AURORA—A project that began last January at St. Therese of Jesus School has borne fruit. Well, literally, it’s borne seeds.

Fourth- and fifth-graders, who are 9- and 10-years-old, organically planted heirloom seeds of bell peppers and three kinds of tomatoes in January.

In May, with plants approaching two feet tall, they transplanted the seedlings into Earth Boxes outside of the school.

All summer they watered their gardens and harvested their groceries.

In October, the end of the growing season meant gathering the last of the veggies and painstakingly extracting and drying the seeds.

During the week of Nov. 23, the children traveled to the St. Charles Public Library to donate the heirloom seeds they tenderly saved and dried.

Few adult gardeners do all this.

The twelve students are part of a voluntary after-school club called the “Grocery Gardeners’ Guild.”

Volunteers from The Just Food Initiative of Fox Valley spent 2016 teaching these youngsters that part of their future food security and food integrity consists in growing some of their own food.

So they did.

The Just Food Initiative members attempt to preserve farming skills that are an integral part of the family heritage of many of these children.

A secondary goal is to help the children realize how much  tastier and healthier home-grown food can be, encouraging them to eat healthily.

The Heirloom Seed Library at the St. Charles Public Library allows citizens from any Fox Valley town to participate in securing their future food integrity. Hybrid seeds do not insure such integrity.

Hybrids are usually available at big box stores, normally from plants not organically grown, and they may have been treated with pesticides and herbicides. They may also be contaminated by genetically modified organisms or may carry food-based diseases.

The Heirloom Seed Exchange invites anyone to come to the St. Charles Library and “check out” a free packet of heirloom seeds for their own garden.

Heirloom seeds freely donated by these budding food farmers from St. Therese of Jesus School are among those available.

For free seeds or to donate, contact Brandon Buckley at 630/584-0076, ext. 201 at the library during regular library hours.