crop.  If you haven’t done so already, thoroughly weed and dig over your plot.  Then, sprinkle a few seeds of your choice and you should guarantee fresh veggies from early summer right through to our cold, dark winter.

Potatoes are a great first vegetable for the beginner as they have this reputation for breaking up the soil of previously untended land, but I grow them on my Eastleigh allotment because home grown spuds taste far better than anything I can buy from a shop.  From February to April, local garden centres should be full of seed potatoes, basically last year’s tubers certified virus free.

Give them a head start by placing them rose-side up in egg containers filled with a little compost.  (The rose-side is simply the one with the most little eyes).  Leave them in a room away from the light and over the next few weeks these eyes will sprout several shoots and be ready for planting.  Do so 15” apart, in trenches dug 5” deep, and then cover with soil.  When the foliage has poked through and grown to a height of about 9”, draw soil about 2/3 the way up to prevent your spuds becoming green and poisonous.

Sow broad beans and early peas now in a seed tray on a sunny windowsill.  Plant out the seedlings in straight lines, 8” apart for broad beans and 6” for peas, and insert little twigs beside them to provide support.  When they grow taller, twine or netting between canes will be necessary.

Parsnips should be sown in February or March, but don’t expect to see the fruits of your labour until October at the earliest.  In contrast, short-rooted varieties of carrot can be sown directly into the ground in Hampshire from April onwards and pulled up from the beginning of July.  Puree them for baby, but keep some aside for yourself and cook in a little orange juice and coriander seeds.  Delicious!  Fresh beetroot is another gorgeous tasting crop good to sow in April and harvest early summer.  A quick tip, soak the seeds overnight before planting as this helps them germinate.

There are lots of other veggies which can be planted at this time, but a word of warning about spinach.  It is quick-growing and lovely when steamed with a knob of butter but it is unsuitable to give large quantities to young children due to its high oxalic acid content.

It is becoming fashionable now, but growing your own is nothing new.  Tony Murrills, secretary of the Eastleigh & Bishopstoke Allotments Association, has been growing fresh vegetables for three decades.  “I weaned my three children on liquidised allotment produce” he says proudly, before adding “they’ve been fed on home grown food from birth to thirty-plus!”

He points out that giving your children fresh vegetables sets them up for a lifetime of healthy eating.  One of his daughters even has an allotment of her own now and as he says, “They all love their fruit and veg.”

Don’t let not owning your own allotment or large plot stop you as even the smallest of gardens can be productive.  Hampshire’s climate means strawberries and tomatoes do very well planted in containers upon sunny patios and round-rooted varieties of carrot will also thrive when sown in this way.

With their lovely scarlet flowers, runner beans make ideal plants for trellises and screens; indeed they were first imported from Mexico in the 17th Century as an exotic flower.  Meanwhile, colourful edibles like beetroot and red cabbage are right at home in the flowerbed.

So, as an unbeatable way of sourcing trustworthy produce that’s good for your children and your environment, get out there and start growing your own food for your own growing babies!