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Are you newsworthy?

We are getting ready to launch our GYOP newsletter and would very much like to profile a school in our 1st edition and share their growing experiences with other schools.

If you took part in the project last year (harvesting June 2008) and think you can inspire other schools with the ideas you had please contact Sue on 01865 782276 or email slawton@potato.org.uk before the end of February 2009.

Thank you.

Tuber Smarties

This Saturday saw more fantastic support in The Sun by Peter Seabrook the Gardening Editor.

The Sun Newspaper Supports GYOP!

Peter Seabrook's gardening section in Saturday editions is offering some fabulous prizes, to the schools that grow the greatest number of potatoes and the heaviest single potato - grown from the seed potatoes in your growing kit. Peter's column in the Sun will be regularly featuring hints and tips on growing potatoes from now until harvesting in June. To enter the Sun competition, simply follow the link on our links page or look out for more information in the Sun on Saturdays. Good luck!

Think Food and Farming

Looking for inspiration, then Think Food and Farming! For schools that want to find out about national and regional growing and cooking activities and information about farm visits go to www.thinkfoodandfarming.org.uk. Here you will also find case studies to inspire you to develop food and farming activities with a difference and exciting competitions for your school to enter.

Fabulous coverage for winning schools in The Sun

Prize giving events were held recently, at the winning schools from this years GYOP competition.
Representatives from the Potato Council visited Polyplatt Community Primary School, Lincoln – who grew 4700g of Rocket potatoes, Sutton First School, Norwich – who grew 4000g of Vales Emerald and St Paulinus C of E Primary School, Kent – who also grew 4000g of Vales Emerald and presented them with their winners prizes of a digital camera.

This year's growing competition was also championed by The Sun's gardening writer Peter Seabrook who along with Suttons Seeds supplied laptops to the winning schools of its own competition for those with the heaviest combined weight of potatoes from the different seed varieties.
As well as representatives from the Potato Council, Suttons seeds sent along a representative to Polyplatt Community Primary School and Sutton First School to present the laptops, Photographers from The Sun also attended.

Ten thousand schools nationwide harvest their potato crops!

The Potato Council joined in with the celebrations at 4 schools across the country as children harvested their crops (24th June) - Park Way Primary School (Maidstone), Scampton C of E Primary School (Lincolnshire), Millbank Primary School (Cardiff) and Castleview Primary (Scotland).

There was a distinct air of anticipation as each school prepared to harvest the crops they had been carefully growing since March. The children at Park Way Primary were also joined by local grower Anthony Curwen, who helped to unearth and weigh their crops of Rocket and Vales Emerald.

Potatoes have been recognised as an important part of a healthy balanced diet for generations and, as part of the morning, the children enjoyed tasting some of the recipes made famous by the character Potato Pete, during World War II. These included Woolton Pie as well as old family recipes that had been sent in by schools taking part in the project.

Potato Pete was first made famous during World War II, by the then Minister of Food, Lord Woolton. He helped encourage the nation to grow and eat more potatoes recognising their nutritional values and versatility.

Headteacher Karen Dhanecha at Park Way Primary School said: "The children have not only had great fun growing and harvesting their potatoes – but they have learnt so much too! Nothing really beats seeing things for yourself and this has been an excellent educational activity, that has really brought how things grow to life for the children."

The schools represent just a few of the ten thousand schools across the country that have taken part in this year's project - the biggest growing project in schools nationwide. Competition to see which school has grown the heaviest weight of potatoes is bound to be fierce!

Our thanks to the schools and children who hosted the events and to Anthony Curwen, Donna Benton and George Lambert.

Thousands sign-up for Grow Your Own Potatoes!

This year, a record number of schools are taking part in the Grow Your Own Potatoes project - the equivalent of 300,000 school children - more than ever before! Fantastic news for this special year - the International Year of the Potato.

Why not register now for Grow Your Own Potatoes 2009!

Nationwide Harvest Complete

Nearly 4000 schools nationwide have now harvested their crops amidst great excitement from all the school children that took part. The British Potato Council celebrated the event with a visit to Colman First School Norwich together with a local potato grower and Chris Collins the Blue Peter Gardener.

This month sees the close of the third and most successful Grow Your Own Potatoes 2007 activity to date. With nearly 4000 schools harvesting their crop nationwide, the BPC held an event at Colman First School in Norwich to celebrate the success of the campaign. The Blue Peter Gardener Chris Collins and local potato grower James Harrison helped pupils of the Colman First School Norwich lift their bumper harvest of potatoes. Chris Collins commented: "The warm spring weather and May rain has provided the perfect growing conditions so it is not surprising that the children unearthed a jumbo yield."

Nick Southgate Head of Colman First School said: "The children absolutely loved this project especially nurturing the plant and watching the miracle of growth. Growing potatoes has been great fun because it is a vegetable that children can relate to more than others and they already love eating them. I will definitely be involved in this campaign for years to come."

James Harrison BPC board member and Norfolk grower said: "This is an exceptional campaign which targets children at an influential age and educates them on the basics of the food chain. I hope more and more schools and farmers support this campaign year after year."

Registration for 2008 is in fact already underway with nearly 1000 schools registered to date. All schools that register before the 1st September will be entered in a Grand Prize Draw to win £50 gardening vouchers to help provide better gardening facilities for the start of the new school year.

Chris Collins commented: "It is great that so many schools across the country have taken part in this simple but effective project that shows kids that their food comes from the ground rather than the supermarket shelf. They have been really involved from the start chitting and planting their seed potatoes, then nurturing and watching them grow. They should now feel a real sense of achievement as they harvest their crop."