Agri Aware’s healthy eating and growing programme ‘Incredible Edibles’ is entering its sixteenth year and the launch of the 2024 programme took place yesterday, Tuesday, October 10.
The launch of the hugely popular horticulture programme took place in the school of the overall winners of the programme in 2023, St. Joseph’s National School in Kinvarra, Co. Galway.
Joining the Agri Aware team on the day in Kinvarra were Bord Bia and Life is Better brand ambassador Eoin Sheehan who whipped up some delicious smoothies for students to enjoy.
Over half a million schoolchildren have taken part in Incredible Edibles since its inception. Last year’s programme (2022-2023 school term) saw over 80,000 children from 1,600 schools across the country take part.
Agri Aware expect to see these numbers maintained for this coming school term. For the launch of the programme this year, Agri Aware are appealing in particular to schools who in need of raised beds for their school gardens. The programme has a limited number of raised beds to give away to schools who want to give their pupils a chance to watch their crops grow outdoors.
Throughout their food journey, the schoolchildren will take part in five tasks. They learn all about where their food comes from, identifying Irish produce, how to plant and grow food, and how to prepare the food they have harvested and how to create delicious meals.
As part of the project, schools also take part in Healthy Eating Week in early May, where they are challenged to eat ‘seven-a-day’ for the week with the Agri Aware team visiting schools to see the great work being done by students in the programme.
Incredible Edibles enjoys brilliant industry support in helping to bring the project to life in schools across the country. Registration for the programme is now open and interested schools can sign up HERE.
At the launch of the Incredible Edibles programme for 2024 Chairman of Agri Aware Shay Galvin said: “It was absolutely brilliant to launch the Agri Aware Incredible Edibles programme in St. Joseph’s National School Kinvara yesterday.
“Pupils in St. Joseph’s National School in Kinvara showcased all the good that can be achieved by engaging in the programme and they were deserving overall winners of the programme in 2023.
“Our Incredible Edibles programme is our longest running programme, with it entering its sixteenth year, which is amazing. Once again thanks to the support of our sponsors we are bringing this programme to schools in 2024 again.
“It is great to see the children getting stuck into one of our schools’ programmes in such a practical way and hopefully it can lay the foundations for a healthy lifestyle and a positive relationship with Irish-grown food for the rest of their lives.”
Incredible Edibles is supported by the Department of Health and Healthy Ireland, Bord Bia, Department of Education, Dole Ireland, Country Crest, Irish Farmers’ Association, Keelings, McCormack Family Farms, and O’Shea Farms.