Planting to Plate - Why we did it
How it contributes to education and health priorities
Crofting is fundamental to life in Highlands and Islands communities, contributing to their economy, environment and rich culture. While the project was developed to celebrate crofting in the Highland Year of Culture 2007, its key aims were for the children and young people:
to engage with crofters, and to learn about the history and culture of local food production through practical experience
to develop confidence and practical skills through working actively in school gardens and neighbouring crofts to produce a range of fruit and vegetables
to prepare meals with and enjoy the food they produced.
This project fits comfortably with current national policies, for example all five of the Scottish Government Strategic Objectives to make the country wealthier and fairer, healthier, safer and stronger, smarter and greener are addressed by the project and partnerships.
It also provides ideal opportunities to address the development of the four capacities of Curriculum for Excellence: successful learners; confident individuals; responsible citizens; and effective contributors (see What have we learned?).
The Planting to Plate’project linked closely with and contributed to ongoing work in the schools and enhanced participation in other initiatives such as:
Health Promoting Schools Hungry for Success Eco-Schools
Active Schools Grounds for Learning Schools of Ambition
The crofting areas provided an excellent learning environment since their traditional practices are closely allied to current interest in concepts such as:
Slow Food free range production local and seasonal produce
organic farming low-input farming total traceability of food
Traditional crofting methods and current practices naturally enhance biodiversity and the environment, in line with evolving national and European agricultural policies switching support from production to the environment.
By participating in the Planting to Plate project, the children and young people had an opportunity not only to learn through personal experience about cultivation methods but also to gain an understanding of the importance of local production, conservation of the environment, sustainability and the enjoyment of eating fresh, high quality food from their own area.
Timescale and funding
The idea for the project arose through discussion of the Highland Year of Culture by representatives of the Crofters Commission and the Scottish Crofting Foundation in July 2005. Further discussion with other partners about the role of food in Highland culture at the Highlands and Islands Food Forum in early 2006 brought the project to fruition.
A steering group, consisting of representatives from the Crofters Commission, the Scottish Crofting Foundation, Soil Association Scotland, Highland Council Education, Culture and Sport Services, Scottish Health Promoting Schools Unit and Action4Sustainability, was formed in spring 2006.
A project co-ordinator, Pam Rodway, was employed for 40 days during the school year 2006-7 to take Planting to Plate forward as a pilot project. Four schools from the crofting areas were invited to participate during the academic year starting in August 2006, with the project culminating in a Harvest Celebration in September 2007.
Funding of £16,000 was provided by the Crofters Commission; this included an allocation of £500 per participating school. The other partners involved made their contributions in kind through staff time and other resources.
A substantial number of additional contributions were made in terms of use of premises, eg Inverness High School, and contributions of time and food products from producers in each of the school community areas and elsewhere for the Harvest Celebration.
