Springvale Garden Centre general manager Gareth Carter with some of the product to be supplied to schools participating in the School Vege Challenge. Photo / Paul Brooks
Springvale Garden Centre general manager Gareth Carter with some of the product to be supplied to schools participating in the School Vege Challenge. Photo / Paul Brooks
The School Vege Challenge 2022 is here By Paul Brooks Springvale Garden Centre, in partnership with NZME and its media channels – Whanganui Midweek, Whanganui Chronicle, Herald Online and its associated social media – is making vegetable gardening a growing competition among Whanganui's schools. Information and applications went out in term four oflast year and, so far, 11 schools have enrolled.
"We've opened it up to intermediate and secondary schools, as well," says Gareth Carter, general manager of Springvale Garden Centre. "The response has been quite good, and some who were in there last year hit the reply button immediately." Application details were delivered to all eligible schools. When schools enrol they are given a document with all relevant information and key dates for the competition.
The goal is to introduce gardening as a life skill to school students, enabling them to grow food as well as enjoy the recreational and mental health benefits of working in the soil and growing vegetables. Gardening is a skill they can use, profit from and enjoy for the rest of their lives.
To begin their gardening venture each school is given a starter kit with product and material supplied by their sponsors: Yates NZ, Zealandia Horticulture, Eastown Timber, Tui Garden Products and Ican Products. Included in the pack are seeds, organic spray, seed raising mix, vegetable punnets, timber planter boxes, vegetable mix, snail and slug bait and vege food.
Points will be awarded under the following categories: People's Choice Award; Most Innovative Garden; Carrot Growing; Broccoli Growing; Best Looking Garden. Accumulated points will decide an overall winner.
Gareth says he is hoping to include heritage varieties among the supplied carrot seeds, diverging from the common or garden orange colour.
Prizes will be gardening products for the winning school to distribute as they like – for the school to use or for students to take home and use in their own home gardens. Students who found they have a knack for gardening can use those skills at home to benefit their own family or their community.
The School Vege Challenge is open to all schools within 20km of the Whanganui city limits and applications for the competition closed on January 31.
