Gavin Williamson, MP for South Staffordshire, harvested potatoes grown by pupils at St Paul’s School in Coven, as part of a nationwide initiative established by the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board Potatoes.
The Grow Your Own Potatoes (GYOP) scheme is a project that teaches primary school children how potatoes grow and how they are part of a healthy, balanced diet.
The programme, which supported by McCain Foods, includes a variety of activities, from planting to harvesting, with schools able to compete nationally and regionally for the heaviest crop and the largest potatoes grown. The initiative provides free growing kits to schools to encourage children to take a hands on approach to learning about a balanced diet.
Since the scheme began 11 years ago, over two million primary school children having benefitted from this classroom experience and the GYOP programme gives a hands-on approach to teaching children where their food comes from.
Commenting on the visit Gavin said: “I had a great time with pupils at St Paul’s, digging out their potato harvest and learning more about the Grow Your Own Potatoes scheme. This is a brilliant way to get more children to take an interest in food production and a balanced diet. All the pupils seemed to have really enjoyed growing their own potatoes and I hope it encourages them to get out into the garden and grow some more.”