Anna Davidson, 33, and John Huschle, 38, are only part-time city parents at their Capitol Hill home. During the growing season, they take Eden, 2 ½, out to their organic farm's yurt in Carnation, while prepping produce for markets and home delivery.

We talk to Anna Davidson about raising a kid in two worlds, encouraging kids to eat their veggies and where farmers go to eat out.

Q: Is it hard for Eden to transition between city and country?

A:  She feels at ease in both places. On the farm, she runs free, hangs out with everyone who works there, and picks whatever she feels like in the field, she loves the natural world. In the city, she sees friends, spends time playing at home, and enjoys art.

 

Q: So, does Eden like vegetables a lot?

A: She LOVES vegetables, they're her favorite food. She's the only child I've seen eat onions raw. We love them too -- munching on vegetables is an everyday joy.  I started her on pureed spinach from the garden right from infancy. We didn't do a lot of fruits, just vegetables, whatever was in season. When she was 18 months old, I was picking squash. I looked behind me, and noticed that she'd taken one bite out of every squash I'd picked.

 

Q: How would you encourage a veggie-hater to try some of the green stuff?

A: Don't overcook them, offer them in different ways at different times of day. Take a child out to a farm to see how food is grown, or order a box straight from the farm, so that they can see carrots with the green stems still attached. It gives a story and context for food: "That's Farmer John's green beans that he grew and picked just for us," or "Remember when we were on the farm and saw broccoli growing and you picked some? This is the same kind of broccoli."

 

Q: What do you like to do with Eden in the city?

A: She loves art, so we walk down to the Seattle Art Museum or see friends' art shows. I'm a photographer, so we visit my friends' photography shows at galleries. We have memberships to the Seattle Aquarium and the Woodland Park Zoo. We also go for hikes through the Arboretum, splash at Volunteer Park, visit Madison Park and hang out with friends.

 

Q. Where do farmers eat out with kids?

A: Well, we mostly cook at home. When we do go out, we like to try different places -- mostly ethnic foods -- sometimes we go to Vios or to Chinoise. She loves veggie rolls and edamame, and it's pretty kid-friendly there. But she peels the tempura batter off, to get to the veggies.

Would you like to nominate another notable Seattle family? Contact Lora at littlekidsbigcity@nwsource.com. See previous family profiles.

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