GREENSBORO - Third-grader Xanthia Gray has encouraging words for people who hesitate to dig into the soil and grow their own food.

"It's 1 percent hard but 100 percent really great," Xanthia said. "All you do is find seeds and put them in the ground where there is a lot of space."

It helps to share the work with others. On Tuesday afternoon, Xanthia and other members of Peck Elementary's garden club prepared several beds for a tour that will take place this afternoon.

Visitors will learn how students and teachers at private and public schools across the city are using vegetable and flower gardens to learn about plant science and healthful eating.

Vegetable gardening is more popular than it used to be. Many people want to reconnect with the natural world or eat fresh produce grown closer to home.