Get Growing in schools and colleges

Get Growing in schools and colleges

Funded through Better Organic Business Links (BOBL), an Organic Centre Wales project which has received funding through the Rural Development Plan for Wales 2007-2013 which is funded by the Welsh Government and the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development.

c Why get growing? Growing is not only fun and good for you physically and mentally, but it enriches school and college life generally. Pupils and students get to learn new skills and put elements of the curriculum into practice, as well as experiencing a field that could become a lifetime passion or even a career Teachers and tutors get a new way to teach the curriculum through engaging activities, as well as creating a resource that can support outreach, fundraising and community engagement. Gardening improves mental and physical health and is a low-impact alternative to sports - recent studies have even found that the microbes in dirt lift your mood and boost your immune system as well as helping keep hearts healthy. A garden can provide a focal point for other members of the community to get involved in school life. A rich and varied garden provides an excellent habitat for many creatures and improves biodiversity. This helps the environment and brightens the grounds! Great Gardens I... The Lush & Lleol project at Ysgol-y-Dderi Primary School, Ceredigion, takes gardening to the next level with the only certified organic school garden in Wales, selling produce and herbal ointments to the public. Please visit their website: http://prif82. wix.com/lushandlleol Top Tip - Having a website, Facebook page or blog not only gives you a chance to record and show off your hard work, but also improves your IT skills whilst linking with supporters and volunteers! Get growing - starting the conversation: Eco-Schools / Student Forum / Healthy Schools / School Councils - Do a survey of what exists already and talk to people in the school - what would everyone like and what is possible? Make a map of the grounds and fill it in! Teachers - Identify land that could be used or projects that could be started or finished. Also, think about what expertise exists in the local area: parents, producers, farmers, growers and allotment societies may all be able to help.

d Things to think about: There is a lot to consider, but nothing should be seen as a barrier - think of this as a list of opportunities to grow your skills, improve the grounds and engage with the local community. Site - Use what you ve got and be creative. A lack of green space does not mean nowhere to grow - think windowsills, planters in playgrounds, greenhouses, or courtyards... Local expertise - Many producers might be glad of the opportunity to attend a farmers market at school or other events and this could lead to farm visits, work experience for pupils or students, careers talks, etc. Volunteers - parents, grandparents and local groups such as allotment societies might be happy to come in once a week or so to lead groups. A word to the wise... Garden Organic and OCW have produced a checklist for schools and colleges to distribute to volunteers - this outlines some of the main considerations and benefits both for the volunteer and for the school or college. This, along with case studies and other resources, is available at: www.organiccentrewales.org.uk Growing seasons - Schools and colleges are shut during the most productive growing season but think about short-season crops that will be rea dy before the holidays, such as leafy greens or early potatoes. If you have willing volunteers the summer isn t a barrier of course, and the garden can produce crops through the season with maincrop potatoes ready for the new school term. Top tip - Organisations such as Garden Organic, the Royal Horticultural Society and the National Botanic Garden of Wales have poster planners and online advice on what plants to grow and when... Great Gardens II... Bishop Vaughan Catholic School, a secondary school in Swansea, used an awkward courtyard space to grow a range of herbs and turned a bare patch of field into an orchard with a number of fruit trees. The courtyard was an especially challenging space but one they were keen to use so they introduced herbs - a high value crop - and a simple, timed watering system to keep plants healthy throughout the summer holidays. As extra benefits, a number of professionals come in to deliver training and career seminars to pupils, and students used it for a Welsh Baccalaureate enterprise project. Top Tip - Engaging pupils in the process from the planning stages opens possibilities for both interesting school projects and careers discussions.

e Get growing... Quick wins Sometimes the best thing to do is just to get started and test the water - no point longing for a 1,000 polytunnel and state-of-the-art watering system before you ve even picked your first tomato! A great way to boost enthusiasm in the early stages is simply to get growing. Quick Wins are growing projects that are easy to set up and show results quickly - growing cress is one example most schools are familiar with. You will find many more ideas on the websites listed at the end, or on YouTube. Top tip - Register with the RHS Campaign for School Gardening for a free starter pack, access to online resources and more... Also, see YouTube for Alan Titchmarsh s Summer Garden - Four Great Plants to Grow with Kids Get growing - planting and other activities Decide on what to grow, get digging, get planting, ask parents for plant donations, think about a bug hotel to improve biodiversity, build some raised beds if you can (or try car tyres for cheap small beds), start a compost heap, link raised beds with stepping stones, have an open day, record your work on your website and in the local paper, visit an allotment, get picking, organise a celebratory feast with your produce, and get eating! Great Gardens III... Catering students at Coleg Ceredigion in Aberystwyth use a lot of salad, veg and herbs when cooking! Enabling them to grow their own and pick fresh as and when they re needed means that not only will they develop a better understanding and knowledge of their ingredients, but they may find further career possibilities in the future. The gardens have also been useful in engaging the Vocational Access Group and have improved the college site. The herbs played a central role in a pop-up cookery event and end of term celebration when they featured on pizzas cooked by catering students for fellow students, staff, parents and visitors. Top tip - Showcasing your hard work on open days and events will not only engage the wider community but also opens opportunities for knowledge exchange and pupil / student entrepreneurship. Top Tip - approach organisations such as Eco-Schools for help with how to go about incorporating gardening into school life, and for free online training courses go to www.growingthefuture.co.uk

f And finally... We wish you all the best in your gardening journey - whether you are new to it, a grower of a few tomatoes or producers of a farmers market s worth of vegetables every week! Enjoy it and try and allow it the space to breathe - it s a slow and steady journey with ups and downs but a really worthwhile undertaking for many reasons. There s so much that can be done, so many activities and ways to Get Gardening that this booklet is just a start. There are many more ideas and organisations out there so keep creating, striving and of course gardening and you shall reap what you sow! Useful organisations and websites: Organic Centre Wales - www.boblproject.org.uk Eco Schools - www.eco-schools.org Federation of City Farms and Community Gardens - www.farmgarden.org.uk/farms-gardens/yourregion/wales Garden Organic - www.gardenorganic.org.uk Growing the Future - www.growingthefuture.co.uk Healthy Schools - www.publichealthwales.org/ healthyschools Lantra - www.lantra.co.uk/nations/lantra-wales-en. aspx Mid Wales Food and Land Trust - midwalesfoodandlandtrust.org.uk Morrisons - your.morrisons.com/lifestyle/letsgrow Royal Horticultural Society - schoolgardening.rhs. org.uk Waitrose - www.johnlewispartnership.co.uk/csr/ourcommunities/inspiring-young-people.html Rheinallt Williams of Keep Wales Tidy says: Gardening takes the learning experience outside the classroom and helps develop more responsible attitudes and commitment towards food and food sources. That is why we promote it through Eco Schools. It raises confidence levels, motivation, awareness, skill levels and knowledge. It provides young people with opportunities to lead the way and the combination of learning and actions make it an ideal way for schools to embark on a meaningful path to improving their school grounds. i BBC (2007) Dirt exposure boosts happiness, http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/6509781.stm [accessed 18/05/15] citing Lowry et al (2007) Identification of an immune-responsive mesolimbocortical serotonergic system: potential role in regulation of emotional behaviour, Neuroscience, 146, pp. 756-72. ii Ekblom-Bak, E., Ekblom, B., Vikström, M., de Faire, U. & Hellénius, M. (2014) The importance of non-exercise physical activity for cardiovascular health and longevity, British Journal of Sports Medicine, 48, pp. 233-8.