Tag: grow

Congratulations! ‘Grow’ book prize draw winners

FGSL Competition - Grow book prizes by Ben RaskinDuring February Food Growing Schools: London (FGSL) teamed up with Author Ben Raskin and Leaping Hare Press to launch an exciting prize draw. For London schools to win ‘Grow’, a fantastic new illustrated book helping children to get inspired to grow food. We received a huge number of entries from primary schools all across London, with many sharing their exciting plans to grow food with students this year.

Announcing the ‘Grow’ book winners
Congratulations to the following schools who won ‘Grow’ the book:

  • St Leonards Church of England School, Lambeth
  • Linton Mead primary School, Greenwich
  • Cranford Primary School, Hounslow
  • Stoneydown Park Primary School, Waltham Forest
  • Streatham Wells Primary School, Lambeth
  • Akiva School, Barnet
  • Reay Primary School, Lambeth
  • Gilbert Colvin, Redbridge
  • Marner Primary School, Tower Hamlets

Three lucky schools were also picked to receive ‘Grow’, and a visit from the Author Ben Raskin to bring the activities in the book alive. Congratulations to you too. We will be in touch soon to arrange a time to visit your school:

  • St Joseph’s Primary School, Wandsworth
  • King Athelstan Primary, Kingston Upon Thames
  • Abbotsfield School, Hillingdon

We were particularly excited to hear lots of exciting plans to grow food in your schools this year, including:

” We are starting the Edible playgrounds project in February, so we are expecting the whole school to be involved in growing.  We will be including parents and making sure that all classes are using the garden for lessons across the curriculum.”

” In Year 3  [we will be growing] pumpkins to look at how feeding the soil helps hungry plants, in Year 4 herbs to support learning about the Romans, peppers in Year 5 to learn about the Americas and in Year 6 [growing] tomatoes and cucumber to make Israeli salads! “

First one hundred schools – win a ‘Grow’ activity pack
If you were quick off the mark you may be one of the first 100 schools to enter who have won an exclusive, limited-edition ‘Grow’ activity pack. Keep an eye out for one winging its way to your school. It includes games such as Worms and Ladders, Compost Bingo, seeds and stickers! Fingers crossed!

There are lots of competitions, offers and funds available to help schools grow food this Spring. Find out more here – good luck: Competitions

FGSL support and inspiration to grow
We hope that our ‘Grow’ book competition has inspired your primary school to grow food. If you are looking for help or ideas to get started FGSL can help. We provide the following support and more:

  • Join Spring into Growing 2017 – Plan it. Build it. Grow it!
  • Free school food growing activity packs and learning resources
  • Training and events
  • Advice from dedicated School Engagement Officers
  • Support from six expert partner organisations

Find out how FGSL can help your school here: Support to grow

Happy growing this Spring!

Lessons in Loaf: London launched

Photo: Real Bread Campaign
Photo: Real Bread Campaign

The Real Bread Campaign, run by our friends at Sustain, have teamed up with Grow Your Own Playground to guide schoolchildren across the capital on a year-long journey from seed to sandwich.

The hands-on project sees school food growing expert Cassie Liversidge visit each school to share with classes of up to 60 pupils the fact that Real Bread starts life in a field, not a factory.

During the exciting educational experience, pupils roll up their sleeves to plant wheat in winter or spring; nurture it until harvest time; then gather, thresh, winnow and mill the grain into flour. The culmination is a baking day, when each child makes a loaf to take home to share with their family.

The full programme has four stages:

  • Build: Construction of a solid wood planter that will last for years to come.
  • Sow: Children prepare the seed bed and plant the wheat seeds, learning how to care for it.
  • Grow and Harvest: Grow Your Own Playground makes two visits to check how the wheat is growing and harvest the crop in the late summer or early autumn.
  • Bake: A fun and informative Real Bread making day, when children get to mill their wheat and bake a loaf to take home.

Maria Lewington, headteacher at John Scurr Primary School said: “We so look forward to our Lessons in Loaf. The baking day is full of meaningful and collaborative learning. Every part of the curriculum is alive throughout the day and every child receives an experience that will stay with them for the rest of their lives.”

The project partners, along with the Worshipful Company of Bakers, work to find an expert baker local to the school to join in with the baking day, allowing children to learn about the profession, and the school to build community business links.

The Real Bread Campaign would be keen to hear from anyone who can help fund their work on the project, or sponsor schools to participate.

London school teachers, governors and gardeners can express their interest in the project at:

www.lessonsinloaf.org

Notes

Lessons in Loaf: London is a collaboration between the Real Bread Campaign (which launched Lessons in Loaf nationally in 2010 and Bake Your Lawn a year later) and Cassie Liversidge, who has been helping London schools to grow wheat to bake into bread since 2010 as part of Grow Your Own Playground. Cassie’s work on the project is sponsored by the Worshipful Company of Bakers.

The Real Bread Campaign is part of the food and farming charity Sustain, which also runs London Food Link and its Capital Growth network of community food growing spaces.

Lessons in Loaf is a trademark of Sustain.

Options

Lessons In Loaf: London offers the choice of three packages, each for up to 60 pupils, tailored to a school’s specific needs:

Package 1:  The full Build, Sow, Grow and harvest, and Bake programme outlined above. Cost: £2,254.99

Package 2: The Sow, Grow and Harvest, and Bake programme outlined above. (Suitable if the wheat can be planted into an existing bed with new compost added no planter building is required) Cost £2,040.00

Taster: If a school registers too late to plant the wheat, they can try the Bake day to whet their appetite and do the whole package the following academic year. Cost £1,020.00

Consultation:  If there is any doubt that this project will be possible at a particular school, Grow Your Own Playground can offer a consultation visit. A professional gardener will visit your school, talk through the whole project and discuss the best location within the school grounds for the wheat to grow. Cost: £150.00