Feature Article: March, 2010
Every parent wants their children to have what’s best; access to fresh fruit and vegetables as part of a healthy nourishing diet is just one aspect of that. If only it were that simple! But that’s the challenge taken on by Jason Ralph-Smith, founder of Little Growers. He believes that getting youngsters to grow tasty produce is an exciting and educational way of involving them in what they eat.
Children love to create. Caring for plants, watering them and watching them grow, instills confidence and sparks creativity. Little Growers aims to harness youngsters’ eagerness and natural curiosity, encouraging them to grow and taste a variety of produce.
By enabling children to get involved in growing, Little Growers also encourages them to learn about their environment, sustainability and healthy eating. They produce their own healthy, fresh food and learn key life skills.
Little Growers is responding to the pressing need for improved eating habits and better nutrition. Children and families are a key target group in healthy eating and increased physical activity campaigns. Recent research found that many young children do not associate a carrot stick with a carrot grown in the ground or a chip with a potato. Experts have confirmed that obesity, diabetes and heart disease are increasing in the developed world and change must be imminent if we are to reverse this worrying trend. It is great to see the Obamas taking the first steps in the Washington kitchen garden. Little Growers reflects this proactive approach at a school level, allowing communities to take action by instilling healthy values at a young age in the form.
So there’s plenty to be done and Little Growers is taking up the challenge and their philosophy is taking root in schools around the UK. Launched in 2008, Little Growers, a community interest company, started work with seven schools around the UK. These included a school for disabled children and a community school for disadvantaged and troubled youngsters. Following the success of the initial phase, a further 12 schools joined the project. They have installed hyroponic technology and polytunnels and are now well under way in their growing projects. Another 50 schools, which are in the beginning stages of their set-ups, are using propagators whilst awaiting grant funding. Over 1,350 children ranging from four to 19 years old now have had direct contact with Little Growers initiatives.
The older students at Hawthorn Primary are championing the cause for Little Growers with their school banner.
Children’s’ enthusiasm and innovation for their Little Growers projects is remarkable. Participating schools sell their Little Growers produce at the local farmers market creating revenue for the school, healthy fresh produce for their community and a great and engaging experience for the children.
At the heart of the Little Growers project is a unique self watering technology invented by Jason Ralph-Smith. The watering systems provide controlled irrigation for food crop production powered only by gravity. They are environmentally friendly, extremely safe for use in the schools and very simple to manage. The added advantage is they can be left unattended several weeks, ideal for school weekends and holiday breaks. The system has been proven to work in a range of environments and climates. These include Thailand, South Africa and Europe, proving that Little Growers projects are highly adaptable and have great potential for development worldwide.
When they come on board, all schools are provided with complete growing kits free of charge, so they can get started immediately. They select which seeds to plant and learn what they need to make them grow. Their fresh produce is then used throughout the school; during lessons, in the canteen and after school clubs, giving children a taste of ‘home-grown’ fruit and vegetables.
The process that schools follow to become involved in Little Growers is simple. Those showing an interest simply explain why they wish to be involved and what they will undertake to ensure that the objectives of Little Growers are fully delivered. Little Growers then provides all the necessary equipment including polytunnels, self-watering systems, water butts, raised beds, liquid fertilizer, seeds and propagation units. Little Growers offers continuous support, and if required hands on assistance with the set up, either from Jason Ralph-Smith or one of our volunteers. The schools are also provided with key information via online video examples on how to maintain the project and make it the greatest success possible for the childrens’ enjoyment and learning.
Jason Ralph-Smith acknowledges there are other schemes promoting healthy eating in schools, but none that combines the complete package from total food production to consumption, incorporating environmental issues. Little Growers combines all the key stages that children need to understand healthy eating and environmental sustainability, from planting, growth, maintenance, harvest, and eating.
“Children love to create; caring for plants, watering them and watching them grow instills confidence and sparks that creativity.”
With a database of 2,000 UK schools expressing an interest in getting involved, Little Growers is applying for funding to expand and eventually take their growing scheme into all schools in the UK and now the United States.
Jason says: “Our ultimate goal at Little Growers is to build the concept to the level where the produce grown by the children is sold in local supermarkets with branding of Little Growers so that the whole community can access locally grown food. Initially we aim to grow enough produce to supply the school canteens. Then as more food is grown sales to the parents will be incorporated to provide healthy produce and added revenue for the school, with the supermarket distribution being the ultimate goal.”
Little Growers is also winning fans around the world, with interest from Japan, South Africa and the United States but currently, their focus now is to become an international scheme with a wide range of schools involved across the globe, tailoring the concept to their needs and environment. Japanese schools are currently in the process of establishing Little Growers projects for the start of the new school year. They are developing exciting Little Growers projects in congested urban environments to provide green space for the children and to counteract pollution.
Encouraging community support and development is a key area. Little Growers aims to establish volunteer networks to support schools and involve the wider community. By making links with allotment and horticultural groups, schools and pupils would benefit from specialist knowledge and share in expert growers’ enthusiasm and support. Ideally volunteer groups would champion the cause of growing fresh produce locally, healthy eating and healthy environments. Little Growers touches on areas that are close to people’s hearts, whether it be their children’s future or the future of the planet. Volunteer networks give ongoing support for the Little Growers’ schools whilst providing an opportunity for the community to work together for a sustainable, eco-friendly project.
On the horizon for Little Growers are: school recycling which will then be used to provide the raw materials for the growing systems, wormeries and composting to allow the schools to create their own fertilizer and compost and expanding the projects to family gardens at home. All of these areas increase the impact and environmental sustainability of the Little Growers ethos, making a significant and long-term difference to children, the community and the environment.
