Schools invited to enter students into young gardener awards

<h2 style&equals;"text-align&colon; justify&semi;">Entries have opened for the first Young Gardener of the Year Awards&comma; and all Garden to Table schools are being urged to enter&period; <&sol;h2>&NewLine;<p style&equals;"text-align&colon; justify&semi;">The awards are designed to encourage school children to experience the joy of growing fresh produce for use in delicious dishes&comma; and to help them create healthy and sustainable eating habits&period; <&sol;p>&NewLine;<p style&equals;"text-align&colon; justify&semi;">Garden to Table CEO&comma; Linda Taylor&comma; says the charity is on a &&num;8220&semi;mission&&num;8221&semi; to change the way children approach and think about food&period; &&num;8220&semi;At Garden to Table&comma; we strongly believe that children who understand where good food comes from – and how to prepare it – are likely to make better food choices&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p style&equals;"text-align&colon; justify&semi;">&OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;As well as looking for the most passionate young gardeners in New Zealand&comma; we’re also looking for the most enthusiastic school that is championing this approach&comma; involving their kids in all aspects of gardening in an environmentally sustainable garden&period; We encourage everyone in our programme to get involved&comma; as we have some fabulous prizes available&period;”<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p style&equals;"text-align&colon; justify&semi;">Awards judge and top chef&comma; Al Brown&comma; says&colon; &OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;I wasn’t an academic student at school and I am a firm believer that results can be achieved by taking children out of the traditional learning environment&period; I’m proud to be an ambassador for the Garden to Table programme&comma; helping kids develop a greater understanding of food&comma; nutrition and sustainability and make better decisions when it comes to eating a balanced diet&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p style&equals;"text-align&colon; justify&semi;">&OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;Through Garden to Table&comma; we’re working with schools across the country&comma; setting tasks in the garden and kitchen to help improve social skills including communication&comma; teamwork and collaboration&period; The pride the kids have in what they’ve accomplished is extraordinary – from growing the produce&comma; right through to cooking and enjoying meals together&period;”<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p style&equals;"text-align&colon; justify&semi;">To enter your school&&num;8217&semi;s young gardeners&comma; click <a href&equals;"http&colon;&sol;&sol;www&period;younggardenerawards&period;co&period;nz" target&equals;"&lowbar;blank">here<&sol;a><&sol;p>&NewLine;