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Love Potatoes!Learn about growing your own vegetables and sustainable farming

Liberathe Ritabakinia, 35, in Burundi, shows her potato crop. PHOTO: SARAH ELLIOT//ACTIONAID

ActionAid schools | December 2012

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POTATO FACT

Potatoes were first grown by Incas in Peru over 7,000 years ago.

ActionAid Schools December 2012

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GROWING POTATOES

Some of Ashley Primary School’s potato harvest! PHOTO: ACTIONAID

ActionAid Schools December 2012

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Year 3 children show off their wonderful vegPHOTO: RICHARD DUNNE/ACTIONAID

ActionAid Schools December 2012

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The potato is the fourth largest crop, after rice, wheat and maize. There are over 4000 varieties of potatoes in the world.

POTATO FACT

ActionAid Schools December 2012

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Eseza Chede, 21, displays a harvest of potatoes from her family's garden. PHOTO: GRAEME ACTIONAID

ActionAid Schools December 2012

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CHALLENGES FOR GROWING FOOD IN UK

• Frost• Disease• Pests

What problems have you faced at Ashley in growing food?

• Covering plants and vegetables with newspaper over a frame or a protective cover can help them survive chilly nights.

• Keeping plants healthy with enough light and water, and giving them plenty of room to grow can prevent diseases.

• Netting can keep out unwanted creatures.

How do you overcome these problems?

ActionAid Schools December 2012

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CHALLENGES FOR GROWING FOOD IN OTHER COUNTRIES

• Soil erosion• Drought• Floods• Storing food• No seeds

ActionAid Schools December 2012

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Typical landscape in Rumphi district, Malawi.PHOTO: GRAEME WILLIAMS/PANOS/ACTIONAID0

CHALLENGES FOR GROWING FOOD IN MALAWI

ActionAid Schools December 2012

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Thabu and other women farmers on their irrigated land in Rumphi district, Malawi.PHOTO: GRAEME WILLIAMS/PANOS/ACTIONAID

Thabu Chidimba, a smallholder farmer in the fields she shares with other local women.PHOTO: GRAEME WILLIAMS/PANOS/ACTIONAID

Compost heap in Rumphi district, Malawi.PHOTO: GRAEME WILLIAMS/PANOS/ACTIONAID0

Maria Mkandawire pumps waterPHOTO: GRAEME WILLIAMS/PANOS/ACTIONAID

ActionAid Schools December 2012

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WHY GROW FOOD?

• To understand more about our food• Having local food means our food doesn’t

have to travel as far – less environmental impact

• Food straight from the garden has less packaging

• To have healthy, fresh food at school – tasty school dinners

ActionAid Schools December 2012

ActionAid schools | DATE | 12

OTHER GARDENS AT SCHOOL

Sylvia,11, weeds the school garden that’s growing cassava. PHOTO: JAMES AKENA/ACTIONAID

ActionAid Schools December 2012

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ASHLEY’S TOP FIVE TIPS FOR STARTING YOUR OWN GARDEN

• The best way to learn is by doing! Start growing, even on a small scale

• Get partners in the community – local horticultural society, go to older generation who have allotments, bring them into the school to support the children

• Get everyone in school involved. At Ashley every year group has a job to do – e.g. hoeing, weeding, watering, sowing seeds, harvesting

• Celebrate what you are doing - have a food festival• Most importantly - eat the food you have grown

ActionAid Schools December 2012

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Year 3 student proudly showing the harvested sweetcornPHOTO: RICHARD DUNNE/ACTIONAID

ActionAid Schools December 2012