Students at city school grow green fingers and plenty of veg

The song says ‘Sisters Are Doin’ It For Themselves’ but students at a suburban school have been showing that brothers can grow vegetables for just about anyone.

The project at Coláiste an Chríost Rí in Cork has seen dozens of transition-year students develop and keep an organic garden in the school grounds. But with the last of the infrastructure only recently in place, this summer promises to bear the most fruit yet.

The latest team of boys recently finished planting 24 apple trees and various berry bushes to add to their soon-to-sprout crop of tomatoes, cucumbers, lettuces, and others.

Geography teacher David Cole said the work is very seasonal, and is done over three classes a week for each of four transition year classes who spend six to eight weeks each on the project.

Naoise Fitzgerald said he had a previous taste of the work from helping his grandfather grow and pick potatoes, but it was the first taste of horticulture for some in his class.

“A lot of city lads didn’t have a clue starting out, but I think we all have a much better knowledge now about growing vegetables. I knew a little bit beforehand but I’d never known all the things we learned about tomatoes and vines,” he said.

Work on the acre of former waste ground in the Capwell Rd school was started from scratch by staff and students, but has been helped by the raising of €20,000 in over two years, some from a cookery demonstration by chef Neven Maguire who was so impressed he is now patron to the project.

The boys learned about the theory of geo-ecology and soil quality, and everything is entirely organic, meaning the students used seaweed as a natural fertiliser. The teachers — Mr Cole, biology teacher Sinéad Ryan, and guidance counsellor Frank Mulvihill — have also picked up skills from horticulturist and mentor Jan Van Soest.

The venture is being considered as the basis of a short course for the new Junior Cycle Student Award, with a large polytunnel now on site and potting sheds just built. Students of Leaving Certificate agricultural science also use the facility for the subject taken as an after-school option.

Colin Sage, senior geography lecturer at University College Cork and chair of Cork Food Policy Council, said projects like this reflect the growing popularity of community gardens and allotments. With students learning about food sustainability and the thousands of miles some vegetables travel to reach their dinner plates, thought is being given to a weekly market for the school’s produce.

And like many others whose timetabled participation is over, Naoise sometimes helps out in his spare time and takes his new skills home.

“Me and my Dad are thinking about putting up a greenhouse to grow our own veg, which is definitely because of what I’ve learned, and I’ll be helping my grandad a bit more, too,” he said.