Join your local school for harvesting

Tuesday 15 June 2010

Around the country excitement is mounting, as thousands of primary school children prepare to harvest the potatoes they planted back in the spring. During the week of June 21^st a record number of nearly half a million pupils will be harvesting potatoes as part of Potato Council's Grow Your Own Potatoes project (GYOP). Schools that submit the weight of their crop will be in with a chance of winning an allotment makeover* as part of the national competition.

After planting the potato seeds in March, the children have been caring for the plants as they grow, and now can't wait to see and taste the results of all their hard work!  Many children have never grown their own food or planted anything before, so this activity is not only educational but great fun too. To celebrate the climax of this year's GYOP, Potato Council is inviting media to visit their local participating school as the children harvest their crop.

Sue Lawton, Potato Council, said: "As a nation we're losing touch with where our food comes from and GYOP helps bridge the knowledge gap.  It is so important to educate the consumers of the future and this is why the potato industry continues to fund this important initiative. The project offers so much for pupils, but the look on their faces at harvest time is always the highlight. Their reactions range from wonder and delight, to curiosity and of course pride, as they see what they've achieved." 

Interested? Then we'd be happy to put you in touch with your nearest participating school.  Please contact Amanda Wadlow or Cat Cambridge on 01189 475 956 or amanda.wadlow@ceres-pr.co.uk cat.cambridge@ceres-pr.co.uk  to arrange or for further information.

The GYOP project is supported by a website, linked to the curriculum, which features lesson plans, photos, stories, webcams and messages.  For further information visit www.potatoesforschools.org.uk, follow us on www.twitter.com/potatoes4school or contact:

Amanda Wadlow or  Cat Cambridge

Ceres                                                       

Tel: 0118 947 5956                                     

E: amanda.wadlow@ceres-pr.co.uk  or cat.cambridge@ceres-pr.co.uk 

 Editor's notes  

• Potato Council, a division of the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB), is funded by a levy from potato growers and purchasers to promote and support the British potato industry. Potato Council aims to increase usage and the consumption of potatoes, and improve the competitiveness of the British industry in the domestic and overseas markets 
• 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. A Teachers' Centre with lesson ideas and worksheets (covering science and other areas of the curriculum) is available at www.potatoesforschools.org.uk 
• *The pupils that grow the heaviest crop of potatoes will win an allotment makeover for their schools including design, build and all the plants needed to get started. There is also a whole host of fantastic runner up prizes available, including eco-friendly picnic tables, and playground benches and Sutton Seed vouchers care of The Sun newspaper. To be in with a chance schools must submit the weight of their crops to www.potatoesforschools.org.uk by 1^st July 
• For consumer information on potatoes visit www.lovepotatoes.co.uk for recipes, hints and tips on cooking with different varieties of potatoes and nutritional information