Pupils rewarded for potato growing success

The national winners of Potato Council’s Grow Your Own Potatoes Project have been receiving their rewards this week from both the Potato Council and The Sun newspaper. Pupils at Sutton Infant School, Norwich and Pollyplatt Community Primary School, Scampton both received a laptop and digital camera for their success while St Paulinus Primary School, Crayford also received a digital camera. All three schools beat off stiff competition from thousands of schools across the UK to harvest the heaviest weights of Vales Emerald and Rocket seed potatoes.

The Grow Your Own Potatoes Project is an excellent way to demonstrate to pupils where their food comes from, how things grow and healthy eating as children at these schools found out. Potato Council’s Tracy Coult said: " Potato Council is keen to support primary schools nationwide as Grow your Own Potatoes provides so many learning opportunities for children. We are currently updating our website with lots of new recipes and information as teachers have found our games, worksheets and lesson plans a valuable resource that has helped them cover areas of the curriculum and get the most out of the activity. We are offering free growing kits to the first schools that register now for next year and we are really looking forward to the planting events in March 2009!”

Schools who wish to take part in Grow Your Own Potatoes in 2009 should register at www.potatoesforschools.org.uk . Any schools who registered for 2008 should also visit the site to confirm their details are correct, by using the password emailed to them. Teachers who wish to find out more should contact Sue Lawton at Potato Council on 01865 782276