Feeding the school!

[marchogaeth]

Our local authority has specifically told the cooks that they can (and should) use food grown by the children when they can. The cook in my school is really positive and she nabbed me to say she thought our broad beans were looking good and it was mixed veg today. So our 10 plants were duly stripped clean and provided at least one bean per child! My class did all the shelling - a new experience for some.

Hats off to the cook and my gardeners (who were less generous with our strawberry crop which also got eaten today - just by them.) and a nod to the LEA for giving the go ahead.

[Bren In Pots]

It does make sense if the children get to eat what they've grown

[marchogaeth]

It does make sense if the children get to eat what they've grown

I think it's even better when they feel a sense of pride in providing something for the rest of the community. Quite a few have never seen beans growing before so it made a real link for them between the plant and the plate.

[SarzWix]

That's brilliant
We were really disappointed with our kitchen staff last year when they turned down everything we offered them. The head has asked them to make the effort to integrate some of the things we grow into the menu this year. I'm hopeful that we've grown enough onions, garlic, potatoes, carrots and pumpkins to be of some use, and possibly broad beans too.

[chris]

Lovely news

One of the main reasons why I get my kids involved in sowing/harvesting/preparing veg. I've had my 10 month old and almost 3 year old sat on the kitchen floor podding broadies (though as per your cooks, not many made it into the bag to be frozen, they pretty much scoffed the lot, straight from the pods!).

I really hope the schools that mine goto do similar.

[VirginVegGrower]

At last, a school with common. I helped set up an Eco club at my children's primary, when they were there. But guess what, they weren't allowed to eat the produce. I gave up when they kept leaving stuff to rot over the holidays - parents weren't allowed in.
Aim to treble your broad bean plants then next year! You need a lot to get a decent meal!

[marchogaeth]

Thanks for the replies and likes. I will try and find out where this drive came from and post any info I find. The cook will be delighted with your praise as well. She did specifically cook the beans separately in the end so children got the exact taste. I think it must be a case of having an "in" with the authority. I got the cook to challenge having to have packed lunches wrapped with cling film when we are supposed to recycle and reuse and we are given special dispensation to have it wrapped in foil. Also, when we can, we have juice from boxes (again special arrangement) not in the little plastic pots, wherever we go we bring everything back and recycle/reuse back in school. I suppose it's a case of asking and having a good reason why you shouldn't be turned down. Every so often like (just now) someone gets all excited and messed things up (we are back in clingfilm for some reason) so we just start again.

[marchogaeth]

I talked to our cook and I can see a lot of it is down to her enthusiasm for children to eat well. However, it is case of finding out what "drives" and policies your Local authority has and then if it isn't applying them in its schools pointing this out and having a possible solution and not to give up.