This morning I headed out to Rathfarnham on the south side of Dublin to visit a school where Innocent smoothies and GIY Ireland were launching a brand new campaign to get school kids growing their own veggies, Sow & Grow. After a few years growing my own veggies, I’m a complete convert and a big believer that anyone can give it a go. It’s one of those incredibly rewarding activities and if you are a food lover it’s the obvious hobby to add to your to do list. After a few mishaps, my theory is always to grow things you want to eat and things which grow quickly. Peas, salad leaves, potatoes, cabbages, and strawberries are fail safe in my books and now is definitely the time to get sowing.
The school I visited had a great little veg patch beside the playground, where each class had their very own bed which they rotate every year. Some of the kids who were part of the photoshoot told me that they have even got to cook some of the potatoes they grew last year. How cool is that! It’s great to see kids making the connection between where food comes from and how it ends up on our plates. Any school in Ireland who wants to sign up to the campaign can do so by signing up to the website www.innocentdrinks.ie/sow&grow and they will be sent out packs of seeds and lesson plans to get help get kids growing this year. Every class who takes the pledge to get growing will be in the running to win a chance to come along to the BLOOM festival in June and a trip to the zoo! Very exciting altogether, especially the zoo part, I haven’t been in years, I may just take this pledge myself…. For now I’m feeling completely guilty I haven’t sown anything in my garden just yet… I still have some kale and rocket knocking around but I think I’ll tackle it this weekend! What are you planning on growing this year?
