Growing in Schools Campaign

[zazen999]

I'm posting this on behalf of a campaign to get all schools growing. It is being taken to DEFRA after the election, and is posted on behalf of The Children's Food Campaign. They need as many as possible to show the support behind the campaign.

Please click on the link [if you agree that all children should be taught to grow their own food].

Please support our campaign to get all schools to teach food growing - click on the link below to send a message to the next education secretary

Growing food in schools - Take Action

Sustain: The Alliance for Better Food and Farming
94 White Lion St
London
N1 9PF

Tel: 020 7837 1228
Web: www.sustainweb.org

[HeyWayne]

Done. Good work.

[HeyWayne]

Once submitted you get the chance to join their mailing list, but the link appears to be kaput.

[Florence Fennel]

Thanks for this Zaz. Whilst my youngest grandchildren have experience of growing food in Primary school, (which I think is limited to a tomato one year and a bean the next) I don't think there are any schemes at their comprehensives. Luckily, they can experience growing veg with me! I think it is really very important that children see where and how their food grows.

Wayne's right, the link is kaput.

[zazen999]

I just had the same thing, I'll email her!

Cheers HW.

[Bigmallly]

Done Zaz & all for a good cause.

[SarzWix]

Watching a seed germinate, and experimenting with different combinations of light/warmth/water is part of the science curriculum in primary schools these days, but IMO it doesn't go nearly far enough.
And horticulture of any sort is only offered in our local secondary school to those deemed 'not academic', ditto Home Ec/Nutrition. Not good enough! Can't see why growing stuff can't be in with the physical exercise bit, as well as academic - sciences, Enviromental Studies etc.

Done.

[Shadylane]

It's simples really, if you want kids to eat more veg - teach them to grow it

[HeyWayne]

Well, that's it, I'm voting blue.

They've just responded to the email note that 'I' sent via the link.

Well done.

[Jeanied]

Done - thanks for the link Zazen

[Bramble_killer]

Done, thanks for bringing it up Zaz

[Snadger]

Signed ,sealed and delivered.

A local school has taken a plot on our site this year so it should be interesting.
I've also been asked to set up a veg garden for another school but sadly I've had to decline through other committments.
Its good that these initiatives are getting the go ahead though!

[organic]

Thanks for the link, Zaz.
Done!

This would most definitely go down as a useful lesson provided it's not done in the same DRY way I remember Home Economics being taught.
Cooking - a subject with so much live, excitement and wonder and it was reduced to bringing in pre-weighed ingredients, putting them together and the teacher doing the trickiest bits for us.

YEARS later I found that excitement in cooking and haven't looked back.

Done well, teaching about food and growing it would be amazing (and would even go together beautifully) but done badly it would make a bad situation far, far worse.

[HeyWayne]

Thanks for the link, Zaz.
Done!

This would most definitely go down as a useful lesson provided it's not done in the same DRY way I remember Home Economics being taught.
Cooking - a subject with so much live, excitement and wonder and it was reduced to bringing in pre-weighed ingredients, putting them together and the teacher doing the trickiest bits for us.

YEARS later I found that excitement in cooking and haven't looked back.

Done well, teaching about food and growing it would be amazing (and would even go together beautifully) but done badly it would make a bad situation far, far worse.

Let's hope they read this and listen to you eh organic?

[organic]

Haha - I won't be holding my breath.

One bee in my bonnet about the link is "...tackle the twin challenges of childhood obesity and climate change", or words to that effect.

Firstly - they are not twin challenges.
Secondly - while I'm sure it's a great way to get politicians to get behind it, and while I agree that we really need to move to more local and home grown models of agriculture it always makes me roll my eyes when I see someone suggest that getting kids learning how to grow veg will somehow turn a changable climate into a stable one.