From field to fork

Duke of Edinburgh students Alfie, Dawid and Thomas have been learning a valuable lesson in how to grow food.

The group, who are working towards their Silver Award, go each week from Sutherland House School to Nottingham's Stonebridge City Farm to do their volunteer placement.

Supported each week by Richard Gennard, their active living teacher, the boys recently dug up a garden bed and to their delight discovered lots of self-seeded potatoes within the soil. The boys were able to take their finds to their school kitchen and presented them to the head cook Elsa Bua.

In a fast moving society, Sutherland House School takes the opportunity, whenever possible, to take the slow holistic road where learning can happen at the students' pace. The kitchen staff were glad to use the potatoes within the lunch menu and demonstrated to the youngsters how their produce could go from the ground to the plate. What's more, all Sutherland House students were able to try the roasted potatoes.