Potato Lovers news
Grow Your Own Potato Day, Worth Farms 14th June 2012
Launched in 2005, Grow Your Own Potatoes (GYOP) was one of the first primary school based growing projects, and is co-ordinated by the Potato Council, a division of the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB). Since then it has become the largest of its kind with almost 1 million children signed up for 2010, and slightly more than that for 2012, learning where potatoes come from, how they grow and that potatoes are a healthy food. Its simplicity and the fact that GYOP is a hands on activity makes it perfect for young pupils.
Schools that registered to take part (in Feb) received a FREE growing kit containing everything they need to grow a successful crop.
The event was held at Worth Farms, part of QV Foods Ltd., based at Holbeach Hurn. QV Foods Ltd. has sponsored some of the potato seed given to schools in our area to plant alongside the seed potatoes supplied by the Potato Council.
There is a national prize for the school that manages to grow the heaviest weight of potatoes. This year’s first prize is an allotment makeover, including design & build and plants to get you started. For each region there will also be a prize to the school that grows the heaviest weight of potatoes. QV are sponsoring the Central region, which includes Lincolnshire, and will be donating a hand forged limited edition spade as a prize to the winning school.
Attending the Harvesting event were children from Long Sutton Primary School, and the "Eco-Warriors" from a cross-section of the various classes of Holbeach Bank Primary School. Following a nature trail around the Worth estate looking at a wheat field, a sugar beet field and finally one of our very own potato fields, the children got stuck into the main event of the day, the harvesting of the potatoes that both schools have been looking after at their schools since the growing event in March.
As you will see from a couple of sample images, the children definitely enjoyed themselves, the potato wedges at the end of the event were a huge success! Long Sutton grew 6.96 kg of potatoes, Holbeach Bank 3.07 kg of potatoes and QV Foods grew an impressive 1.1 kg of potatoes in one grow bag!
Both schools will be presented with a potting bench and some gardening equipment next week by Sophie Barnard to congratulate the amount of potatoes grown but also to show QV’s appreciation of the enthusiasm both schools showed throughout the project. We are all looking forward to next year!
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