The Scoop May 2025 Edition
Planting Joy, Nourishing Connection: What Strawberries and Aging Have in Common
In this season of blooming gardens and roadside berry stands, it’s easy to forget that what we’re really growing isn’t just food—it’s connection.
In our May newsletter, dietitian Alicia Armstrong shared a touching memory of picking strawberries with her family, and now with her young daughter. It’s a simple ritual, rooted in love and care, passed down through generations. What stood out most wasn’t the fruit itself—but how it became a symbol of continuity, gratitude, and everyday joy.
This story reflects something we believe deeply at the Northeast Kingdom Council on Aging: aging isn’t about decline—it’s about depth. It’s about carrying forward traditions while planting seeds for something new. Whether you’re freezing berries for the winter, helping a neighbor tend their garden, or savoring a single strawberry on a little plate with your grandchild, you’re doing something powerful. You’re nurturing more than nourishment. You’re keeping a sense of home and connection alive.
During Older Americans Month, we’re reminded to “Flip the Script on Aging.” That doesn’t require a big speech or dramatic act. Sometimes, it looks like helping an older neighbor safely stay in their home. Sometimes, it looks like letting a child take the first strawberry from the garden and watching their eyes light up. Sometimes, it’s choosing to treat aging not as a burden—but as a beautiful, essential part of life’s rhythm.
We know rural life in the Northeast Kingdom comes with challenges—distance, transportation, limited access to care—but it also comes with deep roots. And roots, as every gardener knows, are where strength begins.
So this May, let’s celebrate aging the way we celebrate spring: with hope, with action, and with care.
Pick something. Plant something. Share something.
Flip the script. Grow connection.
