Advice please - school eco group & growing edibles

Maria · Advice please - school eco group & growing edibles

As soon as the kids go back to school I'm joining the school eco group, with a view to growing as many edibles as poss. It's something that I'm very passionate about, and as I'm free during the day I think it's about time I pulled my finger out and did something! Although I imagine it will have to start small I LOVE the idea of kids learning about growing food - and in time, growing enough to supply the school kitchen.

I know from past posts that some of you grow at your school. Or know of folks who do. Maybe others have heard of projects where the food has got into the curriculum and then into the kitchen?

It would be great to hear from you. No point re-inventing the wheel. Would also be great to know of any funding, freebies, networks etc.

bracken · eco schools

Hi Maria,

here is a link http://www.aberdeenshire.gov.uk/energy/schools/eco.asp to the aberdeenshire Council's Eco Schools project. There is a £250 grant available.
Rosehearty Primary school won the coveted Green Flag this year. It's just not gardening that they won the flag for - they do all sorts of other recycling/environment things too.
They have a few raised beds and fruit trees in tubs. A local soft fruit farm donates raspberry plants each year that are grown in the foyer. All the fruit and veg grown is made available in school meals and in the 'tuck shop'. They grow carrots, spring onions, onions from sets, flowers, sunflower competitions - really easy stuff....
From experience I would advise not to go in with ideas of ploughing up the football pitches and growing enough food to support the village - just have a few raised beds - think about who will do the watering etc in the holidays. You'll probably find a lot of people who want to help out initially but then enthusiasm fizzles out and you are left with an overgrown garden and spoiled food.
Most kids (even in a rural village) don't really make the connection with the food on their plate and things growing in the ground so it makes sense not to overload them with gardening.
Rosehearty is fortunate to have a community library in it's building - the staff there work with the school and provide lots of learning experiences - displays, books, stories etc.
Anyway, hope this helps!!!

Maria

Wonderful - thank you Bracken. The school may well be part of the project, and if so I'll know where they're up to, if not I'll introduce it.

Yes, agree about digging up the school - might scare the bejeebers out of them, and could well be a lot to look after. It will have to start small....but....i'm sure I've heard of a few schools who have built up to bigger things?

dizzyblond

does Hugh Fernely Whittingstall have any useful tips on his site, or maybe even gardeners world site. When i was at school we had a cottage garden for the kids who were not great mixers etc and that was years ago. You could email HFW with questions - I bet they could help - good luck and keep us posted.

Lord_Azrael

I don't have kids myself, but am really supportive of the idea of teaching kids to grow food at school.

It's great that this is happening more all over the place now and I only wish we'd had the chance when I was at school!

Good luck to you with the project.

Smooth Hound

mines on wee blether

Maria

Went to my first Eco-schools meeting today as the new parent member of the group. It was wonderful chatting to the P6 children who volunteer for the schools 'clean and green' group. I asked the children whether they/or their family, grew anything edible at home. Almost half of the hands went up (from a group of 19), it was great hearing them talk of everything from tatties to cucumbers.

I'll be going next week to have a tour of the school with a few of the group so we can decide where to start. They have a greenhouse which is almost finished...and some equipment already.

Next stop signing the school up to the RHS growing schools and a search extra funding to get us going.

Julie

Are you looking for ideas?
If so, I was just going to suggest that you try to select quick growing things amongst the stuff you decide to grow so that the kids can see some fast results.
It is useful in other ways too as a row of radishes, for instance, can mark the position of a row of something which is slower to germinate. It makes it easier to weed without pulling up seedlings.
Companion planting and attracting beneficial insects is good too, and might offer the teachers some scope for a biology lesson or two.
Interestingly shaped beds - basic geometric shapes bring maths into the equasion (pardon the pun) and art and design too. It would be something the kids could decide for themselves and vote for. They could design the groundplan for the whole site upfront.
The more it interacts with their other subjects the more involved they become.

Stonehead

It was nothing official, but I gave our school's nursery class a couple of tomato plants to grow on a windowsill and did a pictorial instruction set on how to care for it. I don't what they fed them, but the tomatoes were bigger than my fist—and bigger than the ones I grow at home.

They have a nature garden and grew potatoes as well this year.

Maria

Thanks for the idea's folks - be great to hear more, if you think of anything else that might help us on the way.

Made another visit to school today. Not the best day to choose but the eco group didn't seem to mind at all! I took photo's whilst they gave me the grand tour. They seem to have decided (at least the 6 pupils and teacher that showed me around) that they would like the works! Fruit/Veg/Herbs/Pond/Meadow and a real outdoor classroom. It's just lovely to work with them. They know the school grounds so well as P6's, and are really keen to get involved.

The time dashed by with heaps of questions, ideas and info from the group. Think I need another couple of visits (without keen lil uns'), to know it better. Mmm, and some time to mull over how best to give them the info on what's grows best where, without overwhelming them or taking over....as I'm every bit as enthusiastic as they are.

Can't wait to see what their 'ideal' school growing grounds will look like.....and get started on the first lil' bit of it.

mastercomposter · Don't forget your free compost bins

Hi,

WRAP allow schools to claim two compost bins and 5 caddies for free. You need to say that the order is for a school, give the head teachers name and postcode.

Just a thought - if you are growing so much, it may produce a good bit of green waste.

You can still get green cones from Aberdeenshire Council for £10 as well, as another option for waste reduction.

Cheers

Master Composter (Chris)

Maria

Update

Things are going swingingly at school with the 'clean and green group'.Im just back, and delighted with the enthusiasm that they show towards all things 'green' So far it looks a bit like this...

* working with P6 & 7 classes each friday for 1 hour
* 3 parents have offered their help
* Pupils have identified where and what they want to grow (everything

)
* The greenhouse is finally up
* Pupils have brought in reycled containers
* Some brought in seeds
* Today they made a list of all resources in the gardening shed
* In the greenhouse we sowed pea's, toms (3 types) marigolds and rhubarb.
* Been offered support by Thistle Mill Nursury in april (perhaps a few strawb plant and a fruit tree? Bout time I introduced Alison to Neeps so she knows what I'm saying about her

)

...now we need to spread the word and ask for community help....those rhubarb, pea's ect will need a new home soon. We also need to think about how things will be cared for especially over summer...and so much more. Can you tell I'm enjoying it lol? I just love spring...it was a glorious day today. I don't know who enjoyed it more, the kids or me?

As always...if you have any ideas...or even better, live Huntly-ish and want to get involved, please let me know.

Maria

The school has an allotment now! Woo-hoo and cartwheels.

Smooth Hound

thats super cool

Maidenstone

Recycled containers - great!

Maria

Julie wrote

Maidenstone

This is REAL education, Maria. Well done!! I'm sure you are considering biodiversity - I saw a great thing made out of pallets in Permaculture mag to provide habitat for insects and small mammals - I could PM you a picture, if you haven't already thought of that.

Grampian Real Nappy

Thought I would let you know what my son's school do. They have an eco-garden (which was officially opened last Summer). They sell their own grown vege's from time to time. They have an eco-comittee of pupils and generally seem to be very eco friendly.

Hope this helps (its Hill of Banchory!)

thanks

Vicky

Advice please - school eco group & growing edibles

eco schools

Don't forget your free compost bins