Children from some of the poorest areas in Norfolk are being given the chance to grow fruit, veg and herbs in allotments then learn how to cook it.

Chefs come into school to teach the children how to cook the food they’re growing, which they then take home for their families to share. The children also get to run their own Farmer’s Markets in school playgrounds.

The final part of the Norfolk Food Discovery project, which is lottery-funded, is farm visits. The children are taken to visit three farms throughout the year, showing them how food is produced commercially, encouraging them to take part in farm activities.

“Many of the children we work with have appalling diets, but, even more worryingly, little hope of escaping the situations they were born into,” says Country Trust director Stewart Goldie-Morrison, who runs the scheme. “This project equips them with growing and cooking skills for life, but also raises their self-esteem and aspirations.”

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