Grow It, Cook It, Eat It

What's in a label? Why are some foods better for you than others? How do you grow vegetables?

More than 1,200 school children in Pembrokeshire have been finding out the answers to these and other questions this week in a unique food initiative at Scolton Manor.

Grow it Cook It Eat It is an annual event, which takes youngsters through the farm-to-fork process of food.

The week-long initiative - held from Monday 14th September to Friday 18th - aims to teach school children the importance of healthy eating, along with a knowledge of local produce.

Through a series of fun and interactive workshops nine to 11 year-olds from 37 primary schools have been taking part in a series of fun and interactive working learning everything about food from growing vegetables to cooking easy recipes such as Welsh lamb with vegetables.

They are also taking part in talks on looking after the countryside and food rationing in World War II.

This is the seventh year of the Grow It, Cook It, Eat It event and more than 5,000 pupils- a generation of school children- have taken part since it was launched.

The main sponsors are the Welsh Assembly Government, the Murco Refinery at Milford Haven, Barclays Bank, the FUW and Hybu Cig Cymru/Meat Promotion Wales, which supplied the meat.

Kate Morgan, organiser and Food Officer for Pembrokeshire County Council said good eating habits started while young.

"Grow It Cook It Eat It inspires children to try healthy food, which is vital if they are to develop good nutritional habits later in life," she said.

"It also teaches them about the farm-to-fork process of our food, while increasing their awareness of the importance of supporting local produce and sustainable processes."

Councillor Sian James, Pembrokeshire Cabinet Member for Health and Well-Being said the event complimented several successful healthy eating initiatives led by the County Council such as Cook It clubs and the Lunch with Lenny (the healthy school meals mascot) initiative.

"With the current focus on the nutritional well-being of children, events such as these are essential in providing information about a healthy balanced diet and sustainability," she said.

Grow it Cook it Eat is organised by Pembrokeshire County Council with support from the Food Standards Agency, Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority, the National Public Health Service, the Women's Institute and the Food Centre Wales.

Photograph by Martin Cavaney. Pictured with St Dogmaels pupils Lilly Tonkin-Wells and Mikey Leake are ‘Aliddon' (Ben Worth) and Mother ‘Manky' (Mick Strobel).