Nagle Rice National School in Killorglin, Co. Kerry, has been announced as the winner of Grow it Yourself (GIY) and SuperValu’s Let’s GROW 2024 initiative.

As 2024 winners, the students at Nagle Rice National School were awarded a €1,000 school garden from GIY.

The national Let’s GROW campaign is run by GIY and 2024 is the second year of a three-year partnership with SuperValu to deliver classroom-based food growing and food literacy education.

The pupils of Nagle Rice National School created a sensory garden titled ‘Tadgh’s Garden’ in memory of a past pupil.

The garden features flowers, water features, a colourful mural and grown produce including cucumbers, radishes, garlic, tomatoes and peppers.

Jan Kerins of Nagle Rice National School leads the school gardening group and said the garden is colourful, tactile and visually stimulating.

“This space helps our students to develop a lifelong love and appreciation of growing their own produce, while simultaneously motivating students to eat the healthy produce they have grown,” she said.

“Children are usually more inclined to eat things they have prepared and grown themselves. While the produce in the garden has many nutritional benefits for the children, the garden also provides a safe space to help regulate the emotions that school can bring.

“We have seen both students and teachers taking advantage of the relaxing environment of the garden, where they can take a stroll and have a place to properly relax during the busy school day.”

Let’s GROW

Kerins said the school took inspiration from GIY and Supervalu’s Let’s GROW initiative, as the kits and information provided knowledge for herself and the teachers of the school.

“This initiative has made growing our own foods stress-free and has been fun for both teachers and kids alike, one we hope to make a regular occurrence,” she said.

“It’s a fantastic initiative and I hope that it encourages other schools to give growing their own food a try.”

GIY and Supervalu said the Let’s GROW initiative has supported and enabled over 10,000 children to learn how to grow food at school.

In April, each of the schools taking part in the SuperValu Let’s GROW initiative received everything they needed to start growing their own vegetables in the classroom.

L-r: Education coordinator at GIY, Mary Bishop; Nicola Kerins of Nagle Rice National School; SuperValu’s Peter Keane and Tim O’Sullivan; Debbie O’Sullivan; Aileen O’Dowd and Jan Kerins of Nagle Rice National School alongside pupils. Image source: Nick Cavanagh

This included packets of seeds, compost discs and pots for growing, as well as teacher resource packs.

Founder of GIY, Michael Kelly said: “It’s always a joy to witness children experience the process of growing food, especially for the first time.

“They are usually amazed that they could grow something and more amazed that they can then eat what they have grown.

“Our partners in this campaign are SuperValu and without them, we wouldn’t be able to bring these experiences to children across the country each year.”

Growing your own food is a lifelong skill, Kelly said, and one that needs to be embraced more and more as the world adapts to climate change.

“It is truly inspiring to see these fantastic food growers at Nagle Rice National School – they epitomise everything that this initiative is about,” he said.

Local vegetables

Interim managing director at SuperValu, Luke Hanlon, said the supermarket is aware of the “pivotal role” it can play in teaching children about the importance of eating fresh, seasonal and local vegetables.

“Our recent consumer research shows that 88% of Irish adults agree that supermarkets have an important role in teaching children the importance of fresh, seasonal products,” he said.

“The SuperValu Let’s GROW initiative in conjunction with GIY, gives us an opportunity by which to arm the younger generation with knowledge and to set them on a path in growing their own food.

“Starting at a young age, this sets the foundation for a lifelong practice where young growers are more likely to choose healthy and seasonal foods in their diet.”

Hanlon said the initiative gives him “immense pride” and he is delighted to see SuperValu supporting the youngest generation of food growers.

Let’s GROW

Local vegetables

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