When we think of the most cutting-edge examples of STEM education and making, lasers, 3-D printing, and programmable robots most quickly come to mind. But as eye-catching as tech is, educators with school gardens are teaching kids how a single turnip has systems just as amazing and complex. When school and community gardens are matched with STEM learning, it’s just one more way for kids to see, feel, and smell how STEM takes root in the real world. And earthworms and onions not only provide an unmatched chance for science learning, they’re also a springboard for talking about healthy eating and rethinking where our food comes from.