Organic News
School garden sweeps organic first prize at agricultural show
Scoil Naomh Molaise pupils in Grange, Co. Sligo have been tending their vegetable garden in the grounds of the local parish priest's house for almost two years. This year their mid-summer harvest yielded enough produce to hand out free herbs and salad bags to visitors from their information stall at the North Sligo Agricultural Show. They were delighted to hear they won First Prize in the Tray of Organic Vegetables category, and a healthy Second Prize for their juicy legumes in the Three Pods of Peas competition.
The garden was set up with funds from the Department of the Environment at Sligo County Council, in partnership with The Organic Centre, Rossinver. The students, supported by organic gardener Ciara Barrett, and the parents and staff of the school, have created a thriving growing site with ten raised beds brimming with peas, beans, swiss chard, spinach, broccoli, potatoes, garlic, onions, leeks, turnip and swede, carrots, beetroot, cabbage, strawberries, herbs and sunflowers. HSE funds have enabled the school to work on creating a website about organic gardening in schools which will be completed in 2009.
There are already dozens of kitchen gardens being set up in schools around Ireland as part of a growing community food movement, and many more reportedly emerging out of Agri-Aware's 'Meet The Spuds' potato growing challenge, launched as part of the International Year of The Potato. Community gardening brings together local residents - or school children - on a regular basis to grow their own food in a shared space. Participants learn about sowing, growing, harvesting and eating food. Many projects have a dedicated gardener, and some use cookery classes to demonstrate how to use the produce.
To find out more about Community Food and school projects in Ireland visit www.healthyfoodforall.com and www.theorganiccentre.ie. The Grange school website will be ready next year and look out for the new Bord Bia DVD on setting a garden in your school - also due out in 2009.
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