Donegal school takes top prize in Incredible Edibles healthy eating programme
Third class in Creevy National School in Ballyshannon showed their creative food journey in a scrapbook and submitted the best end-of-year project to secure the top spot.
A primary school in Co Donegal has won first prize in the Incredible Edibles primary schools' horticulture and healthy eating programme.
Third class in Creevy National School in Ballyshannon showed their creative food journey in a scrapbook and submitted the best end-of-year project to secure the top spot in Agri Aware's nationwide schools' programme.
Incredible Edibles is a healthy eating project for primary schools.
The aim of the project is to educate students about growing fruit and vegetables and to increase their knowledge of food origin and quality.
It also highlights the important role that fresh, Irish produce plays in a healthy balanced diet and the importance of consuming at least five to seven portions of fruit and vegetables each day.
The Creevy National School pupils impressed the judges with the scale and quality of their work, completing all five tasks; food origin, identifying Irish, planting, cooking and healthy eating, to an "impeccable" standard.
The Donegal children also showcased a range of biodiversity measures by protecting bees and composting during the Incredible Edibles programme.
In addition, Catherine Conneely’s class enjoyed the 'Meet the Farmer' in-class webinars hosted by Agri Aware and project sponsors.
The third-class pupils are now ready to harvest and eat some of the fruit and vegetables they have grown in school as part of the programme.
The Incredible Edibles programme ran from January to June, and had over 76,000 children from 1,800 schools across the country take part - its largest participation ever.
All schools who participate in the programme get free grow packs so they can plant, grow and harvest their own fruit and vegetables.
With concerns around a "growing disconnect" from where food originates, Agri Aware said the programme aims to help children learn all about how food gets to their plates while growing their own fruit, vegetables and herbs too.
Eilis Greene, programme and events manager of Agri Aware congratulated Creevy National School on their entry for this year's Incredible Edibles programme, saying it was "quite simply one of the best we have come across".
Oonagh Trehin, Bord Bia healthy eating executive and chairwoman of the Incredible Edibles sponsor committee highlighted the importance of education on horticulture and food origin, along with "highlighting the importance of seasonal fruit and vegetables as part of a healthy diet".
“We were hugely impressed by the effort put in by schools this year, and the standard of projects submitted," Ms Trehin said.
“Well done to all schools who took part and congratulations to the well-deserved winning schools."
In second place overall was Michaela Doyle Murphy's fourth and fifth class in Bunscoil Rís Edmund Rice School, New Ross, Co Wexford; followed by Stephanie Kearns’ junior and senior infants in St Joseph's National School in Kilcock, Co Meath.
Meanwhile, the 'home-school category' was won by Michael Jolly, third-class pupil in Ballina, Co Mayo.
Maire De Bhruin's second class in Gaelscoil Liatroma, Co Leitrim has taken the top prize in the 'Gaelscoil category', while the 'special category' was won by Annelies Verniest’s ASD Class in Berrings National School, Co Cork.
Jerry Kelleher's sixth class in Banteer National School, Co Cork came in first in the 'online category', and the new 'junior category' was won by Hazel O'Dwyer's senior infants class in Portlaoise Educate Together National School, Co Laois.
