Children from 12 London primary schools across eight London boroughs brought their school-grown produce to the Harvest Market Day at Borough Market on Thursday 1 October, raising £754 for London food redistribution charity Plan Zheroes.
The children were taking part in Young Marketeers, a food education programme run by School Food Matters that gives children the chance to grow food from seed and develop gardening, teamwork and enterprise skills. For Harvest Market Day, they put those skills into action as they set up stalls, chatted to shoppers and sold produce they had grown themselves.
There was an impressive variety on offer, from carrots, pumpkins and squash to courgettes, onions, potatoes, beetroot, tomatoes, apples, rhubarb and chard. There were also plenty of herbs, alongside more unusual finds including tomatillos, horseradish, aubergines, figs and grapes – which proved particularly popular with shoppers for their sweet, juicy flavour.
Many of the children had also found creative ways to add value to their produce. Alongside fresh fruit and vegetables, shoppers could buy chilli oil, homemade cordials and mixed bunches of herbs ready to use in soups and as garnishes.
The Market Day gave the children a chance to put their enterprise skills into practice, from deciding what to sell and how to present it to confidently talking to customers and handling money. They also got to see the difference their hard work could make, with every purchase helping to raise money for Plan Zheroes which redistributes surplus food to charities and community organisations across London.
For many of the children, seeing shoppers take home the food they had grown was a highlight of the day.
The best bit is seeing everyone buying our veg that we've grown, said one child.
Another summed up the excitement of the day:
No, this isn't one of the best days ever. It is the best day ever!
Young Marketeers is now in its 15th year and is delivered by School Food Matters in schools across England. Through practical gardening and enterprise activities, the programme helps children build skills, learn where food comes from and develop a positive relationship with food and the natural world.
Find out more about School Food Matters at www.schoolfoodmatters.org.
