Weed, Weeding, Weeds

I fail to remember when I first encountered the word "Weed". I am sure it was somewhere in my science class in primary school when we were first introduced to plants. 

I remember that through my years in primary and secondary school, weeds were the problem farmers did their best to eliminate. They were not something desired or wanted. 

Fast forward to November 2022. I had started a great job as a garden educator. This job gave me the opportunity to meet with children of different backgrounds and teach them about gardening. 

On this day of classes, I had a second-grade class come to the garden for their lessons. The topic of the day was, you guessed it, weeds! 

This is a moment I will never forget. Pardon me as I tell this portion with as many details as I can remember. About 10 kids sat around the garden bed on their knee pads. Some were excited to be outdoors, but some were distracted by a bug or a butterfly. I began to ask them who had heard of the word weed or weeding. In a few seconds, I had a few hands went up. 

I decided to call a young boy to answer, and he said (paraphrased) that is the thing they smoke. I was so surprised I didn't know how to respond immediately. I never expected that a young boy's first encounter with the word weed would be something that older people smoke. 

The moment marked me and probably always will as I build a food and agricultural sustainability career. 

How do we undo this damage? How can our children have a healthier relationship with their environment, grown food, and what they eat? 

What was your first encounter with the words weed or weeding? 

Tell me about it, please. 

Happy Gardening!