Pupils' Cae Felin visit ensures learning continues outside of the classroom

An award-winning Swansea Bay project has proved it’s a class act by giving schoolchildren a chance to chip in and learn about how to grow food.

Pupils from Craigfelen Primary School in Swansea visited Cae Felin Community Supported Agriculture near Morriston Hospital to gain further knowledge around healthy food as part of its sustainability programme.

Over 50 children helped dig up crops to take back to school as part of a potato festival where they made rosemary wedges and potato salad along with boiled, jacket and mashed potato.

Craigfelen teacher Ben Davies, who is also ECO Schools Lead, was part of the contingent visiting Cae Felin.

PICTURED: Pupils hold some of the garlic they dug up during their visit.

He said: “The education of pupils around food growing and diet is extremely important. Processed food is often more readily available and cheaper than healthy options and we have hit a generational gap in food growing skills.

“Our knowledge has contributed to the success of our own community garden. Where we have over 10 families now regularly participating in growing, harvesting and eating home grown organic food.

“On our recent visit to Cae Felin the pupils helped harvest produce such as potatoes, tried lots of different food like peas and beetroot, went pond dipping and planted more crops including beetroot and cabbages. The pupils had hands-on experience of food growth and end product, learning about the process of planting and all the way to harvest.

“The pupils really enjoyed and tried lots of new types of potato. ‘I’ve never had real chips’ was a common reaction to how nice they were and another pupil enjoyed his first try of potato salad so much he went home to ask his mother to make it that night.

“The trip was an overwhelming success with all pupils wanting to return and I can imagine a huge cry for beetroot and potatoes on their family shopping lists that week!”

Jessie Kidd helps develop the school's community gardens and works with staff and pupils around food education.

She co-ordinated the visit to Cae Felin, which she feels has unearthed some future growers of the future.

Jessie said: "With the arrival of the new Welsh Curriculum, outdoor learning has become a real focus. Almost all pupils and staff had not visited a sustainable food system like Cae Felin or have the opportunity to try a wide variety of fresh seasonal produce.

"Feedback from pupils and staff has been overwhelmingly positive with staff seeing engaged, curious pupils taking new food risks and developing their communication and team building skills.

"This programme provide a holistic experience with each pupil allowed an individual learning experience which fits in directly to the curriculum.

"It is highly valued by all involved and as we witness growing food poverty and as the climate and biodiversity crisis deepens there is nothing more important than reconnecting the education systems back to land and nature.”

Growing food at Cae Felin, a 7.6 acre plot of land owned by the health board, is just one of the benefits of the project.

The site has helped deliver holistic care to patients outside of the typical hospital environment, while it has also aided staff wellbeing and mental health. It has also boosted biodiversity and wildlife.

Its success has earned further recognition following success at the NHS Wales Sustainability Awards, winning the Social Value / Foundational Economy category.

Amanda Davies, Service Improvement Manager for Swansea Bay University Health Board and Cae Felin founder, said: “We are delighted to hear the school visit proved a big success for the pupils, who were very enthusiastic and keen to learn about where their food comes from.

“Cae Felin is a secure green space and a safe hub for education. Through our schools programme children can play, learn about healthy eating, growing food, biodiversity and sustainability.

PICTURED: Cae Felin staff received their award at the NHS Wales Sustainability Awards.

“Cae Felin continues to develop and we hope to include additional polytunnels for growing so that it can provide vegetables for the Welsh Veg in Schools initiative. This will also involve the recruitment and employment of local people who can help deliver this project.

“Last year the Future Generations Commissioner Derek Walker launched his call for a National Food Strategy at the site and cited Cae Felin as an exemplar project to public bodies. It has also been labelled a perfect example of how health boards can achieve net zero status by the British Embassy to Madrid.

“The project continues to grow and it has delivered many benefits for staff, patients and, in this latest visit, local schoolchildren.”