Where Does Our Food Come From?

Whenever you sit down to enjoy a delicious meal, chances are that you don’t give the food on your plate too much thought – other than how good it tastes!

Did you know, however, that every piece of food on your plate has been on an amazing journey, and that there are plenty of people who helped along the way! Read on to find out just where your food comes from, and trace the journey from seed to plate!

How It All Begins

All of your food starts life as a tiny seed – just like the ones you may have planted on Earth Day! These can get started in three main ways:

• They are planted in fields by farmers
• They are blown on the wind from other plants
• They are carried by birds and animals, until they fall off and settle into the Earth

Once the seeds are buried in the soil, something amazing happens: they begin to grow into something brand new! They do need help, however, and sunlight and water are all plants very best friends.

How Do They Grow?

So just how does that tiny seed turn into a delicious crunchy carrot? The process is actually pretty simple…

• Inside each seed is an embryo, or a baby plant. This is a group of cells, and contains the stem, roots, and very first leaves of the adult plant!

• When water is added, the next stage of the process begins: this is called germination. The roots push down through the soil, to help make sure that the new plant can access plenty of water.

• The seeds contains some energy already inside it which lets the leaves grow up and out.

• Unlike human beings, who breathe in oxygen and breathe out carbon dioxide, plants do the opposite. They take in carbon dioxide, a gas from the air, and use this as their food source – just like you use tasty fruits and veggies! This process is known as photosynthesis.

• The plant can then use this energy to grow big and strong, until it is ready to pick and eat!

• Farmers then work hard to pick all of the plants, and they are sent to your local shop ready to be prepared and enjoyed.