EDUCATION


October 2012:


Autumn Harvest Days 

Two dry Autumn days in October saw Primary schools across Berkshire spend time either at the

Showground or Hurst Lodge School in Ascot for a day packed full of seasonal activities. In the mornings

the pupils took part in apple bobbing, had a demonstration of cooking apple crumble and pumpkin soup

along with tasters, enjoyed hearing stories and poems on an apple theme, tasted a variety of English 

apples and had the chance to handle and learn about a variety of seasonal vegetables. After lunch

weighing took place of the pumpkins grown by the schools with seeds provided by Suttons.

Purley Infant and Pippins Primary Schools received prizes for growing the heaviest pumpkins, quite an achievement in what has been a challenging growing year.



Potato Challenge


June 2012

The weather was much more favourable for the two Harvesting Days in June with the sun shining.  The children from the attending schools began by making individual bowls of potato salad which they then enjoyed, with very little left-over, before harvesting their crops.  There was great excitement as the potatoes that had grown in the bags were uncovered and even the smallest ones were retrieved.  At the showground Robert Sandilands Primary School had grown the heaviest yields for both Rocket and the regional variety, with both crops weighing in a 750g, whilst at Langley Academy, Parlaunt Park Primary took both prizes with crops weighing over 1kg.


From Woolhampton Primary School:

“The children were still buzzing about our success in growing the potatoes when we arrived back at school…We all had a great time with you today!”



     



2012

The Planting Days from this year’s Challenge were quite foggy but did not deter around 200 Primary aged pupils attending a Planting Day at either the showground or Langley Academy in March to plant up their Rocket and regional variety of seed potatoes to grow on at school.  The children were very excited to be met by Potato Pete on arrival, (thanks to The Potato Council for loan of costume), and Pete wandered around during the morning, overseeing the activites the children were undertaking. Once again Hilliers’ Garden Centre have donated the compost for planting and Chilton Farms are generously sponsoring the project this year.  The schools will be returning in June to harvest their crops.  






2011

In March 2011 eight local Primary schools brought approximately 150 children to the Showground to take part in a Planting Day. They planted potatoes as part of the Potato Council's annual Potato Challenge for Schools. The children also learned about the history of the potato crisp, took part in a blind crisp tasting, decorated potato cakes, had the opportunity to taste a chocolate cake which was made from potatoes and watched a cooking demonstration for Potato Salad. The whole experience was repeated the following day at Langley Academy in Slough, with ten Primary schools local to the area attending, approximately 250 children.   In June the children returned to the Showground to harvest their crops. Before doing so they made their own potato salad and then great excitement was caused as they discovered the hidden crops in their grow bags.   Cold Ash St Marks Primary School and Purley Infant School were awarded prizes for producing   the heaviest   yields.   The following day in Slough, the two attending classes from St Mary's Primary School swept the board with their crops.   A grant from the Sustainable Food and Farming Board meant this project was run without passing on any costs to the participating schools. It was also made possible thanks to the team of willing volunteers from the NDAS, farmers Graham Nichols and Roger Hitchings, the staff and pupils at Langley Academy and Hilliers Garden Centre who donated compost.  

 

If you would like your students to take part in next year's Challenge, 2013, or would like more information about the Challenge please contact the Education Officer at the Showground.

 


 

 

Autumn Harvest Celebration Day

A Beautiful autumn day in early October saw five schools come to the Showground for a day packed full of seasonal activities.

the morning the pupils took part in apple bobbing; paper making; had a demonstration of cooking apple crumble and pumpkin soup, along with taster; enjoyed hearing stories and poems on an apple them; had talks on growing apples from Cross Lane's Fruit Farm (Mapledurham)and on growing pumpkins and gourds from Cobb's Farm (Hungerford). After lunch weighing took place of the pumpkins grown by the schools with seeds provided by Suttons.

Basildon Primary School received a prize for growing the heaviest pumpkin, weighing over 34 kg. Schools were then given an apple sapling, donated by Penwoods Nurseries, to plant in their school garden

   

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