ActionAid schools | DATE | 1 Love Potatoes! Learn about growing your own vegetables and sustainable farming Liberathe Ritabakinia, 35, in Burundi, shows her potato crop. PHOTO: SARAH ELLIOT//ACTIONAID ActionAid schools | December 2012

ActionAid schools | DATE | 2 POTATO FACT Potatoes were first grown by Incas in Peru over 7,000 years ago. ActionAid Schools December 2012

ActionAid schools | DATE | 3 Get your seed potatoes ChittingPreparing soilPlantingHarvesting Cooking and eating! GROWING POTATOES Some of Ashley Primary Schools potato harvest! PHOTO: ACTIONAID ActionAid Schools December 2012

ActionAid schools | DATE | 4 Year 3 children show off their wonderful veg PHOTO: RICHARD DUNNE/ACTIONAID ActionAid Schools December 2012

ActionAid schools | DATE | 5 The potato is the fourth largest crop, after rice, wheat and maize. There are over 4000 varieties of potatoes in the world. POTATO FACT ActionAid Schools December 2012

ActionAid schools | DATE | 6 Eseza Chede, 21, displays a harvest of potatoes from her family's garden. PHOTO: GRAEME ACTIONAID ActionAid Schools December 2012

ActionAid schools | DATE | 7 CHALLENGES FOR GROWING FOOD IN UK Frost Disease Pests What problems have you faced at Ashley in growing food? Covering plants and vegetables with newspaper over a frame or a protective cover can help them survive chilly nights. Keeping plants healthy with enough light and water, and giving them plenty of room to grow can prevent diseases. Netting can keep out unwanted creatures. How do you overcome these problems? ActionAid Schools December 2012

ActionAid schools | DATE | 8 CHALLENGES FOR GROWING FOOD IN OTHER COUNTRIES Soil erosion Drought Floods Storing food No seeds ActionAid Schools December 2012

ActionAid schools | DATE | 9 Typical landscape in Rumphi district, Malawi. PHOTO: GRAEME WILLIAMS/PANOS/ACTIONAID0 CHALLENGES FOR GROWING FOOD IN MALAWI ActionAid Schools December 2012

ActionAid schools | DATE | 10 Thabu and other women farmers on their irrigated land in Rumphi district, Malawi. PHOTO: GRAEME WILLIAMS/PANOS/ACTIONAID Thabu Chidimba, a smallholder farmer in the fields she shares with other local women. PHOTO: GRAEME WILLIAMS/PANOS/ACTIONAID Compost heap in Rumphi district, Malawi. PHOTO: GRAEME WILLIAMS/PANOS/ACTIONAID0 Maria Mkandawire pumps water PHOTO: GRAEME WILLIAMS/PANOS/ACTIONAID ActionAid Schools December 2012

ActionAid schools | DATE | 11 WHY GROW FOOD? To understand more about our food Having local food means our food doesnt have to travel as far – less environmental impact Food straight from the garden has less packaging To have healthy, fresh food at school – tasty school dinners ActionAid Schools December 2012

ActionAid schools | DATE | 12 OTHER GARDENS AT SCHOOL Sylvia,11, weeds the school garden thats growing cassava. PHOTO: JAMES AKENA/ACTIONAID ActionAid Schools December 2012

ActionAid schools | DATE | 13 ASHLEYS TOP FIVE TIPS FOR STARTING YOUR OWN GARDEN The best way to learn is by doing! Start growing, even on a small scale Get partners in the community – local horticultural society, go to older generation who have allotments, bring them into the school to support the children Get everyone in school involved. At Ashley every year group has a job to do – e.g. hoeing, weeding, watering, sowing seeds, harvesting Celebrate what you are doing - have a food festival Most importantly - eat the food you have grown ActionAid Schools December 2012

ActionAid schools | DATE | 14 Year 3 student proudly showing the harvested sweetcorn PHOTO: RICHARD DUNNE/ACTIONAID ActionAid Schools December 2012