Win a school veg garden

An online competition has been launched which will give 100 schools a starter kit to help them establish a fruit and vegetable growing garden in their grounds. The competition is part of Dorset Cereal's Edible Playgrounds scheme, which FCFCG helped to consult on. The kits, worth over £300, include everything a school will need to start an Edible Playground garden, including two wooden raised beds, seeds, trowels, cookery book and even an apple tree. The competition to win the kits is free to enter, open to all UK schools and the deadline for entries is October 31st 2008. For more information go to www.edibleplaygrounds.co.uk

The Edible Playgrounds website, launched earlier this year, helps children, teachers and parents to grow, cook and eat their own food.  Schools can access  monthly newsletters, advice and inspiration on how to start a veggie garden, how it connects with the curriculum, what to plant, how to encourage children to help, when to harvest and what to cook with the fresh produce. 

There are also photos of existing projects, blogs, downloadable lesson plans for teachers, and discounts on plants, seeds and gardening equipment to help schools create and develop their very own Edible Playground.

“We are really inspired by the positive response we have had to our Edible Playgrounds project and the feedback from children, parents and teachers has been amazing.  The link between growing your own food at school and learning to cook with the produce will hopefully be a valuable life lesson for children across the UK.  Dorset Cereals aim is to get every school in the country growing an Edible Playground in their grounds over the next three years,” said company spokesman Patrick Horton.