As we reach our 11th Inspired to Grow session, supported kindly through funding by Heart of Bucks, here is a quick update on what we’ve achieved, copies of the downloadable resources that we have produced to support some of the sessions and some photos of the sessions in action!
Our next Inspired to Grow dates are below, Please book your teenager on now if they are interested in attending.
Highlights
- 10 workshops to date covering composting, soil health, biodiversity and bugs, seasonal planting, exploring mushrooms, autumn orchards, harvesting, preparing and cooking ingredients, thrifty & seasonal recipes, cooking using plant based alternative protein sources, fermenting and lots more!
- We’ve grown or started off tomatoes, peppers, garlic, spring cabbages, beetroot, lettuce, cucumbers, marigolds, nasturtium, potatoes, broad beans, climbing French beans, peas, red onions, carrots, coriander, parsley, chives, basil and radish to name a few, phew!
- We’ve tasted radish, spring greens, tomatoes of an array of colours and sizes, peppers, carrots, tofu, mushrooms, wild garlic, onions, courgette, spinach, cucumber, rainbow chard and more.
- Our Inspired to Grow participants who have attended have taken home seeds to continue growing at home including basil, salad leaves, peppers, calendula, beans, courgette, micro-greens, seed potatoes, mushroom kits, apples and ingredients to make a crumble, home made sriracha sauce and apple butter, home made stir fry and Mexican Three Bean Salad.
Tyler’s Veggie Fact Sheets
Tyler, one of the key Inspired to Grow team, has created the following handy info sheets about some of the plants we have been growing. You can download them here:
Cabbage
Carrots
Cauliflower
Courgette
Garlic
Potatoes
Radish
Inspired to Grow educational and information resources
If you would like to find out more about the importance of soil health, biodiversity, seasonal planting, looking after our environment and more, please check out some of our information and educational resources that we sourced from third parties or created for our Inspired to Grow workshop.
Biodiversity
Soil Health
Water
Seasonal growing chart
Creating a mini compost
Waste free lunch box challenge
Eat the rainbow challenge – foods by colour
Eat the rainbow/30 different foods in a week check list
Pruning tips
Autumn fact sheet
Autumn colour in activity
Guide to Mushrooms
Fungus Detectives Poster
Fungi fact sheet
5 reasons why Fungi have shaped the world
Permaculture Info Sheet
Growing potatoes Info Sheet
Companion Planting Chart
Companion Planting Benefits
Flowers for your Veg patch infographic
Protein Sources Info
Plant based protein sources infographic
Gardening wellbeing benefits
Recipes
As part of our project we have provided thrifty, seasonal recipe cards for our Inspired to Grow participants so that they can continue to feel inspired to reduce food waste, diversify their own diet, make seasonal and sound environmental decisions around their food habits and try new things!
Flatbread pizza, Pesto Pasta, Rainbow Salad Bowl and Tomato Salad
Apple & Orchard recipes
Mushroom recipes
Potato recipes
Sriracha Sauce recipe
Ketchup recipe
Pepper sauce recipe
Apple butter recipe
Cabbage & Courgette recipes
Inspired to Grow beetroot take home recipes – final
Recipes using alternative protein sources – KFC inspired mushrooms, Mexican Three Bean Salad & Tofu and rainbow veg stir fry
Inspired to Grow Protein recipes
Here are some pictures from some of our sessions:
We have so enjoyed working with a wonderful group of teenagers over the months of our Inspired to Grow project. We think they have enjoyed it too. Don’t take our word for it, here are some of their comments & their parents comments:
“She really enjoyed the experience and was made to feel very at ease, which is all thanks to yourself and the team”
“Thank you so much for yesterday, M had a wonderful time, which was partly due to the welcoming and supportive environment you’ve created. He is extremely excited about the cookery class”
“The boys absolutely loved it today! Thank you so, so much”
“Thank you, as ever for such a lovely session. C does so enjoy coming.”
“I loved tasting the potato wedges and our homemade tomato ketchup!”
“We loved the fermenting workshop. I’ve already brought the vinegar to preserve anything we make.”