This year, our competition was funded by a Community Grant of £300 from Midcounties Coop and compost was provided by Farlow Farm Nursery. Thank you to both. Learning to Grow food has made a huge impact on all the nurseries and schools that enter, which includes almost all of those in the surrounding area.
The report below is part of the full report submitted to Midcounties Coop at the end of the competition for posting on its website.
Click here to download the full report.
The brief
The brief this year centred on developing the concept of varieties of the same food product, focusing on growing potato tubers so the children begin to understand that different varieties of seed potatoes will produce potatoes with different characteristics, for example:
– whether they vary in how easy or difficult they are to grow
– whether they develop diseases when growing, such as potato blight or insect infestations
– whether they all yield differing or similar amounts of new potatoes
– whether the potatoes are easy or difficult to prepare for cooking
– how well they respond to different cooking methods
– whether they vary from each other in terms of colour, taste and texture
Outcomes and results
All of the entrants grew their potatoes successfully, with their progress recorded in their diaries/logs with photographs, drawings, writing, evidence of using information technology to research and in graphical representation of results on growth and on taste testing. Yields were generally good per plant, although the hot weather was a challenge, especially during holiday periods, but they all ensured some watering would take place.
A particular requirement was that they were required to cook the potatoes they had grown for taste testing, so they could explore the impact of variety of potato on sensory characteristics of taste, smell and appearance. We provided guidance on sensory testing and all undertook this very complex process very successfully, even the smallest children. They prepared the tubers, learning that green potatoes contain solanine and so shouldn’t be eaten due to their toxicity, and then boiled them, also mashed them (with and without skins) and some roasted them, depending on the cooking facilities available to them. They ranked the cooked potatoes using a 1 to 5 scale, replicating methods used in the food industry, and explored how tastes differ from one taster to another.
Outcomes were judged by members of Cleobury Gardeners visiting in week beginning 7 July. It was a very challenging exercise since the outcomes were all of a very high standard!
The guidance used for judging can be found in the following documents:
Prizes awarded
The book prizes and certificates were awarded as follows:
Pre-school:
- Winners – Clee Hill Community Academy – Reception and class 1 (Forest School)
- Joint runners-up – Stottesdon Gateway Nursery and Ever After Day Nursery
- Highly commended – Abkats Nursery
Schools:
- Winners – Kinlet C of E Primary School
- Joint runners-up – Clee Hill Community Academy – class 3 and Stottesdon Gardening Club
- Highly commended: Farlow C of E Primary School and Wyre Forest Special School
Gallery
