
Growing Local offers tailored land-based courses for primary or secondary school children. Courses are a single half day visit or a weekly half-day visit as part of a three, four or six week course. Each visit will be for two or three hours. Visits are for half classes with up to eighteen pupils or full classes with up to thirty pupils. Half classes are preferred. The courses can be arranged and adapted to provide the most appropriate education for any group of pupils. Full consultation with the school will precede any visit.
Courses are offered with a combination of any of the following activities:
- Growing vegetables on an allotment – learning about seasonal food production through sowing, planting, crop-care, harvesting, looking after the soil, composting, rainwater harvesting, encouraging wildlife and creating ecosystems.
- Cookery in our field kitchen – learning safe knife skills, food hygiene, the importance of eating locally and seasonally and 5-a-day. Groups can prepare together a healthy meal, soup or snack.
- Helping with farm animals: learning about animal care through feeding, cleaning, handling and bedding down lambs and calves.
- Conservation activities – learning about the environment that supports farming and food production through pond dipping, hedgerow surveys, wild flower surveys, plant identification and woodland skills.
Instruction is conducted by fully trained teachers and trainers from Going Local.
Enquiries to Louisa Foti, Growing Local’s Educational Officer, louisa@growinglocal.org.uk, or 07902 802982.