EDUCATION & ENVIRONMENT
The ‘cultivate’ scheme of discovery By Jess McGovern, head of Education and Development at the Royal Jersey Agricultural & Horticultural Society in Trinity.
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n 2019 the RJA&HS launched its Cultivate Programme, which cultivates the connection between the farm and the plate. Our guiding principle is the understanding of where our food comes from - how it’s produced; the seasons; and the environment it in which it is grown. This helps us to develop a sense of place and empowers us to be a steward for our planet.
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The eight lesson ‘Cultivate Scheme of Discovery’ will provide young people an opportunity to learn about our agri-food industry in a fun and interactive way
Our first event was called Cultivate Young Minds in April 2019, 70 teenagers, 25 agri-food stakeholders, policy makers and teachers for the first time, joined together to help cultivate a connection with not only our local seasonal food and produce, but also with the wonderful communities who grow it. The message of the day was that if there is a story behind the food we are eating, we can enjoy our food more and eat more healthily and more sustainably.
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When asked the question, ‘Would you like to know more about Jersey’s agri-food industry? - 88% of the teenagers said YES. The consensus from this feedback was that as an Island community, we have a responsibility to our young people, to offer further learning opportunities to those curious to learn how they can add value to the agri-food industry at a local or a global scale.
Cultivate Young Minds 2020 was set to be an Agri-Food bonanza, with an oversubscribed student sign up and double the number of agri-food stakeholders ready to inspire and ‘Cultivate Young Minds’. Due to Covid19, Cultivate Young Minds 2020 has been postponed until 2022. We did not let this be an obstacle, instead we looked at it as an opportunity to expand our ‘Young Minds’ reach.
