Growers: Can you help with harvesting?

Potato Council is urging potato growers in England, Scotland and Wales to support the final stage of the 2011 Grow Your Own Potatoes project and help children unearth their school crops, as well as their excitement and taste for potatoes.

The project, which currently involves 13,000 primary schools, helps youngsters learn where potatoes come from by giving them the opportunity to grow their own crop from seed. Bringing together different elements of the curriculum with hands-on practical activity has made it a real hit in the classroom, but the involvement of industry is a high point for many pupils and teachers.

Having a grower turn up and help them turn out their bags really adds to the excitement, says Potato Councils head of marketing and corporate affairs, Caroline Evans. It also helps bring the project to life. But it neednt be a difficult task; a plastic sheet onto which they can turn out their plants and a set of scales to record the weight is really all that is needed.

Some schools may build on this and introduce the harvesting event into an assembly or cook and taste the potatoes grown, and any support growers can offer such as a simple talk about how potatoes are grown on a farm, will add to the occasion.

Harvesting takes place on Tuesday 21 June, so with just a matter of weeks to go, any grower not already in touch with their local school who would like to offer help should do so now. You can search for participating schools in your area at www.potatoesforschools.org.uk. Of course, partners, family members and others involved in the sector can lend their support too.

Stourbridge-based farmer and Potato Ambassador, Andrea Adams, has supported the project since introducing it to a local primary some years ago.

Andrea said: They loved it and incorporated growing potatoes into their healthy eating curriculum. Weve always helped with planting and harvesting, and during the last week of term the school comes to us to see how we grow and water potatoes on a bigger scale. The project gets lots of local interest and I get a real buzz knowing that we are making a positive contribution to the childrens learning and, of course, our own industry.

Supporting material is available from Potato Council for growers who are able to take on this important role. The Potatoes in school guide has been written specifically to help when presenting to children whether in or outside of the classroom, with hints, tips, advice on getting started and ideas for activities.

The Potato Council Educational Tour is also well under way. Its dedicated promotional vehicle has been making its way around the country stopping at county shows, farm days and educational events, providing children with their own seed potato to grow as well as holding fun potato-based activities and giving mums recipe ideas and nutritional advice to take away with them.

The branded vehicle will be at the Royal Highland Show (23-26 June), The Royal Norfolk Show (29-30 June) and the Great Yorkshire Show (12-14 July), and is also available for industry to use at their own events.

To request a copy of the guide, to be put in touch with a school that has requested help or for more information about Potato Council educational projects and using the promotional vehicle, please contact Sue Lawton on 02476 478 774 or email slawton@potato.org.uk.

Potato Council, supporting the British potato industry, is funded by potato growers and trade buyers and is a division of the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (www.ahdb.org.uk).

The Grow Your Own Potatoes project supports the primary school curriculum with a focus on the importance of a healthy balanced diet, where food comes from and how things grow. Visit www.potatoesforschools.org.uk.