A number of primary schools in Ceredigion are now serving Welsh grown, organic vegetables to the children as part of their school lunches as part of the Welsh Veg in Schools project.
Welsh Veg in Schools is a pilot project co-ordinated by Food Sense Wales that aims to get more organically produced Welsh veg into primary school meals across Wales. It’s currently operating across six local authority areas with Ceredigion becoming the seventh to take part. Welsh Veg in Schools is a partnership that includes Castell Howell, Farming Connect Horticulture as well as a host of enthusiastic growers, including Patrick Holden at Bwlchwernen Fawr Farm near Lampeter.
One of the schools that will be receiving the veg is Ysgol y Dderi in Llangybi – a neighbouring school of Patrick and the family at Bwlchwernen. Children from years 3 and 4 visited the farm back in September and during their visit, they learnt about the Welsh Veg in Schools project and how carrots from the farm were being supplied to schools across South and West Wales. At the time, Ceredigion wasn’t a part of the scheme so the children at Ysgol y Dderi took it upon themselves to canvass for Bwlchwernen carrots to be included in their school lunches.
What followed was a live school project aimed at getting local veg into the kitchen at Ysgol y Dderi. The children invited Gill Jones, Head of Catering at Ceredigion County Council to talk to them about the school meals service. They welcomed Dafydd Walters from Castell Howell to talk to them about supply chains and they wrote to their local politicians, Ben Lake MP and Elin Jones MS, as well as members of the Council, to see if they could help influence and change the way vegetables are sourced for school meals.
One of those politicians that came to hear about the work that the children were undertaking at Ysgol y Dderi was Bryan Davies, Leader of Ceredigion County Council, who was also very keen to get more Welsh produce into the county’s school meals. A discussion with members of the Welsh Veg in Schools project team soon followed, resulting in Ceredigion becoming part of the project.
Councillor Bryan Davies, Leader of the Council said: “I’m extremely pleased that Ysgol y Dderi, Cardigan Primary, Bro Sion Cwilt and Plascrug School are taking part in this project. Organic vegetables are a much healthier option for our children, and it also supports local businesses whilst reducing the carbon footprint of transportation. Congratulations to the pupils from the four schools for all their efforts in ensuring that this was achieved.”
Heini Thomas, Headteacher at Ysgol y Dderi added: “My year 3 and 4 class were over the moon to hear that they had managed to get Bwlchwernen carrots onto our school menu. They appreciate that although it seems like a simple adjustment, it is actually extremely difficult and a lot of influential people have to be in the same room at the same time with the same goal. I’m so glad that my children have learned that their voices are important and people do listen. Finally – carrots from Bwlchwernen will be served during lunchtimes in Ysgol y Dderi.”
Farmer Patrick Holden from Bwlchwernen Farm said: “Growing organic carrots for Welsh schools after a gap of 18 years since we last grew them for supermarkets has been an inspiring experience. Knowing that they will be in children’s meals in local schools, including Ysgol y Dderi, the primary school which my children attended is one of the most exciting developments of our recent farming history.”
Dr Amber Wheeler, the project lead for Welsh Veg in Schools added: “We’re really pleased that Ceredigion County Council is joining the Welsh Veg in Schools project. It’s so inspiring to know that the decision to take part was influenced by the children and then actioned by the Leader of the Council. At the moment most of the veg that comes into Welsh Schools is from outside the country and is often frozen. This pilot project is showing that it is possible to increase the amount of produce grown in Wales, and support growers and farmers in doing so, by using the market of Local Authority Free School Meal provision.”
Katie Palmer, who heads up Food Sense Wales – the charity leading on the Welsh Veg in Schools work said: “At its heart, Welsh Veg in Schools is about getting sustainably produced, local veg into schools to nourish children via their school meals – the more progress we make, the more benefit we can deliver to them. We aren’t producing enough veg in Wales and we need to be building our own supply base bringing benefit to local communities and reducing our reliance on imports through connecting local growers with local wholesalers and fostering relationships that help businesses flourish.”
Welsh Veg in Schools is about redesigning supply chains to make them fairer and more resilient. It also builds on the commitment from Welsh Government to ensure that every primary aged child in Wales is offered a free school meal and that the food used to produce that meal, where possible, comes from local suppliers. With only around a quarter of a portion of veg per head of population being currently produced in Wales, Welsh Veg in Schools has the potential to increase the market in order to help realise this commitment.
Welsh Veg in Schools is currently being supported by the Welsh Government’s Backing Local Firms Fund and has also received funding from Bridging the Gap – a programme led by Sustain, Growing Communities and Alexandra Rose Charity.
