Kids are Digging for Victory

News |

Children are being urged to plant and grow their own food.

The new campaign by the National Trust aims to get youngsters eating seasonal food which they have produced themselves.

The Food Glorious Food scheme follows hot on the heels of the National Trust’s allotments announcement and is designed to create a new generation of growers.

The Trust will give away over 170 million free seeds, which is equal to up to four million pumpkins, 26 million bags of rocket leaves and 70 million lettuces, and share advice with children through a programme of special events during the May half term.

The campaign will start families on a growing journey to suit their lifestyles. The seeds that will be given away are easy-grow pumpkins for those with a garden and salad rocket or baby lettuce for those with less space and which challenge the myth that you need a garden to grow your own.

Both baby lettuce and salad rocket can be easily cultivated in a garden of any size - or in a pot, sink, window box - and even a welly.

Iwan Huws, Director of the National Trust says: “Growing our own food is, and will increasingly become, an essential skill. Through this campaign we want to reach and inspire a new generation of young people to connect with the land and grow food. We know that once children get started they are hooked.

The experience of growing food from seed is enthralling. So the focus of Food Glorious Food is on action and involvement, encouraging children to learn and enjoy by doing.

Many people don’t realise that vegetables can be grown in small spaces, such as a window box or small pots. Old car tyres are great for growing potatoes and buckets are perfect for all kinds of root vegetables. We want to use the Trust’s 100-plus years of experience to help children to have fun discovering how easy it is to grow food.”

So what tips would The National Trust give parents who want to nurture their green fingered youngsters?

Growing food in pots is a great way for children to get started. It takes minimum preparation time and kids can help weed, water and reap.

Start children off with easy, quick growing food. Chickpeas sprout in 2 days and cherry tomatoes, which look and taste good, take a matter of weeks. Many vegetables don’t need very much time or space - good starter vegetables include;

Cress - the easiest vegetable to grow - plant indoors in flat containers with damp kitchen towel or blotting paper - children simply can’t go wrong.

Radishes - fast-growing crops that need very little maintenance and grow well together with carrots

Carrots - can be grown in containers or deep window boxes. Small, quick and tasty!

Children don’t need to produce a massive crop to find vegetable gardening satisfying and bring a smile to their faces. Just a couple of handfuls of radishes for example, might persuade them to eat them when they next turn up in their lunchbox.

Food Glorious Food is part of The National Trust’s commitment to sustainable food production which also includes the campaign to create 1,000 new allotments and involvement in the ‘Eat Seasonably‘ campaign to promote eating seasonal fresh fruit and vegetables.

The commitment also covers sustainable food production from the Trust’s land and the use of high quality, local, seasonal and sustainable food in its kitchens and restaurants.