When I was an aspiring school administrator, I was often given the job of screening students for the gifted program. The screening instrument we used was the Slosson Intelligence Test. On that test, was the following question: "Where does bacon come from?". Invariably, approximately 70% of students answered that bacon came from the grocery store. That was more than thirty years ago. As we have moved farther and farther away from the origins of our food, children will not know where our food comes from unless they are taught. They didn't know it then; more of them will not know it now.
No, it is not necessary to convene a class on the origins of food. However, when you take your child to the grocery store, you can have those casual conversations that are considered "teachable moments". You will need to talk about eggs and that eggs come from chickens. You will need to talk about milk and that milk comes from cows and goats (and soy and almonds but that's for later).
You need to talk about the fact that orange juice comes from oranges, not from cartons. Buy some oranges and let your child help you squeeze them. If you don't have an orange squeezer, go to a thrift or antique store and buy an old one. You'll have a great time. You need to talk about which fruits grow on trees and which grow on bushes. If you aren't sure, do your research. You are your child's first teacher. Don't forget that.
Don't be squeamish about the meat part. You can mention that we get hamburger from cows and bacon from pigs. You can get more sophisticated as your child grows older. I will write more about this topic in the near future because it is critically important. Have you noticed how many topics are critically important for you as a parent? We have only just begun the journey.
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