Page 42 - link magazine

42 swindonlink.com • September 2009

Green fingered kids see garden flourish funky farm life
Children at Oliver Tomkins Junior School will return in September Poppy Gibson from the eco-flag flying Peatmoor Primary School reports
to see what has been growing in their vegetable garden during the on her class visit to the Observer ethical garden of the year.
holidays.
On Friday 19 June Year 6 pupils from Peatmoor Community Primary
School went to explore farm practices at Lower Shaw Farm close to
their school.

They have enthusiastically sowing in the Spring. Within weeks
pitched in to turn a hidden sunlit they made their first delivery to the
space into productive land since the school kitchen and the children
school garden project was launched raised money for their Autumn crop
twelve months ago. by selling produce at an after-school
But youngsters had to work hard vegetable stall.
to organise themselves before any Taylor Loveridge has no problem
gardening could take place. The about eating vegetables. “Our car-
school council organised a non- rots look and taste really good. It’s
school uniform day to raise funds much better when you eat some-
for the project after working out the thing you’ve grown.” Helping collect produce from the ethical garden. Poppy Gibson, second from right,
cost of wood to make raised beds School council coordinator Julie and her Year 6 classmates
and the equipment to prepare the Warburton said, “the pupils are very The farm sets a great example for vegetable picking. The farm has
soil, as well as the seeds they had keen on their garden and were really sustainability and has won many four different species of animal
decided to grow. pleased how everything has grown awards for being eco friendly. The including sheep, pigs, chickens
With help from parents and the so strongly. Now they’ve set their class found out a lot in general about and ducks.
caretaker the beds were prepared minds on raising enough money to growing organic food and being Many people work on the farm
during the winter in time for the first buy a greenhouse.”
part of a WOOF Foundation. (some permanent, other temporary,
WOOF (World Wide Opportuni- most as volunteers) and they have
ties on Organic Farms) helps people developed a strong relationship like
have a taste of farm life. The outside an extended family. The farm does
buildings were converted into little so much to help the community as
cabins providing a home for the well as the nation by setting a fabu-
people during their stay. lous example for other farms that
Call for free The children were guided round feel strongly about being organic
quotations from by a Canadian lady called Melissa. and being eco-friendly as they do.
ONLY £70 On arriving at the farm they were The trip was really educational
shown the sheep that had been as well as a lot of fun and everyone
named Jude, Lulu and Daisy. learnt something new.
“The sheep’s skin felt unusual Mr Watermeyer, our class 6 teach-
and bizarre,” commented Holly er said, “the trip was a great success
Hughes, 11. and a good lesson outdoors.”
The pupils got up to loads of other Everyone agreed that they would
worthwhile activities including definitely go to Lower Shaw Farm
breadmaking, mini-beast hunting, again and would recommend it
animal feeding, a nature trail, a leaf to anyone who is looking for an
hunt, playing in the hay barn and enjoyable day out.

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