26/5/06
Tyfu’r Dyfodol : : Growing the Future
Conference on organic and local food in schools
Everyone involved in food in schools, from farmers and growers to procurement staff, school cooks, teachers and the various government agencies and community groups, needs to pull together to improve the food our young people eat. That was the message of a conference held at the Welsh College of Horticulture near Mold on Thursday 25th May.
Former agriculture minister Mike German AM spoke of his experiences working on school dinners in Monmouthshire, where a whole-school project has just got under way with six schools, and Caroline Jones, business manager of Welshpool High School gave an inspiring account of how her school opted out of local authority control and now sources all its meat, milk, vegetables and other produce locally, some of it from organic farms. They have seen uptake of school dinnners actually go up since they cut back on the chips and burgers and introduced local procurement, and the pupils are actively involved in tasting sessions for new menus.
Other speakers included Snowdonia farmer Gwyn Thomas, who regularly welcomes school children on to his farm, and Teresa Owen, a public health nutritionist who stressed the need for scientific research into diet and nutrition to be linked to practical projects in order to improve the diet of Welsh children. Mark Simkin, principal of the College, explained what they are doing to train the fruit and vegetable growers of the future, engage with public procurement and work directly with schools on gardening projects.
The centre piece of the day was a local food lunch at which producers served food directly to the delegates, giving them a chance to meet each other. Sausages from the Rhug Estate, potatoes and strawberries from a market garden on the Wirral, buffalo burgers, yoghurts from Llaeth-y-Llan, salad leaves from the College and artisan breads were some of the foods on offer.
The conference was organized by Organic Centre Wales in association with the Mid Wales Food and Land Trust, the Welsh College of Horticulture and the Soil Association. It was sponsored by Cadwyn Clwyd and Hybu Cig Cymru.
Notes for editors
This was the second Growing the Future conference. The first one was held at the National Botanic Garden of Wales in September 2005. More details are at www.organic.aber.ac.uk/schoolsnet.
Contacts
Jane Powell, Organic Centre Wales, jnp@aber.ac.uk, tel 01970 622248.