| Greener Pastures |
| Written by Philippa Macken |
 A father and his three-year-old son are crouched over an immense vegetable patch, pulling up carrots and picking ripe tomatoes. A couple of cats prowl amongst the flowers nearby and two fluffy rabbits bound around the garden, nibbling grass, their noses twitching. All the while, the sound of clucking chickens fills the air, announcing the arrival of fresh eggs in the coup.
It sounds like a scene from Enid Blyton’s The Children of Willow Farm but in fact, it’s the real life story of Harvey Baker-Dowdell and his suburban family home in Wamberal on the Central Coast. Harvey and his wife, Johanna, and two children, Noah and Ethan, are committed to a ‘green’ way of life, not just for themselves but also to educate and inspire generations to come.“My lifestyle hasn’t always been this way,” says Harvey. “Before my children were born my diet was full of takeaway and junk food. I began thinking about the groceries I chose and this naturally led me to examine exactly how the food I was eating was being grown and from where it was coming.” Years later, most of what the Baker-Dowdell family eats is organic and home-grown. “The truth is that much of the good-looking fruit and vegetables we see on our supermarket shelves has been picked before they are completely ripe, then frozen for up to nine months before being shipped to our local areas,” explains Harvey. “By the time we purchase the produce it is well past being ripe.” Three-year-old Noah and six-month-old Ethan have never known life any other way. “Noah loves helping me dig and plant seeds in the patches and will casually nibble on vegetables he finds in the garden,” says Harvey. “Occasionally he’ll bring in a potato he’s dug up himself and ask, ‘mashed potatoes?’ and he’ll watch as we cook it up and mash it for dinner.” As parents, most of us are not strangers to dinner-time veggie dramas. Getting the recommended daily allowance of vegetables into our little ones’ tummies is a battle many of us fight and lose daily. Growing your own vegetables, Harvey says, helps children make the connection between the earth and their food, and engenders an interest in eating natural foods. “Noah has developed a real passion for cooking and now has his very own veggie patch where he grows potatoes, sweet corn and tomatoes,” says Harvey. “These three things are very easy for children to care for. Through growing potatoes, Noah is learning about root vegetables, while tomatoes are great because he can watch them grow and develop daily.” How many of us have thought, ‘I must get that veggie patch going’ but not known how to start, or have actually tried and failed? According to Harvey persistence is the key, along with a willingness to make mistakes. Harvey readily admits he was not born with the proverbial green thumb. “The key is to keep it simple and remember the golden rule: trial and error,” says Harvey. “Just because something didn’t grow well this season, doesn’t mean it won’t grow next year. There is a big misconception that developing a veggie patch is time consuming and just too difficult. Relax about it and remember to have fun.” Harvey is not content to merely provide home-grown produce for his own family. What he dreams about is seeing a shift in the way we educate our children, for their sake and the sake of the planet. “My goal is to become more involved with schools and preschools at a practical level,” says Harvey. “I want to inspire children by working with them to establish their own veggie patches and, importantly, get the parents involved too.” “Ultimately, vegetables grown in the school yard could be sold at local markets or school fetes for fundraising,” says Harvey. “Alternatively, schools could teach the children basic cookery using their own produce.” Children thrive when they spend time in nature and take pride in growing their own produce. But it’s not only good for their diet. Alongside the health and environmental benefits Harvey sees wider implications in taking gardening into the educational setting. “The maintenance of these gardens is a great way to develop a sense of teamwork and cooperation among peers,” he says. With obesity levels in our children rising at an alarming rate, as well as the dire predictions about climate change, Harvey’s ethos is one to be taken seriously. It’s clear we all need a new mindset and, ultimately, a new lifestyle. So does he have one last piece of advice for parents wanting to make a difference? “The first step is to think about the purchases you’re making,” says Harvey. “Ask yourself, ‘how far has this vegetable travelled and how big is its carbon footprint?’ There are always things you will need to purchase at the supermarket but make your local farmer’s markets the first port of call and buy locally where possible. Each small step we take gives our planet a better chance of survival.”
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