NOTE: If you are short on time, watch the video and complete this bell ringer activity: What did you notice? What did the story make you think about? What would you want to learn more about?
SUMMARY
A family farm in Oregon is unlike most here in the U.S. Sandeep Pillai of our journalism training program, PBS News Student Reporting Labs, spoke with the farm's owners about the connection between their South Asian heritage and the crops they grow.
View the transcript of the story.
News alternative: Check out recent segments from the NewsHour, and choose the story you’re most interested in watching. You can make a Google doc copy of discussion questions that work for any of the stories here.
WARM-UP QUESTIONS
- Where is the family's farm located?
- What is the name of the market garden that the family owns?
- Why did this family decide to grow vegetables that are different from what most people are growing?
- Who is Aanandhi Ganesh?
- How does this family use their vegetables to spread and embrace their Indian culture and heritage?
FOCUS QUESTIONS
- When Lakshmi Tata spoke of "the power seed," what deeper meaning was she pointing to beyond simply putting seeds in the ground?
- Lakshmi Tata mentions the importance of getting children involved. What role do children and the younger generation play in preserving and sharing cultural traditions? How can involving children in activities like planting, cooking, storytelling and creating music help them connect with their heritage and strengthen community bonds?
Media literacy: Who else do you think could have been interviewed to help provide a fuller picture of the farm's impact on the community?
WHAT STUDENTS CAN DO
Write about one meaningful family practice or valued family custom — this could be a special dish, a song, a dance, a celebration or any custom important to you and your family. Then, pair up with another student or form small groups to share stories with at least two classmates. What are some of the connections between your family traditions?
You can also watch the video below to learn more about how the younger generation is working to preserve their culture by reviving a disappearing Indigenous language in rural Alaska.
Written by Brooke Ingemi, PBS News Hour Classroom's intern and senior at Amherst College, and News Hour's Vic Pasquantonio.
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