Sowing the seeds for future generations in Northern Ireland

An initiative aimed at encouraging school children to grow, cook and eat local produce has won backing from education bodies in Northern Ireland and is to be included in the school curriculum.

The Sow, Grow, Munch schools' initiative, which has been created by artisan food campaigner Jilly Dougan, is being supported by the Council for the Curriculum, Examinations and Assessment (CCEA) in Northern Ireland and also by Tourism NI. The unique guide will form part of the legacy of 2016's Year of Food and Drink and will give young people the opportunity to learn about growing whilst developing learning embedded in the Northern Ireland curriculum.

The initiative is also backed by Northern Ireland Executive ministers.

Jilly Dougan, who is also known for creating productive herb gardens for hotels and restaurants, says her 'how to' guide to vegetable and fruit gardening came about as a response to a disparity between schools in gardening capabilities.

"I have been in and out of lots of schools and some have really fantastic food growing initiatives. However, some have nothing in place or they have a garden which is overgrown and unloved with really keen teachers who don't know where to start. I saw a need for a simple guide, which was specific to our climate and the school year. The guide isn't just about growing though, it's about local food and how to cook simple food from scratch.

"Growing food in schools has many benefits; children learn where their food comes from, and how it is produced. It encourages healthy and seasonal eating, is great exercise, encourages team work and can double up as an outdoor classroom."

CCEA Director of Education Richard Hanna adds, "CCEA is pleased to support this legacy piece of the Year of Food and Drink 2016 and to partner with Tourism NI on this project which will see us develop an online education resource to promote healthy eating and growing.

"It will give young people the opportunity to not only learn how to grow produce but to support and further develop important learning areas already embedded in the Northern Ireland curriculum such as literacy, numeracy, science, entrepreneurship, employability, cooking, hygiene and the environment."

Carolyn Boyd of Tourism NI says, "Tourism Northern Ireland is proud to partner with both Jilly Dougan and CCEA to ensure that The Year of Food and Drink 2016 has a legacy beyond the year and far into the future."

Sow, Grow, Munch is free to download on both the Eco-Schools NI and Education for Sustainable Development websites.