More than 806,000 youngsters aged four to 16 in England are set to learn vital lessons about food through ‘growing their own’ - due to a new resource for schools as part of the Food for Life Partnership.

In the next two years, The Food Growing Manual, written by Garden Organic and funded by the Big Lottery, will help 3,600 schools and just under one million pupils expand their gardening activities into growing food. The newly devised, free resource for infant, primary and secondary schools forms a major part of a project already transforming school food culture - the Food for Life Partnership (FFLP).

The manual uses practical activities to teach pupils about sowing, growing, nurturing and harvesting their own fruit and veg, helping them gain an appreciation of the full life cycle of food. It is hoped that this fantastic new resource will inspire more schools to take part in the groundbreaking project.

The resource, which comprises 100 growing instruction cards for fruit, vegetables, edible flowers, herbs and green manures, six activity posters exploring edible plant parts, seeds, harvesting, making compost, and pests and diseases, accompanied by a DVD and guidance manual, will enable schools to successfully develop their own gardens and produce edible crops for children, parents and teachers to enjoy.

FFLP manager at Garden Organic, Colette Bond, said: “Teaching children to grow food puts them in touch with the land, familiarises them with the seasons and encourages healthier eating. On a wider level it also engages them with the food supply and helps them understand that food isn’t instant or ‘fast’, but that it takes time, energy and nurture to produce something edible.

“The ‘grow your own’ revolution of recent years has led to many more schools developing their grounds into allotments and vegetable plots and tying this activity in with curriculum targets. However, making this a success can be difficult without the right information and resources, which is why we developed The Food Growing Manual based on the experiences of our Garden Education Officers, who already assist schools with developing their gardens through the Food for Life Partnership.

“Not every school can benefit from the hands-on support of a gardening expert, but this resource will give 3,600 schools the answers to inevitable questions by covering everything from what to sow, to how to deal with pests and diseases, to when to harvest produce.”

The Food for Life Partnership, led by the Soil Association, aims to reconnect young people with growing, cooking, eating and appreciating climate-friendly, healthy and real food.

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