{"id":301,"date":"2009-04-20T18:15:39","date_gmt":"2009-04-20T17:15:39","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/foodonabudget.com\/content1a\/?p=301"},"modified":"2010-03-31T18:25:22","modified_gmt":"2010-03-31T17:25:22","slug":"schools-grow-their-own","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/foodonabudget.com\/content1a\/2009\/04\/schools-grow-their-own\/","title":{"rendered":"Schools grow their own"},"content":{"rendered":"

Schools across Cumbria are being encouraged to spring into action and enter the Grow Your Own competition, run by Booths and The World of Beatrix Potter.<\/p>\n

\"Peter<\/a>
Peter Rabbit - credit \u00a9 Frederick Warne & Co., 2009<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Over 40 primary schools have already registered to take part in the competition but time is running out for other schools to get their entries in for the contest, which challenges local schoolchildren to get set and grow their own fruit and vegetables.<\/p>\n

Each school can take their pick of the crops to grow a harvest of healthy produce. This can include anything from carrots to cucumbers and radishes to rhubarb.<\/p>\n

Designed to help children understand where different fruit and vegetables come from and to encourage them to eat their five a day<\/a>, the Grow Your Own competition is open to all schools in Lancashire, Cumbria, Yorkshire and Cheshire.<\/p>\n

To help pupils get growing, Booths will send each participating school a selection of seasonal vegetable seeds that can be planted now.<\/p>\n

Some great prizes are on offer<\/strong><\/p>\n

The winning entrants will get \u00a31,000 for their school to spend on gardening or cooking equipment for use in lessons.<\/p>\n

They will also get a special trip for the whole class to visit the World of Beatrix Potter in Bowness-on-Windermere and the new Peter Rabbit Naturally Better Garden.<\/p>\n

Three runners up will each receive \u00a3150 and a goody bag from Frederick Warne, publishers of the Beatrix Potter books.<\/p>\n

Competition will be tough<\/strong><\/p>\n

The judges will include Eric Robson, the Chairman of the BBC\u2019s Gardeners\u2019 Question Time programme, two of Booths\u2019 fresh produce experts Matthew Bruno and Val Gibson, the deputy editor of Olive magazine Lulu Grimes and Richard Lucas, who is designing the Peter Rabbit Naturally Better Garden. \u00a0They will be looking for the school that harvests the finest fruit and vegetables.<\/p>\n

Eric Robson says: \u201cWith Spring arriving, it\u2019s the perfect time for children to get their wellies on and start gardening. \u00a0It\u2019s been shown that children who grow their own produce are likely to eat more fruit and vegetables than those who don\u2019t.<\/p>\n

\u201cGardening is such a fun and rewarding experience for young people \u2013 and they can eat the results!\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

One finalist will be selected from each of the four counties where Booths\u2019 stores are based \u2013<\/p>\n