Northern Irish students urged to Sow, Grow, Munch
Fresh food enthusiast Jilly Dougan has launched an innovative workbook to encourage schools and pupils in Northern Ireland to grow and
cook more of their own food.
Mrs Dougan, who runs Jilly Dougan's Edible Gardens, a business that has been assisting hotels, restaurants and businesses to grow herbs and edible flowers, has written Sow, Grow, Munch, a richly
illustrated food guide for schools.
Based in Portadown, county Armagh, Mrs Dougan, who has vast
experience in food production and marketing including the
development of dry-cured pork products, has used her knowledge of
the industry and expertise in the production of the innovative
workbook designed to stimulate youngsters to grow and cook their ownfood using ingredients they've planted, nurtured and harvested
themselves.
It's also a timely production in line with the current Year of Food and Drink campaign in Northern Ireland that's highlighting local
producers and also with the work of the Education for Sustainable
Development Forum.
Local food companies such as Irwin's Bakery, Yellow Door and Forest Feast are backing her initiative. Food NI, the Ulster Farmers Union,the Northern Ireland Potato Marketing Group and the Armagh,
Banbridge and Craigavon Council are also on board. She's been
encouraged too by the Belfast Food Network and the Food in Schools
Forum. Hastings Group is using the book to support its work with sixlocal schools as part of Year of Food and Drink.
What motivated Mrs Dougan, wife of leading Northern Irish chef SimonDougan, to put pen to paper was research showing "a generational
disconnect from real food, how it is produced, where it comes from
and how to take raw ingredients and make very simple dishes from
them".
Both inner city and, perhaps surprisingly, rural school children have very little food knowledge, according to Mrs Dougan.
She explains: "The aim of the workbook is to get more children
growing and enjoying their own home-grown produce. The book is the
result of almost a year's research and drafting. It covers the
contribution of food and drink to the economy and the products grownhere. I also made sure that the recipes were simple, and used local and store cupboard ingredients which can mostly be bought in a
corner shop, and are cheap.
"We owe it to our children to at least inform them in simple terms
where their food comes from, who produces it, how it is produced andgive them enough knowledge to shape their food choices for life. A
healthy lifestyle is all about balance. We should show them that notall food comes from a supermarket, over packaged or overly
processed. It's natural for root vegetables to have soil on them,
milk comes from cows that should eat lovely green grass, eggs come
from chickens, meat comes from animals, and the cooker in your houseis not just for reheating stuff, neither is the cooker or stove something that needs to be laboured over for hours!"
Mrs Dougan continues "cooking from scratch simply and quickly with
raw ingredients and minimum effort can be very empowering for both
parents and children. It can also save a lot of money".
She points to recent research showing that growing food at school
"promotes health and well-being, particularly in relation to diet
and nutrition, but also encourages and facilitates learning, builds skills, improves awareness and understanding of the natural
environment and its importance to us, supports school improvement
and strengthens communities".
"Growing food in school equips youngsters with greater knowledge of the natural world, such as biodiversity, ecosystems and
sustainability, as well as an understanding of their impact on the
environment and their role as environmental stewards. It encourages environmental responsibility," she adds.
The guide, she continues, is not intended to be a comprehensive
book, but "a brief overview of what can be done to establish food
growing in any school".
"It is a monthly growing guide, along with basic nutritional
information on some common and easy to grow fruit and vegetables. Itfeatures recipes for simple food which can be prepared and cooked ina classroom with raw ingredients the children have grown themselves.The simple dishes which could also be cooked at home with parents."
There's a section on where food comes from, why agriculture is vitally important to any country, especially Northern Ireland, and how
buying local supports a whole host of other businesses.
What encouraged her to set up Jilly Dougan Edible Gardens, her own
business, was a recognition that huge opportunities were developing from the demand for fresh, nutritious, wholesome and safe food with provenance.
cook more of their own food.
Mrs Dougan, who runs Jilly Dougan's Edible Gardens, a business that has been assisting hotels, restaurants and businesses to grow herbs and edible flowers, has written Sow, Grow, Munch, a richly
illustrated food guide for schools.
Based in Portadown, county Armagh, Mrs Dougan, who has vast
experience in food production and marketing including the
development of dry-cured pork products, has used her knowledge of
the industry and expertise in the production of the innovative
workbook designed to stimulate youngsters to grow and cook their ownfood using ingredients they've planted, nurtured and harvested
themselves.
It's also a timely production in line with the current Year of Food and Drink campaign in Northern Ireland that's highlighting local
producers and also with the work of the Education for Sustainable
Development Forum.
Local food companies such as Irwin's Bakery, Yellow Door and Forest Feast are backing her initiative. Food NI, the Ulster Farmers Union,the Northern Ireland Potato Marketing Group and the Armagh,
Banbridge and Craigavon Council are also on board. She's been
encouraged too by the Belfast Food Network and the Food in Schools
Forum. Hastings Group is using the book to support its work with sixlocal schools as part of Year of Food and Drink.
What motivated Mrs Dougan, wife of leading Northern Irish chef SimonDougan, to put pen to paper was research showing "a generational
disconnect from real food, how it is produced, where it comes from
and how to take raw ingredients and make very simple dishes from
them".
Both inner city and, perhaps surprisingly, rural school children have very little food knowledge, according to Mrs Dougan.
She explains: "The aim of the workbook is to get more children
growing and enjoying their own home-grown produce. The book is the
result of almost a year's research and drafting. It covers the
contribution of food and drink to the economy and the products grownhere. I also made sure that the recipes were simple, and used local and store cupboard ingredients which can mostly be bought in a
corner shop, and are cheap.
"We owe it to our children to at least inform them in simple terms
where their food comes from, who produces it, how it is produced andgive them enough knowledge to shape their food choices for life. A
healthy lifestyle is all about balance. We should show them that notall food comes from a supermarket, over packaged or overly
processed. It's natural for root vegetables to have soil on them,
milk comes from cows that should eat lovely green grass, eggs come
from chickens, meat comes from animals, and the cooker in your houseis not just for reheating stuff, neither is the cooker or stove something that needs to be laboured over for hours!"
Mrs Dougan continues "cooking from scratch simply and quickly with
raw ingredients and minimum effort can be very empowering for both
parents and children. It can also save a lot of money".
She points to recent research showing that growing food at school
"promotes health and well-being, particularly in relation to diet
and nutrition, but also encourages and facilitates learning, builds skills, improves awareness and understanding of the natural
environment and its importance to us, supports school improvement
and strengthens communities".
"Growing food in school equips youngsters with greater knowledge of the natural world, such as biodiversity, ecosystems and
sustainability, as well as an understanding of their impact on the
environment and their role as environmental stewards. It encourages environmental responsibility," she adds.
The guide, she continues, is not intended to be a comprehensive
book, but "a brief overview of what can be done to establish food
growing in any school".
"It is a monthly growing guide, along with basic nutritional
information on some common and easy to grow fruit and vegetables. Itfeatures recipes for simple food which can be prepared and cooked ina classroom with raw ingredients the children have grown themselves.The simple dishes which could also be cooked at home with parents."
There's a section on where food comes from, why agriculture is vitally important to any country, especially Northern Ireland, and how
buying local supports a whole host of other businesses.
What encouraged her to set up Jilly Dougan Edible Gardens, her own
business, was a recognition that huge opportunities were developing from the demand for fresh, nutritious, wholesome and safe food with provenance.